Elim, Cwmdare facts for kids
Elim, Cwmdare was a special kind of church building called a chapel. It was located in Cwmdare, a village near Aberdare in Wales. This chapel belonged to a group called the Independent (or Congregationalist) church. This means they made their own decisions about their faith and how they worshipped, rather than being part of a larger church structure.
How Elim Chapel Began
Elim Chapel started because of a big event called the Religious Revival of 1859. This was a time when many people in Wales became very interested in their faith. Fifty members from another church, Ebenezer, Trecynon, decided to create a new church in the mining village of Cwmdare.
At first, the church members met in a smaller room called a vestry. But in August 1867, a brand new chapel building was officially opened. Many important ministers, including David Price from Siloa, Aberdare, spoke at the opening services. The community managed to raise £200 to help build the chapel. This was a huge achievement because most of the church members were working people. The original church at Ebenezer also gave a lot of help and support to Elim.
First Leaders of Elim
The very first minister, or leader, of Elim Chapel was Abraham Matthews. He came from Bala College, a place where people studied to become ministers. He served at Elim and also at another chapel called Horeb, Llwydcoed.
In June 1869, David Griffiths became the next minister at Elim. He was a student from Brecon College. David Griffiths was originally from Llanarth and had worked on a farm. When he was about twenty, he moved to Dowlais. The minister at Bethania, Dowlais, encouraged him to start preaching. David Griffiths also served on the Aberdare School Board, which helped manage local schools. He stayed as the minister at Elim until he passed away.
Elim Chapel in the 1900s
The chapel building was rebuilt in 1903 to make it bigger and better. On August 11, 1902, two important people, Rees Llewellyn from Bwllfa House and J.W. Evans from Hirwaun, laid a special memorial stone for the new building.
In February 1906, David Griffiths, the long-serving minister, died at the age of 65. He had been the minister of Elim for 37 years.
Later, David Owen Davies became the minister in 1961. He led the chapel until he retired in 1981. He passed away in 1989. Sadly, Elim Chapel eventually closed its doors for good in 1998.
