Pioneering in Pembrokeshire: reaching Welsh-speakers

After months of prayer, a small group has boldly begun a new monthly service in Haverfordwest – delivered entirely in the Welsh language.

Described as a missional project rather than a church, the initiative (called ‘Rhywd y Brenin’ meaning the ‘net of the King’), was begun by seven people with a desire to better share the gospel with Welsh speakers across Pembrokeshire. They launched the first service on 6 October in Emmanuel Christian Centre in Merlins Bridge, and were delighted to welcome in 22 adults and eight children.

Since October, the group have been encouraged to see new faces each month. The majority came from seeing adverts on social media – a large number are already Christians but keen to worship in Welsh, while others have no current connection to church but were once interested in their youth.

Geraint Morse, the president of the Baptist Union of Wales (the Welsh-language wing), was one of the seven involved from the start. Describing what their meetings generally look like, he paints a picture of a typical church meeting, but with translation tools.

‘The hymns appear on screen bilingually and the vast majority sing in Welsh,’ he stated on the Baptist Union website, ‘Our intention is to be accessible to learners of Welsh, so there is an emphasis on simple language and on speaking a little more slowly than usual.’

Looking to the future, Morse added: ‘I remember hearing a good definition of what evangelism is – “One beggar telling another beggar where to get bread!” And that’s what I hope happens. We have tried to contact the local Welsh schools, but the journey to build a good relationship between the faith community and the schools is difficult.

‘Wisdom will be needed on next steps … We’ve already started thinking about how to hold something weekly, such as meeting over a coffee for a chat or a short Bible study. And of course, if the work is going to grow it will require funding, grants, donations, etc. Most of all, pray that the Holy Spirit will move powerfully among us.’

Roughly 18% of the population in Pembrokeshire can speak Welsh, with many more able to understand it in some capacity.