The Baptist Union of Wales celebrated its 150th anniversary at the Trinity College, Carmarthen in the company of The South Wales Baptist Association which is aligned with the Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB). The celebration was held over two days in glorious sunshine with in excess of 400 people present representing a wide range of churches some of whom worship in Welsh and others in English.

The Union has two wings, divided linguistically, and the formal business was dealt with on the Friday morning. The afternoon session invited all sections to offer seven minutes presentation from each Association’s activities which was valued by all. The evening was a bi-lingual act of worship with the incoming Welsh speaking president, the Revd. John Talfryn Jones, preaching, and the incoming English speaking president, the Revd. Haydn Davies leading the sharing of the communion.

Saturday was the main day of celebration with joint acts of worship, one to open and the other to close. The organisers had great vision offering a host of sessions that had something for everyone, with a focus on historical reflections, recognition of today’s need whilst also giving the representatives opportunities to ‘dream the dreams’ of what the future might hold. The children and the young people had a wonderful time in the sports hall with various events to engage them in thought and action.

Many members from the churches took part, and together with guests from other denominations and also guest speakers David Kerrigan, Nigel Wright, Densil Morgan, Roy Jenkins and Stephen Martin.

It was good for churches from different theological, geographical and linguistic backgrounds to unite and celebrate the oneness of the Baptist family in Wales. We thank the organisers, the translators, the stewards and the musicians for their work. The BMS World Mission again offered valuable support in many ways, and it is hoped that a similar event can be held on a regular basis in the future. It would be good to know how many other Baptist families within the EBF need to use more than one language in the same conference, and to share their experiences.

The celebratory cake was enjoyed by all, and contributed to the party atmosphere, whilst also reminding us that we need to unite more, to enjoy the joy of Jesus in our lives.

Photos by Aled Davies, Baptist Union of Wales
1. General Secretary Revd. Judith Morris (left) introducing and inducting the Revd. Haydn Davies (English Wing, on the picture centre) and the Revd. John Talfryn Jones (Welsh Wing, on the picture right)
2. Celebratory cake