Seth Joshua (10 April 1858 – 21 May 1925), was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

minister and Evangelist who was noted for his influence before during and after the

1904-1905 Welsh Revival Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...

as well as for being a direct influence on the ministry of Evan Roberts, one of the leading figures of that revival.

Personal life

Born in Tŷ Capel,

Pontypool Pontypool ( cy, Pont-y-pŵl ) is a town and the administrative centre of the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales. It has a population of 28,970. Location It is situated on the Afon Lwyd ri ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, Seth Joshua was son of George and Mary Joshua. He had a younger brother, Francis (Frank) James Joshua, who was also a

Minister. He married Mary Rees from

Llantrisant Llantrisant (; "Parish of the Three Saints") is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying on the River Ely and the Afon Clun. The three saints of the town's name are SS ...

, in 1883, and they had eight children. His son Peter, was a minister and a popular evangelist in United States; another son, Lyn, was credited with

Mai Jones Mai Jones (6 February 1899 – 7 May 1960), was a Welsh songwriter, entertainer and radio producer. Biography Jones was born in Newport, Monmouthshire, the daughter of the local railway stationmaster. Having won a scholarship to study music ...

and Jimmy Harper for the Welsh standard " We'll Keep a Welcome".

Ministry

Joshua, along with his brother, Frank, founded Mission Hall cause in

Neath Neath (; cy, Castell-nedd) is a market town and Community (Wales), community situated in the Neath Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot County Borough, Wales. The town had a population of 50,658 in 2011. The community of the parish of Neath had a po ...

. He was a noted evangelist, travelling around Britain and visiting the United States. In 1893 he was ordained as a

minister and worked with the Forward Movement, a branch of the Connexion's Home Mission, establishing evangelising centres in

Glamorganshire , HQ = Cardiff , Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974) , Origin= , Code = GLA , CodeName = Chapman code , Replace = * West Glamorgan * Mid Glamorgan * South Glamorgan , Motto ...

and

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...

. Seth Joshua was a forerunner of the

which began as a movement of prayer. Joshua had been praying for years that God would raise up a young man from the pits to revive the churches. In 1904, he preached at a meeting in

Newcastle Emlyn Newcastle Emlyn ( cy, Castellnewydd Emlyn) is a town on the River Teifi, straddling the counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire in West Wales. It is also a community entirely within Carmarthenshire, bordered by those of Llangeler and Cenarth ...

which students from the Methodist Academy attended including former mine worker, Evan Roberts. The students were so moved that they cancelled classes to go to Blaenannerch in

Cardiganshire Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Cere ...

where Joshua prayed publicly, ''O God, bend us.'' Evan Roberts went forward where he prayed with great agony, ''O God, bend me.''Revival History
/ref> In October 1905, Joshua, was invited to hold a mission in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Only three were "saved",

Donald Gee Donald Henry Frere Gee (10 May 1891 – 20 July 1966) was an English Pentecostal Bible Teacher. He wrote the book '' Wind and Flame'', which is the story of Pentecostalism in Europe in the 20th century. He was called "The Apostle of Balance." Bio ...

, the English

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

Bible teacher, being one of them.

Sources

Phillips, D.M. Evan Roberts, ''The Great Welsh Revivalist And His Work''. London: Marshall Brothers, 1906.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joshua, Seth 1858 births 1925 deaths People from Pontypool Evangelists Christian revivalists Welsh Presbyterian ministers 19th-century British Presbyterian ministers 20th-century British Presbyterian ministers