Foundation
Bethel was a branch of"I remember that once a month on Sunday afternoons, Dr. Price, the Baptist minister, used to baptise his recent converts in the Cynon River, alongside the iron bridge at the bottom of Commercial Street. I have seen as many as 25 or 30 converts, men and women, on the same afternoon. On these occasions the whole of the Baptist community used to meet at the chapel and march in procession through the streets with the converts, the men converts being attired in long black robes and the women in white. They marched through the streets from the chapel to the place of baptism singing hymns. As a matter of course, large crowds gathered on the river banks to witness the immersions."Price is recorded as having conducted many baptismal services in the river Cynon, both alongside the iron bridge as described above or in a pool above the original schoolroom which had been provided for the purpose by Richard Fothergill, owner of the ironworks.
Early history
William Williams became the first minister in 1864 but he remained for only a year or so before moving to Abercarn. He was followed by T.T. Jones who remained for eighteen months, but within that time conducted 159 baptisms. During Jones's brief ministry, Bethel became the focus of educational activity with the minister delivering a series of lectures on Geology. Historian Ifor Parry cites this as an example of the chapels' pivotal role in working class education before the introduction of elementary education for all and the expansion of intermediate education. In 1867, Bethel became one of the first churches in the Aberdare Valley to install a baptismal well inside the chapel. This presumably brought the era of baptisms in the river Cynon to an end. John Fuller-Davies was minister from 1869 until 1872. He died from smallpox an around 10,000 people attended his funeral at Aberdare cemetery. The debt of £800 incurred in the building of the chapel was cleared by 1873. John Mills became minister at Bethel in 1876. He was previously a minister atTwentieth century
In December 1862, Bethel held a week-long series of services to celebrate half a century since the opening of the chapel building. Rev B. Williams was inaugurated as minister of Bethel in January 1914. In 1914, 47 young men from Bethel joined the armed forces. In 1916 membership stood at 395 and remained steady at 398 in 1925. Williams remained minister until 1932. Williams was succeeded by Alun J. Davies (1938–45), Emlyn Jones (1950–56), Glyn E. Williams (1957–59) and Idwal Wynne Owen from 1961. Membership fell to 154 in 1955 and 137 in 1963. By 2004 only eight members attended services.Notes
References
Bibliography
* * * *{{cite book , title=Undeb Bedyddwyr Cymru, Aberdâr , date=1964, language=WelshExternal links