Saron Baptist Chapel, Carmarthenshire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saron, Llandybie |
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|---|---|
| 51°47′33″N 4°01′52″W / 51.7925°N 4.0312°W | |
| Location | Saron Village, Llandybie, Carmarthenshire |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Baptist |
| History | |
| Founded | 1810 |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Chapel |
| Style | Early 19th century |
| Completed | 1913 |
Saron is a special Baptist chapel located in the village of Saron. This village is part of the Llandybie community, near Ammanford, in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Services at Saron are held in the Welsh language.
Contents
The Beginning of Saron Chapel
Saron Chapel started in 1810. A group of Baptists first met in a house in Capel Hendre. Later, they moved to another house where the original chapel, built in 1814, still stands. Part of that old house became part of the chapel itself.
The first minister, or leader, of Saron was William Michael. He came from Drefach, Llndysul. He even ran a day school inside the chapel! William Michael passed away in 1824. For a while, the chapel did not have a minister.
Ministers in Early Years
In 1832, Benjamin Thomas became the new minister. He was from Cilgerran in Pembrokeshire. Benjamin Thomas led Saron, along with two other chapels, Penrhiwgoch and Sardis, Llanedi. He served until he died in 1858.
Growth Under T.F. Williams
In 1861, the Reverend T.F. Williams began his long time as minister at Saron. During his time, the chapel was made bigger and updated. In 1867, Williams also became the minister for Ebenezer Chapel in Cross Inn.
Ammanford's Expansion
During these years, the town of Cross Inn grew very quickly. It was renamed Ammanford in the 1880s. This was because it became a major center for the coal mining industry, especially for anthracite coal. As Ammanford grew, Ebenezer Chapel also became much larger. Because of this, T.F. Williams became the minister of Ebenezer Chapel only in 1891. He stayed there until he retired in 1907.
Saron in the 1900s
David Stephen Davies became the minister of Saron in 1892. He served for many years, until 1923. During this period, a new chapel called Bethesda, Tycroes, was started as a branch of Saron.
The original Saron Chapel became too small for everyone. So, a brand new chapel was opened in 1913. Building the new chapel was expensive. It took ten years for the community to pay off the large debt of £10,000.
Recent History of Saron
Richard Lloyd came to Saron from Caersalem, Dowlais in 1927. He was the minister for thirty years, retiring in 1957. After him, W. Gwyn Thomas served as minister from 1958 to 1965.
A very important minister, E. Lyn Rees, started at Saron in 1966. He has served the chapel for over fifty years, showing great dedication to the community.
