Evan Roberts and

the Welsh revival of 1904

As the week of meetings at Loughor in November 1904 came to an end, Evan Roberts had to consider whether to continue them or to return to his studies at Newcastle Emlyn. Preparation at college lay close to his heart, yet Roberts knew he could not desert the work at Loughor while the Holy Spirit was so evidently present in the meetings. His dilemma was partly resolved by the invitations he received to conduct further services in Gorseinon, but more importantly by the still greater signs of blessing which attended the meetings.

Congregations were increasing every evening, services were continuing for four or five hours as people were moved to plead for mercy and pardon, and men remained behind afterwards until the early hours of the morning, praying that the Holy Spirit might work on amongst them.

Roberts felt there was no other course but to hold a second week of meetings, not confined to Loughor however, but including Libanus and Brynteg chapel in Gorseinon where the blessings of revival were also being experienced to some degree.

Without any advanced publicity to advertise them, the services were so well-attended that by the following Wednesday people were standing in the vestibule listening through the open doors of the church. Roberts claimed no credit for himself for the remarkable drawing power being displayed, as he wrote the next day in a letter, "It is enough to know that God filled the place. Keep praying fervently. The Kingdom is bound to succeed in spite of what anyone says or does."

The next evening the service was held at Brynteg church and many people went straight from their places of work in order to be in good time for the commencement. An account by a newspaper reporter who joined the meeting two hours after it started, was published in the Western Mail on Saturday 12th November, giving his impression of the occasion:

"The meeting at Brynteg congregational church on Thursday night was attended by those remarkable scenes which have made previous meetings memorable in the life history of so many of the inhabitants of the district. The proceedings commenced at 7 o'clock and they lasted without a break until 4.30 o'clock on Friday morning. During the whole of this time the congregation were under the influence of deep religious fervour and exaltation. There were about 400 people present in the chapel when I took my seat at about nine o'clock. The majority of the congregation were females ranging from young misses of twelve to matrons with babies in their arms. Mr Roberts is a young man of rather striking appearance. He is tall and distinguished looking, with an intellectual air about his clean shaven face. His eyes are piercing in their brightness, and the pallor of his countenance seemed to suggest that those nightly vigils are taking their toll on him. There was however no suggestion of fatigue in his conduct of the meeting. There is nothing theatrical about his preaching. He does not seek to terrify his hearers, and eternal torment finds no place in his theology. Rather does he reason with the people and show them by persuasion a more excellent way. I had not been many minutes in the building before I felt that this was no ordinary gathering. Instead of the set order of proceedings to which we were accustomed at the orthodox religious service, everything here was left to the spontaneous impulse of the moment. The preacher too did not remain in his usual seat. For the most part he walked up and down the aisles, open Bible in hand, exhorting one encouraging another, and kneeling with a third to implore blessing from the throne of grace.

A young woman rose to give out a hymn which was sung with deep earnestness. While it was being sung several people dropped down from their seats as if they had been struck, and commenced crying for pardon. Then from another part of the chapel would be heard the resonant voice of a young man reading a portion of the scripture. While this was in progress there came from the gallery an impassioned prayer from a woman crying aloud that she had repented of her ways and was determined to lead a better life henceforward. All this time Mr Roberts went in and out among the congregation offering kindly words of advice to kneeling penitents. He would ask them if they believed, the reply in one instance being, "No, I would like to believe but I can't. Pray for me." Then the preacher would ask the audience to join him in the following prayer: "Anfon yr Yspryd yn awr, er mwyn Iesu Grist, Amen" (Send the Holy Spirit for Jesus Christ's sake, Amen). This prayer would be repeated about a dozen times by all present, when the would be convert would suddenly rise and declare with triumph, "Thank God I have now received salvation, never again will I walk in the way of sinners." This declaration would create a new excitement and the congregation would joyously sing:

Diolch iddo, diolch iddo,
Byth am gofio llwch lawr.

I suppose this occurred scores of times over the nine hours that the meeting was protracted. A very pathetic feature of the proceedings was the anxiety of many present for the spiritual welfare of members of their families. One woman was heartbroken for her husband, who was given to drink. She implored the prayers of the congregation on his behalf. The story told by another woman drew tears to all eyes. She said that her mother was dead and that her father had given way to sin, so that she was indeed orphaned in the world. She had attended the meetings without feeling her position, but on the previous day, while following her domestic chores, the Spirit had come upon her bidding her to speak. And she did speak, her address being remarkable for one who had never spoken in public before. Yet another woman made public confession that she had come to the meeting in an attitude of idle curiosity but, that the influence, of the Holy Ghost worked within her, causing her to go down on her knees in penitence. It was now long past midnight, but still there was no abatement in the fervour of the gathering. Fresh fuel was added to the religious fire by Mr Roberts who described what had appeared to him as a vision. He said that when he was before the throne of grace he saw appearing before him a key. He did not understand the meaning of this sign. Just then, however, three members of the congregation rose to their feet and said that they had been converted. "My vision is explained," said Mr Roberts ecstatically. "it was, the key with which God opened your hearts."

One of the most remarkable utterances of this remarkable night was that of a woman who gave a vivid description of the vision which she had seen the previous evening: "I saw", she said, "a great expanse of beautiful land, with friendly faces peopling it. Between me and this golden country was a shining river, crossed by a plank. I was anxious to cross but afraid that the plank would not support me. But at that moment I gave myself to God and there came a great wave of faith and I crossed in safety."

At 2.30 o'clock I took a rough note of what was then proceeding. In the gallery a woman was praying and she fainted. Water was offered her, but she refused this, saying the only thing she wanted was God's forgiveness. A well known resident then rose and said that salvation had come to him. Immediately a thanksgiving hymn was sung, while an English prayer from a new convert broke in upon the singing. The whole congregation then fell upon their knees, prayers ascending from every part of the edifice, while Mr Roberts gave way to tears at the sight. This state of fervency lasted for about ten minutes. It was followed by an even more impressive five minutes of silence, broken only by the sobs of strong men. A hymn was then started by a woman with a beautiful soprano voice. Finally Mr Roberts announced the holding of future meetings and at 4:25 o'clock the gathering dispersed. But even at this hour the people did not make their way home. When I left to walk back to Llanelly I left dozens of them about the road still discussing what is now the chief subject of their lives. They had come prepared with lamps and lanterns, the lights of which in the early hours of darkness were weird and picturesque."

The press report also contained references to interviews with Evan Roberts which give an indication of his views on what was taking place at that time.

"At the close of the remarkable service, I had a short interview with Mr Roberts. This was at the unearthly hour of 4.30 a.m., after I had gone through a unique seven hours experience. In answer to my question Mr Roberts said that the only explanation of what was now taking place in Loughor was that the Spirit of God was working among the people. Recently death in a very terrible form has come home to the people of Loughor in the wrecking of the express train, and I inquired of Mr Roberts whether that might account for their readiness to receive the message. He did not, however think that was at all likely. Asked as to whether he intended devoting himself entirely to mission work in the future, Mr Roberts said that in that matter he was in the hands of God."

"In the course of a conversation with our representative on Friday afternoon, Mr Roberts said that he believed we were on the verge of one of the greatest revivals that Wales had ever seen. All the signs of this were present. It was time for us to get out of the groove in which we had walked for so long. He himself was converted twelve or thirteen years ago and ever since then he had been praying for the Holy Ghost to come upon him. That it had come he was certain. It was one thing for a man to be converted and quite another to receive the baptism of the Spirit. The meetings they had had were glorious experiences. When they opened a meeting they had no idea when it would conclude only one thing could be said, and that was that it would not conclude until some definite point had been gained. Asked how many converts had been made, Mr Roberts said that he did not call it conversion, nor did he believe in the counting of heads. Some people had said that he was doing good work. It was not his, however. He was simply an instrument in the hand of God, and he wanted man to receive the joy of religion, as he had found it. Our fathers had their religion and too often it made them gloomy In those cases the joy of religion had never been experienced."

The meetings led by Roberts on the following two evenings were again favoured with mighty movements of the Holy Spirit, and he was convinced that he should continue the work at Loughor while God was granting such extraordinary blessing. He wrote to Sidney Evans in Newcastle Emlyn informing him of his decision not to return to ministerial school and added, "Perhaps we shall have to go through the whole of Wales. If so, thank Heaven! What a blessed time! I am perfectly content and blissfully, happy with enough work from morning till night"

Within two days Roberts received an invitation to preach at Bryn Seion chapel in Aberdare and he accepted without delay. God was indeed calling him to go through the whole of Wales - for the work of revival was only just beginning.