Cylchgronau Cymru

Chwiliwch trwy dros 450 o deitlau a 1.2 miliwn o dudalennau

Official Organ of the Forward Movement of. the Presbyter¬ ian Church of "Wales....... Vol. 4. No. 7. [New Sebies] JULY, 1908. Price One Penny.! (Post Free, 1/6 per annum, prepaid) The Superintendent's Report to the General Committee. Mr. Chairman and Brethren, We are still in the midst of the reaction after the Revival. For the second time I have to report a serious decrease in the number of Communicants—a decrease of 538. The loss has been greatest in the Centres which received most converts. For example, one Centre, in the year 1904, had 332 members in full communion ; during 1905, 488 members were added to it, so that it became a Church of 820. In the beginning of 1906 it increased again by 25, so that it became a Church of 845, the largest but one in the whole Connexion. But last year it lost 291, and now only numbers 554. This is very disappointing, but possibly we might have expected it—it is the usual result after every Revival. There are decreases also owing chiefly to vacant pastorates. However, many of the Centres are gaining strength. There is an increase of 21 in Blaina, of 17 in Moorland Road, of 13 in Heath Hall, and of 11 at Treharris, and smaller increases in several others. I hope that the present year will yield better fruit. But our great need is ministers, full of activity and zeal, possessing also some amount of discretion. During last year a new Centre was added, the Gorse, Cwmbwrla, near Swansea, a very promising Church, with 57 members. It is gratifying to find the Centres draw¬ ing nearer to our English Churches, and becoming more and more a part and parcel of our Connexion. None of us would like to see them a section apart. They send representatives to the District Meetings, and to the Presbyteries. One of our Evangelists (the Rev. C. L. Perry) is the present moderator of the Monmouthshire Monthly Meeting. They co-operate in Sunday School work and Singing Festivals. A short time ago a Children's Singing Festival was held in the largest building in the city of Cardiff under the conductorship of Mr. David Evans, Mus. Bac. There were over 1,000 children present. They sang with all their heart, and they acquitted themselves well, not only in simple tunes, but also in difficult anthems, showing that they had been care¬ fully trained. Now, at least three-fourths of these were from the Forward Movement Centres. Much good is being accomplished through the agency of the Sisters, an agency con¬ trolled by the Women's Branch. There are