St. Andrew's United Reformed Church is a 19th-century
United Reformed
The United Reformed Church (URC) is a Protestant Christian church in the United Kingdom. As of 2022 it has approximately 40,000 members in 1,284 congregations with 334 stipendiary ministers.
Origins and history
The United Reformed Church resulte ...
church located in the
Roath
Roath ( cy, Y Rhath) is a district and community to the north-east of the city centre of Cardiff, capital of Wales.
There is no community council for the area which is mostly covered by the Plasnewydd electoral ward, and stretches from Adamsdow ...
area of
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
,
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 ...
. The church is situated on the corner of Wellfield Road and Malborough Road, with some referring to it as the 'church on the corner'. The church covers the ministry areas of Roath and
Penylan
Penylan is a district and Community (Wales), community in the east of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, known for its Edwardian era period houses and spacious tree lined roads and avenue (landscape), avenues.
Situated to both the north and s ...
.
History
1897 to World War 2
In the late 19th Century, the population of Cardiff was enlarging. The
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 ...
church in
Cardiff city centre
Cardiff city centre ( cy, Canol Dinas Caerdydd) is the city centre and central business district of Cardiff, Wales. The area is tightly bound by the River Taff to the west, the Civic Centre to the north and railway lines and two railway sta ...
(now the
City United Reformed Church) was already full, and plans were put forward for an additional facility in a more suburban location.
In 1895, a site was identified in Wellfield Road (which was then a country lane surrounded by fields), where a chapel was built, coming into use in 1897. Today this is now the church hall. The large numbers drawn to the new place of worship caused plans to be put forward just two years later for the building of a much larger building, which is now the main church building. Much of the money needed to build the church was raised with relative ease, and it opened on 20 June 1900. The church was then called the Roath Park English Presbyterian Church. The main doorway is modeled on the one at
Tintern Abbey
Tintern Abbey ( cy, Abaty Tyndyrn ) was founded on 9 May 1131 by Walter de Clare, Lord of Chepstow. It is situated adjacent to the village of Tintern in Monmouthshire, on the Welsh bank of the River Wye, which at this location forms the bor ...
, and the large west window on one in
Melrose Abbey
St Mary's Abbey, Melrose is a partly ruined monastery of the Cistercian order in Melrose, Roxburghshire, in the Scottish Borders. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks at the request of King David I of Scotland and was the chief house of ...
. The congregation was originally mostly Scottish, and the boy scout group wore kilts. The church's attendance peaked in the years before the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. During the conflict, the church lost many members of its congregation and its scout group. After 1918, the attendance fell to around 200, which was maintained until the post-war years. The church suffered no damage during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
(even though a bomb fell on Angus Street, just a few streets away), and the church canteen served over 100 people a day. It is recorded that the church's
collection plate
The offertory (from Medieval Latin ''offertorium'' and Late Latin ''offerre'') is the part of a Eucharistic service when the bread and wine for use in the service are ceremonially placed on the altar.
A collection of alms (offerings) from the co ...
was pawned to help towards this.
1950s to present
In the post-war years, the church's pattern of worship altered. Weekly evening services ceased, and the church no longer has a choir, though retains a small Sunday school. It became St. Andrew's United Reformed Church in 1972, when the Presbyterian church amalgamated with the Congregationalists. The church has been Grade II* listed since 1975. The dwindling attendance figures observed by the church have been expected with changing religious attitudes. The majority of the congregation that still attend are mostly older people, although some families attend for usual Sunday services.
The church's current minister is Rev'd Des Kitto.
In the previous few years, the church has experienced many leaks through the old roof and the heating system had to be upgraded. These two things came at a cost to the church, and in mid-2018 the church reported that they were running out of funds and were struggling to keep the church open to the public. Local organisers Wayne Courtney and
Nathan Wyburn
Nathan Wyburn (born 24 October 1989)Griffiths, Niall"First Person: Ebbw Vale artist Nathan Wyburn" ''South Wales Argus'', 10 August 2016. Retrieved on 25 January 2020. is a Welsh variety act artist and media personality who has created celebrity ...
co-operated with the minister Des Kitto to hold a series of fundraising events starting in November 2018 and continuing throughout 2019. As of August 2019, the fundraising had exceeded its £10,000 target.
Church buildings
What is now the church hall used to be the original chapel (built in 1897) and the larger church was built in 1900. The main church building has a size III/35
Harrison & Harrison
Harrison & Harrison Ltd is a British company that makes and restores pipe organs, based in Durham and established in Rochdale in 1861. It is well known for its work on instruments such as King's College, Cambridge, Westminster Abbey, and the R ...
Organ; installed in 1900.
The main church can seat 500 on the main floor and an additional 200 on the balcony above, accessible from the
narthex
The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex ...
(main entrance lobby).
The church was extensively rewired in 2012 and in recent years has had new heating systems installed.
The church hall is used as a canteen, activity and meeting space for other organisations and a crèche during Sunday services and throughout the week. The hall has a balcony too, although it can only seat about 50. Off the hall are many side-rooms, such as the "South Room" which is used for prayer and reflection.
Events and services
![SAURC_Minister_with_Elders_IMG_6282_2019](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/SAURC_Minister_with_Elders_IMG_6282_2019.jpg)
The church holds regular services every Sunday, with holy communion services every first of the month. Each service has an attendance of roughly 50. The service consists of four or five hymns, Bible readings, a message or activity at the start, a sermon and a reflective prayer period. Children usually leave before the sermon and join the junior church in one of the side rooms.
In addition to the regular Sunday services, Christian holidays are also observed - Christmas and Easter. At Christmastime, a toy service is held where the congregation donate children's toys to a charity that gives them to less-fortunate families. Midnight mass is also celebrated on Christmas Eve, as well as a Christmas Day service. The church also holds Remembrance Sunday services alongside St. John's Ambulance.
The church also has a pop-up shop every November and December for 'Cards for Good Causes' with profits going to numerous different charities.
The church is a thriving community hotspot, home to different groups and organisations that use the church on a weekly basis. Groups include dance, yoga, Zumba, Bible study, a toddler's play group and Women's Institute.
The church has become popular as a local concert venue, with bands such as Cardiff-based Hegsy and The Elements and choirs such as the
Cwmbach Male Choir hosting their own concerts in the main church area.
References
External links
Church Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Andrews United Reformed Church Roath
Churches completed in 1900
Grade II* listed churches in Cardiff
Roath
Roath ( cy, Y Rhath) is a district and community to the north-east of the city centre of Cardiff, capital of Wales.
There is no community council for the area which is mostly covered by the Plasnewydd electoral ward, and stretches from Adamsdow ...