Cymanfa'r Cwm 1919

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Dyma adroddiad o bapur newydd y County Echo yn Haf 1919.

“Cynhaliwyd cyfarfodydd neulltuol yng Nghwm Abergwaun ar brynhawn a hwyr Dydd Mercher, 29ain o Orffennaf, 1919, ac hefyd yng Nghapel Hermon y noson flaenorol i ddathlu hanner can’ mlwyddiant y ‘Capel Bach’.

Bu hir ddisgwyl am y cyfarfodydd hyn, a chymaint oedd y siarad amdanynt fel y bu iddynt gael yr enw “Cymanfa’r Cwm.“

Y pregethwyr oeddynt y Parch J. Gilbert Jones, Llangloffan, a’r Parch Cynog Williams, Aberdare. ‘Roedd yna ddisgwyliad am wasanaeth y Parch E. T. Jones, Llanelli, ond cafodd gystudd blin. Ar fyr rybydd daeth y Parch Cynog Williams i’r adwy a llanwodd ei le yn rhagorol iawn.

Daeth cynulleidfa fawr ynghyd i Hermon nos Fawrth. Prynhawn dydd Mercher gwelwyd dylifiad pobloedd i “yard” eang yn y Cwm, ac erbyn cyfarfod yr hwyr gwelwyd yr “yard,” er mor eang ydyw, wedi ei llanw. Cyfarfodydd fydd yn hir ar gof a chadw oeddent. Dechreuwyd y gwahanol oedfaon gan y Parchn James Lamb, Abergwaun; J. S. Davies a W. M. Gibbon, Wdig, tra yr ymgymerodd Gweinidog parchus Hermon (Parch Dan Davies) at lywyddiaeth y cyfarfodydd. Arweiniwyd y canu hwylus a bywiog gan Mr W. Thomas, A.C. (arweinydd y gân yn Hermon), a gwasanaethodd Miss Mattie Evans gyda’r offeryn mewn modd deheuig iawn. Yr oedd yr oll o’r trefniadau wedi cael eu cario allan dan lywyddiaeth Mr B. A. Evans, yn cael ei gynorthwyo gan nifer fawr o frodyr a chwiorydd yr achos yn y Cwm.

Yng nghyfarfod y prynhawn cafwyd braslun o hanes sefydliad yr achos yn y Cwm gan Ysgrifenydd Eglwys Hermon, Mr Levi Evans. Ebe’r Ysgrifenydd  ……..

“Anhawdd gwahanu hanes achos  Bedyddwyr y Cwm oddiwrth hanes y fam Eglwys yn Hermon, cyn belled ag y mae hanes cyffredinol y sefydliad yn myned. Eto, yr oedd y brodyr a’r chwiorydd yn y Cwm yn awyddus i ddathlu hanner can mlwyddiant y sefydliad yn eu plith, a chredent na fyddai y dathliad yn gyflawn heb ychydig o hanes gweithrediadau’r gorffennol; ac yn unol a’u cais ceisiaf wneud casgliad o gychwyniad yr achos yn y lle, a rhoddi cipdrem o fywyd yr achos yn ystod yr hanner canrif sydd wedi myned heibio.

Ychydig iawn o hanes y gorphenol sydd wedi ei gofnodi, ac amhosibl i minnau wneyd mwy na chyflwyno braslun. Deuddeg mlynedd i Mehefin diweddaf dathlodd y Fam Eglwys dau can’ mlwyddiant, ac heddyw wele’r ferch yn ceisio dwyn ar göf ei bod wedi cyrhaedd “jubilee” yn yr addoldy presenol.

Tebyg i hanes pob sefydliad da arall, cawn i’r cyndeidiau, wrth gychwyn y gwaith rhagorol yma, gwrdd a llawer o rhwystrau yn en hymdrech i sefydlu Ysgol Sul ynghyd a chyfarfodydd gweddi yn y lle, ond dal ati yn ffyddiog wnaethant, ac o’r diwedd gwelwyd eu dyfalbarhad gyda’r symudiad yn cael ei goroni a llwyddiant; a phriodol iawn y gallwn’ ddweyd fod yr hanes ynglyn a’r “Capel Bach’ rhywbeth yn debyg i’r hyn lefarwyd gan ein Harglwydd ar amgylchiad neillduol: “Eraill a lafuriasant a chwithau a aethoch i’w llafur hwynt.”

Ychydig o aberth sydd yn cael ei ddangos y dyddiau hyn mewn cysylltiad a phethau crefyddol. Mae lle i ofni ein bod yn ymfoddloni ar yr hyn wnaed gan y tad. Mae yr oerfelgarwch a’r anffyddlondeb
gydag achos y Gwaredwr yn tystio yn hyglyw nad ydym yn rhoddi y pwys a’r gwerth dyladwy ar ymdrechion ac ar aberth y cyndeidiau. Bywyd esmwyth yw prif nód y mwyafrif a broffesant fod yn ddilynwyr Crist y dyddiau hyn. Pan yn sylwi ar ddifaterwch proffeswyr crefydd yr ydym yn barod i ddiolch am y gwroniaid a’r ffyddloniaid sydd wedi bod o gyfnod i gyfnod yn llafurio yn y winllan yn y lle hwn. Mae eu llwyddiant yn amlwg heddyw; profir hyn gan y ffaith fod agos i gant o aelodau Hermon yn byw y tu yma i’r bont yn y Cwm. Dengys y ffaith hon fod achos y Bedyddwyr wedi parhau i gynyddu o flwyddyn i flwyddyn, a dymunol gennym allu dweyd fod yna nifer o ddeiliaid yr Ysgol Sul yn y Cwm yn awr gerbron yr eglwys yn aros y fraint o gael dilyn eu Gwaredwr drwy fedydd.,

Cychwynwyd a chynhaliwyd yr Ysgol Sul gyntaf perthynol i’r Bedyddwyr yn y Cwm yn y Felin; dyna lle y bu am rai blynyddau o dan ofal arbenig yr hen frawd Thomas Evans, diacon ffyddlon yn Hermon, a thad y chwaer Mrs Alfred Owen Vergam Terrace, a’r brawd George Gwion Evans, y Cwm. Dilynwyd ymdrechion y brawd hwn gan lwyddiant eithriadol. Aeth yr ystafell yn rhy fychan, a rhaid fu estyn y cortynau. Symudwyd i annedd-dy o’r enw Glynymel Lodge, trigfan hen frawd da a charedig o’r enw John Lloyd. Y mae llawer o ddisgynyddion y brawd hwn yn byw yn awr yn y Cwm a’r Dref. Ymhen nifer o flynyddau aeth yr anedd-dy hwn eto yn rhy fechan i ddal y dorf oedd yn dyfod ynghyd ar brydnawn Sul i ddarllen a myfyrio am Dduw. Yna symudwyd yr achos drachefn i annedd-dy arall, Boneddiges o’r enw Lady’ Hamilton roddodd yr adeilad hwn at wasanaeth yr achos yn ddiardreth; pharhawyd gynnal Ysgol Sul a chyrddau gweddi yn yr annedd-dy yma am lawer o flynyddau. O’r diwedd pwrcasodd Eglwys Hermon dy oedd yn sefyll yn y fan lle saif yr addoldy presennol, a chariwyd yr achos yn ei flaen am nifer o flynyddau  yn yr annedd-dy yma cyn ei adeiladu ar ffurf capel.

Yr hen frodyr Thomas Evans, Benjamin Williams, James Jones, a David Lloyd – yr oll erbyn hyn wedi myned i ffordd yr holl ddaear- oedd â gofal yr achos. Yr ydym yn cael i Eglwys Hermon orffen pryniad y ty lle y saif y capel presennol, at y 23ain o Fehefin, 1869, sef hanner can mlynedd yn ôl

Dyma pryd y llaw-nodwyd y gweithredoedd o ran yr eglwys gan y brodyr Richard Thomas, David Davies, David Williams, T George Jones, James James, George Morris, Samuel Jones, Benjamin Williams, Enos George, Henry Barzey, Shem Evans, Hugh Howell, John John, Willian Evans. O nifer y brodyr da hyn credwn mai dim ond dau honynt, sef y brodyr Enos George a  John John, sydd yn awr yn fyw.

Yn y cyfnod yma nid oedd gan Hermon weinidog sefydlog Yr oedd y Parch James Rowe – un fu yn llafurus iawn fel gweinidog ar yr eglwys am ysbaid o wyth mlynedd wedi marw er y 4ydd o Hydref, 1867, yn 57 mlwydd oed, a’r Parch Willam Jones, er wedi cael galwad i’r fugeiliaeth, heb ymsefydlu yma hyd y 25ain o Orphenaf, 1869. Eto, ceir i’r Parch William Jones, yn ystod y flwyddyn hono, fedyddio 51 o bersonau yn Afon Gwaun, felly fe welir fod gan Afon Gwaun hawl i le amlwg yn hanes Eglwys Hermon.

Ymhen ychydig flynyddau ar ol hyn ymgymerwyd a’r gwaith o adeiladu yr addoldy ar ei ffurf bresenol. Y cynllunydd oedd y Parch Thomas Garnon, un o blant, Hermon. Ar adeg agoriad y capel pregethwyd gan y Parch William Jones, gweinidog enwog Hermon y pryd hyny: ac oddiar hyny hyd yn awr mae yma Ysgol Sul flodeudog a llewyrchus, yn nghyd a chyfarfodydd gweddi, wythnosol, wedi cael en cynnal yn y “Capel Bach”

Dymunol ydyw gallu dweyd heddyw fod y ganghen yn y Cwm wedi dal ati i flaguro a ffrwythloni ar hyd y blynyddoedd; ond fe garem weled, yn y dyddiau hyn, ragor o’r meibion a’r merched yn dod i lanw lle’r tadau a’r mamau ydynt wedi distewi yn y glyn ond a’u henwau yn parhau i berarogli. Hyd y flwyddyn 1870. gweinyddwyd yr ordinhad o fedydd, ynglyn ag Eglwys Hermon, yn Afon Gwaun, ond credwn mae adeg y Bedydd Mawr, gan ein Gweinidog parchus presenol, yn ystod y diwygiad nerthol a grymus fu yn hanes Hermon yn 1905, roddodd goron ar holl symudiadau y Bedyddwyr yn y lle a’r ardal o’r cychwyniad. Gwyn fyd na chaem ddiwyglad crefyddol tebyg iddo yn y dyddiau materol a chwyldroadol presenol, gwyd y wlad o’i hanfoesoldeb a’i phechod, a’i dwyn i wel’d a chydnabod daioni Duw yn Ei waith yn ein dwyn allan yn ddiogel o Armagedon y pum’ mlynedd diweddaf. Hyderwn y bydd i Dduw barhau i fendithio llafur y ffyddloniaid yn y lle, ac i ychwanegu eu nifer. Cyn y gwelir diwedd hanner canrif arall yn hanes achos y Bedyddwyr yn y lle fe fydd y rhan fwyaf o’r gynulleidfa yma wedi cefnu ar y fuchedd hon. Am hynny, ffrindiau, gadewch i ni werthfawrogi y breintiau crefyddol sydd yn ein meddiant. Y mae Apostol mawr y Cenhedloedd fel pe am sibrwd yn ein clustiau: “Am hynny, fy mrodyr annwyl, byddwch sicr a diamod, a helaethion yng ngwaith yr Arglwydd yn wastadol, a chwi yn gwybod nad yw eich llafur chwi yn ofer yn yr Arglwydd.”

Here, in translation is a report from The County Echo from summer 1919.

“Special meetings were held in Lower Fishguard on the afternoon and evening of Wednesday, 29th July, 1919, and also at Hermon Chapel the night before to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of ‘Capel Bach’ (Little Chapel).

There was a long wait for these meetings, and there was so much talk about them that they got the name “Cymanfa’r Cwm.” (Lower Town Festival).

The preachers were the Reverend J. Gilbert Jones, Llangloffan, and the Reverend Cynog Williams, Aberdare. There was expectation for the service of Reverend E. T. Jones, Llanelli, but he was affected by affliction. At short notice the Reverend Cynog Williams came to the rescue and filled his place very excellently.

A large congregation gathered in Hermon on Tuesday night. Wednesday afternoon saw an influx of people to a wide “yard” in the Cwm, and by the evening meeting the “yard”, despite how wide it is, was seen to be full. They were meetings that will be long remembered.

The various services were started by Reverend James Lamb, Fishguard; J. S. Davies and W. M. Gibbon, Wdig, while the respected Minister of Hermon (Reverend Dan Davies) took over the presidency of the meetings. The easy and lively singing was led by Mr W. Thomas, A.C. (leader of the song in Hermon), and Miss Mattie Evans accompanied in a very dexterous manner. All of the arrangements had been carried out under the presidency of Mr B. A. Evans, assisted by a large number of brothers and sisters of the cause in the Cwm.

At the afternoon meeting there was an explanation of the history of the cause in the Cwm by the Secretary of Hermon Church Mr Levi Evans.  He said ……..

“It is difficult to separate the history of the Baptists of the Cwm from the history of the mother church in Hermon, as far as the general history of the organization goes. Yet, the brothers and sisters in the Cwm were keen to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the organization among them, and they believed that the celebration would not be complete without a little history of past operations; and in accordance with their request I will try to describe the beginning of the cause in this place, and give a snapshot of life during the half century that has passed.

Very little history of the past has been recorded, and it is impossible for me to do more than present a sketch. Twelve years to last June the Mother Church celebrated its two hundredth anniversary, and today behold the daughter celebrating a “jubilee” in her current place of worship.

Similar to the history of every other good organization, we find that our ancestors, when starting their excellent work, met with many obstacles in their efforts to establish a Sunday School and prayer meetings in this place. They kept going in faith, and in the end their persistence was rewarded with the movement being crowned with success. It is very appropriate to say that the story of the “Little Chapel” is something similar to that spoken by our Lord on a special occasion: “Others laboured and you benefited from their labour”.

Little sacrifice is shown these days in connection with religious things. There is reason to fear that we are content with what our fathers did. The coldness and infidelity to the cause of the Redeemer testifies audibly that we do not give due weight and value to the efforts and sacrifice of our ancestors. An easy life is the main goal of the majority who profess to be followers of Christ these days. When we notice the indifference of those who profess to be religious we are ready to give thanks for the devotees and the faithful who have been from time to time working in the vineyard in this place. Their success is evident today. This is proven by the fact that close to a hundred Hermon members live on this side of the bridge in the Cwm. This fact shows that the cause of the Baptists has continued to increase from year to year. We wish to say that there are a number of Sunday School members in the Cwm now ‘before the church’ awaiting the privilege of following their Savior through baptism.

The first Sunday School related to the Baptists in the Cwm was started and held in the Mill; for some years under the special care of the old brother Thomas Evans, a faithful deacon in Hermon, and the father of Mrs Alfred Owen Vergam Terrace, and the George Gwion Evans, the Cwm. This fine brother’s efforts were followed by exceptional success. The room became too small, and the cords had to be extended. We moved to a dwelling house called Glynymel Lodge, the residence of a good and kind old brother called John Lloyd. Many descendants of this brother now live in the Cwm and the Town. After a number of years this dwelling became too small to hold the crowd that came together on Sunday afternoons to read and meditate on God. Then the cause was moved again to another dwelling, a lady called Lady Hamilton gave this building to the service of the cause free of charge; Sunday School and prayer meetings continued to be held in this dwelling house for many years. In the end Hermon Church bought a house that stood where the current place of worship stands, and the cause was carried forward for a number of years in this dwelling house before it was built in the form of a chapel. The old brothers Thomas Evans, Benjamin Williams, James Jones, and David Lloyd – all by now gone the way of the whole earth – were in charge of the cause. Hermon Church completed the purchase of the house where the present chapel stands, on the 23rd of June, 1869, which is fifty years ago.

This is when the deeds regarding the church were attested to by the hand of the  brothers Richard Thomas, David Davies, David Williams, T George Jones, James James, George Morris, Samuel Jones, Benjamin Williams, Enos George, Henry Barzey, Shem Evans, Hugh Howell, John John, William Evans. Of these good brothers we believe that only two of them, namely the brothers Enos George and John John, are now alive.

In this period Hermon did not have a permanent minister. The Reverend James Rowe – one who had been very busy as a minister at the church for a period of eight years had died on 4th of October, 1867, aged 57, and the Reverend William Jones, despite having received a call to the pastorate, did not settle here until the 25th of July, 1869. Yet, Reverend William Jones, during that year, baptized 51 persons in the Afon Gwaun, so, it can be seen that Afon Gwaun has a right to a prominent place in the history of Hermon Church.

After a few years, the work of building the place of worship in its current form was undertaken. The designer was Reverend Thomas Garnon, one of Hermon’s children. At the time of the opening of the chapel, a sermon was preached by the Reverend William Jones, the famous minister of Hermon at that time: and from then until now there has been a flourishing Sunday School, together with weekly prayer meetings, held in the “Capel Bach ” It is pleasant to be able to say today that the chapel  in Cwm has kept on budding and fruiting throughout the years; but we would like to see, in these days, more sons and daughters coming to fill where the fathers and mothers have lie silenced in the valley but their names continue to be fragrant.

Until the year 1870. the ordinance of baptism was administered for Hermon Church, in the Gwaun River, but we believe that the Great Baptism, by our current Minister, during the powerful reformation that took place in the history of Hermon in 1905, gave a crown on all the movements of the Baptists in this place and locality from the beginning. Glad we would be to have a similar religious revival in the current materialistic and revolutionary days, to rid the country of its immorality and sin, and to see and recognize the goodness of God in His work bringing us safely out of Armageddon of the last five years. We trust that God will continue to bless the labour of the faithful in this place, and to increase their number. Before the end of another half century is seen in the history of the Baptist cause in this place, most of the congregation here will have abandoned this life. And so, friends, let’s appreciate the religious privileges that we possess. The great Apostle to the Gentiles seems to want to whisper in our ears: “Therefore, my dear brothers, be sure and unconditional, and always abound in the work of the Lord, for you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord .”