In a remote chapel a thousand feet up in the Black Mountains (Y Mynydd Du), families are encountering Jesus! Faith Guides Paul and Robyn Smethurst tell us more.
The small Welsh borders town of Talgarth was once a Christian stronghold. Fifth-century King Brychan, based here, spread the gospel throughout the region. In 1735, local man Howell Harris had a remarkable conversion here and went on to help lead a major Welsh revival.
More recently, there has been decline. After the town’s Baptist church closed, Paul (Baptist Union Missional Minister for Breconshire) and Robyn moved here in 2023 to explore new ways of sharing Jesus with the community.
They found an opportunity in Pen yr Heol, a tiny chapel high in the mountains above Talgarth, accessed via a steep single-track lane. Here, a few people continued to meet for monthly services. Paul says, ‘There was a fringe community of families either with a relative in the regular congregation or simply an affinity with the location. That was our starting point.’
With the help of Scripture Union (initially John Settatree and more recently Mission Enabler Jack Newbould), Paul and Robyn started monthly meet-ups for these families, adapting SU Go Wild! resources to their needs. Fun outdoor activities (building a bug hotel, constructing shelters in the graveyard, making a Nativity scene) are interwoven with faith and scripture. ‘We began with four families who invited others and it’s grown to nine families,’ says Paul. ‘A remarkable sense of camaraderie has developed. They’re very committed – numbers fluctuate during lambing or harvest as most are farmers, but they stay connected on our WhatsApp group.
‘A remote mountain chapel isn’t the most logical place to do mission! In really bad weather we have to relocate to a village hall lower down. But God has led us to do this, he is blessing it and we can sense this is becoming a Grow community. It’s a wonderful privilege to be a part of it.
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