About
Leadership
Elders
According to the pattern given in the Bible, the church is led by a group of elders under the authority of Jesus and his Word.​
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Jonny Raine
(Minister)
Mark Hands
John Vinall
Jonathan West
Deacons
The elders are helped by deacons, who typically undertake the practical running of the church. Each deacon has a particular area of responsibility and will have others to support them in these areas.​
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Tom Bushell
(Admin)
Tori Hands
(Hospitality)
Carole Jennings
(Safeguarding)
Steve Jennings
(Property)
Jon Thompson
(Events)
Staff
We have two members of the church who serve in a paid capacity.
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Jonny Raine
(Minister)
Hannah Mitchell
(Youth & Children's Worker)
Beliefs
As a church with evangelical convictions, our beliefs about the gospel are central to all we do. We believe the good news of Jesus, as found in the Bible, brings about real spiritual transformation as we are drawn to him and live our lives for him. We believe this message of good news needs to be shared with others.
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As a church we are members of the FIEC, and every year agree to their Doctrinal Basis as well as their ethos statements on Gospel Unity, Women in Ministry and Marriage.
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The following is our own statement of beliefs as found in our constitution:
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1. God
There is one God, who exists eternally in three distinct but equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is unchangeable in his holiness, justice, wisdom and love. He is the almighty Creator; Saviour and Judge who sustains and governs all things according to his sovereign will for his own glory.
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2. The Bible
God has revealed himself in the Bible, which consists of the Old and New Testaments alone. Every word was inspired by God through human authors, so that the Bible as originally given is in its entirety the Word of God, without error and fully reliable in fact and doctrine. The Bible alone speaks with final authority and is always sufficient for all matters of belief and practice.
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3. The Human Race
All men and women, being created male and female in the image of God, have inherent and equal dignity and worth. Their greatest purpose is to obey, worship and love God. As a result of the fall of our first parents, every aspect of human nature has been corrupted and all men and women are without spiritual life, guilty sinners and hostile to God. Every person is therefore under the just condemnation of God and needs to be born again, forgiven and reconciled to God in order to know and please him.
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4. The Lord Jesus Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, and lived a sinless life in obedience to the Father. He taught with authority and all his words are true. On the cross he died in the place of sinners, bearing God’s punishment for their sin, redeeming them by his blood. He rose from the dead and in his resurrection body ascended into heaven where he is exalted as Lord of all. He intercedes for his people in the presence of the Father.
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5. Salvation
Salvation is entirely a work of God’s grace and cannot be earned or deserved. It has been accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ and is offered to all in the gospel. God in his love forgives sinners whom he calls, granting them repentance and faith. All who believe in Christ are justified by faith alone, adopted into the family of God and receive eternal life.
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7. The Church
The universal Church is the body of which Christ is the head and to which all who are saved belong. It is made visible in local churches, which are congregations of believers who are committed to each other for the worship of God, the preaching of the Word, the administering of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper; for pastoral care and discipline, and for evangelism. The unity of the body of Christ is expressed within and between churches by mutual love, care and encouragement. True fellowship between churches exists only where they are faithful to the gospel.
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6. The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit has been sent from heaven to glorify Christ and to apply his work of salvation. He convicts sinners, imparts spiritual life and gives a true understanding of the Scriptures. He indwells all believers, brings assurance of salvation and produces increasing likeness to Christ. He builds up the Church and empowers its members for worship, service and mission.
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8. Baptism and The Lord's Supper
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper have been given to the churches by Christ as visible signs of the gospel. Baptism is a symbol of union with Christ and entry into his Church but does not impart spiritual life. The Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of Christ’s sacrifice offered once for all and involves no change in the bread and wine. All its blessings are received by faith.
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9. The Future
The Lord Jesus Christ will return in glory. He will raise the dead and judge the world in righteousness. The wicked will be sent to eternal punishment and the righteous will be welcomed into a life of eternal joy in fellowship with God. God will make all things new and will be glorified forever.
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History
Beginnings
The 15th November 1815 is when it all formally began. But before that, George Conway held the Sunday School and other meetings in his Tin Works in Pontrhydyrun from 1807. On 13th May 1815, the foundation stone of the church building was laid and the building itself finished six months later. The church began with a desire for faithfulness to the good news message of Jesus and of the Bible, and for making this good news known to others.
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First Minister
John James was the first person called to be a minister of the church. This was in 1817 and within a year there was already a significant impact made as 17 people responded to the message of good news by being baptised, showing that they had become Christians.
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New Building
Ten years later, D. D. Evans became minister of the church and was here for 30 years. As he shared the good news of Jesus, the church grew significantly meaning the building was no longer big enough. The new building was opened on 16th August 1837. Around this time, the graveyard was also enlarged and three Cedars of Lebanon were planted. (Two of these were blown down in a severe gale in November 1928, and the last had to be removed owing to decay in October 2013.)
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Longest Serving Minister
After two ministers in quick succession, J. D. Rees came to the church in 1877. He shared the message of good news and led the church for 43 years. Significant renovations were made to the building. In addition, with an increasing Sunday School, the hall was built and opened in 1905. For several years around the turn of the century, there was a particular sense of devotion to prayer. During that time, many were becoming Christians having heard the good news, and others coming back to faith. J. D. Rees retired in May 1923 and remained as a member in the church until he died almost four years later.
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Before World War II
Willie George Jones and Howell A. Morgan were the ministers that followed. The Sunday School during this time continued to thrive with an average of 255 attending each week. A few changes were made in church life, including individual communion cups, the new front gates, and a new pulpit when it was noticed the old one was riddled with woodworm.
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The Bomb
On the 3rd December 1940 a bomb fell and exploded in the woods at the end of the graveyard making a crater 5 metres deep and 15 metres in diameter. It was thought that the bombers may have mistaken the church building for the ammunition works at Glascoed.
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New Town
Cwmbran was established as a new town in 1949. It was formed from several pre-existing villages. The minister at this time was William Henry Jones, followed by Daniel J. Williams. In 1951, the church building was registered as a building of special historical interest.
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Renewal
At some point, the church lost its clear faithfulness to the message of the good news of Jesus and to the Bible. Derek Garwood began as minister in 1962 and he began renewing the church back to its original convictions. The church was growing and progressing much like the town around it. Derek Garwood died suddenly of a heart attack in 1985 leaving the church in a state of shock.
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Modern Times
The church had to get used to someone preaching with a Dutch accent when Bert Weenink came to be minister of the church in 1987! During this time, the church was reaching out significantly to others with the good news of Jesus. Many became Christians during these years. One Sunday alone, 14th April 1991, eleven people were baptised, six adults in the morning and five teenagers in the evening. Also, the church began to introduce more modern songs with their own songbook in 1994, then updated in 2002. ​John Edmonds followed and also continued the process of modernisation. At this time, the first additional leaders were raised up to serve alongside John Edmonds as elders. The church continued with an outward focus running Holiday Clubs and Christianity Explored courses and seeing people becoming Christians.
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Today
In 2012, Jonny Raine came to be the minster. During this time the church has been able to appoint additional staff members. Two assistant ministers have been trained and sent to other churches and the church continues to have a youth and children's worker. The church has continued to grow, some have become Christians and others have moved to the area from other churches. The membership of the church is around a hundred people, from a variety of backgrounds.
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Although much has changed in our building, in our methods, and in the way we communicate, we are still committed to the same message: the good news of Jesus.
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