John Evans of Llwynffortun (October 1779 – 6 October 1847), was a Welsh

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

. Evans was born at Cwmgwen,

Pencader, Carmarthenshire Pencader () is a small village in the Wales, Welsh county of Carmarthenshire, and is part of the Community and Parish of Llanfihangel-ar-Arth. It is located around 3 miles (5 km) south-east of Llandysul and 6.5 miles (10 km) south-west o ...

, in October 1779. His parents gave him a religious education, and he could read his Bible when he was four. He was sent to the best schools within reach, and under one Jones of Maesnoni he is supposed to have learned

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

, Greek, and

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

. As a boy he often preached without hearers. His parents were members, and his father a deacon, of the independent church at Pencader. At the age of fourteen he was taken to hear Jones of Llangan, one of the great Methodist preachers of the day. At sixteen, when his father had failed to make an independent of him, he joined the

Calvinistic Methodists Calvinistic Methodists were born out of the 18th-century Welsh Methodist revival and survive as a body of Christians now forming the Presbyterian Church of Wales. Calvinistic Methodism became a major denomination in Wales, growing rapidly in the 1 ...

. At nineteen he went to the Presbyterian College, Carmarthen, but soon left, although his tutor thought highly of him. At twenty-nine he received deacon's orders, after examination, at the hands of Watson, bishop of Llandaff. He held several curacies in succession, but for short periods, and wherever he went he filled the churches. Great opposition was raised by some against his 'Methodistic ways.' His last curacy was at Llanddowror. He could not confine himself to his own church, and often preached off tombstones to crowded assemblies. He soon found, however, that the episcopal church was no proper place for him, and he returned to his old friends the Calvinistic Methodists, though he preached also among the baptists or

congregationalists Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...

, and he was everywhere welcome and everywhere followed by an admiring multitude. Evans had an imposing presence, an intelligent countenance, and courteous manners. He had a musical voice, and gave the impression of sincere religious feeling. Dr. Lewis Edwards says his one distinguishing mark was gracefulness. As he advanced in years he became much troubled with melancholia, and sometimes he had to be fetched from his bed to his pulpit duties. He died on 4 November 1847. Dr. Edwards describes him as one of the greatest of Welsh preachers.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, John 1779 births 1847 deaths Welsh Methodist ministers People from Carmarthenshire 19th-century Welsh clergy