Saron, Aberaman facts for kids
Saron, Aberaman was a special kind of church building called a Welsh Independent (Congregationalist) chapel. It was located on Davies Street in Aberaman, a town in Wales. This chapel was started by David Price, a minister from Siloa, Aberdare. It began when Aberaman was growing fast as a place for industry, thanks to people like Crawshay Bailey and David Davis. Saron was thought to be one of the biggest chapels in the Cynon Valley area.
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How Saron Chapel Began
The story of Saron Chapel started with small meetings in November 1846. These meetings took place in a house on Cardiff Road in Aberaman. A minister named Thomas Jones, who also ran a school, lived there.
Aberaman was a new industrial town back then. Many workers moved in and out, so the group meeting at the house changed often. Soon, the house became too small for everyone. The group then moved to a place called the Lamb and Flag.
However, meeting in a public house caused some disagreements. So, the group moved back to Thomas Jones's house. When Thomas Jones passed away in January 1848, the future of the church was unclear.
A New Start for the Church
At this important moment, David Price, a minister from Siloa, Aberdare, stepped in to help. His help was key to forming a lasting Independent church in Aberaman in 1848.
In 1849, Joshua Thomas became the minister. Around this time, a religious revival happened, along with a cholera outbreak. Many new members joined Saron, about 120 people.
The church quickly needed a bigger building. Land was rented from Dr. James Lewis Roberts and Jennett Roberts. A new chapel was built and opened in 1850. It cost about £719 to build. By then, Saron had 218 members.
John Davies Leads the Church
After the cholera outbreak ended, some members left Saron. People also had disagreements, and Joshua Thomas stopped being the minister in 1852.
William Edwards, a minister from Ebenezer, Trecynon, helped out for a while. Then, in June 1854, the church asked Reverend John Davies to be their new minister. He accepted and started his work in November that year.
Growing Bigger and Stronger
When John Davies arrived, the church became lively again. Even though some members moved to a new branch church in Moriah Aman, the main Saron building was still too small.
In 1856, the chapel was made bigger to hold 900 people. This work cost £220. The total cost, including the original building, was £953, and the church had a debt of £1200. But they worked hard and paid off the debt quickly.
By the early 1860s, a large hall called Saron Hall was built behind the chapel for £300. By 1865, most of the debt was gone. It was amazing for a community of workers to raise over £2000 in just 15 years!
Saron also grew a lot during the religious revival of 1859–60. About 50 new members joined every month. Members from Saron also helped start the Tabernacle English Congregational Church in Aberdare.
John Davies was a very successful minister at Saron. In June 1863, he was asked to lead a church in Cardiff. He left Saron on June 14, 1863.
Later Years of Saron Chapel
The chapel was updated again in 1890, costing £1,600.
R. Rowlands was the minister from 1864 to 1891. H.P. Jenkins then served from 1893 to 1922.
Modern History
The minister who served the longest at Saron was Glannant Jones. He was the minister for 42 years, from 1931 to 1973. Heulwen Evans was the organist for 40 years, from 1960 to 2000.
Saron Chapel was kept in good condition for many years. However, over time, fewer people attended, and it eventually closed. But it has since reopened as Saron Chapel, Independent Baptist Church. The first service under its new pastor, Dr. B.J. Stagner Jr., was on November 5, 2014.
