Hermon(1898)

Welsh Calvinistic Methodist, Dunraven Street, Tonypandy

Built: 1914 [Sittings: 370]

The back-story of the founding of this cause is most interesting even if some facts have not been handed down. All references are to be found in two documents contained in the NLW Archives - both private and official Calvinistic Methodist. What follows is a mere summary of these. The whole thing is worthy of a read for those who are interested in such things.

  Image © Copyright Glamorgan Archives - Reference: MGCS/CS/54.045

Following a dispute at Bethania, Llwynypia in 1897, the Monthly Meeting (the first level of the denominational 'court') decreed that the minister should resign and an Elder be suspended. The Elder was not pleased and took many members with him to start a new cause. More so, in an act of defiance, the location of this new cause was in close proximity of Bethania which then stood near to where the Tonypandy bus station stands today.
    As was the convention, the founder then sought the approval of the Monthly Meeting (the first tier of 'court') to recognise this new cause as a regular church. The request was refused and more so forbade any of its ministers and preachers to serve it.
    But the Elder was not about to give up. He now relocated somewhat lower in Tonypandy and errected a new chapel or vestry which was named 'Hermon'. Over the next few years the Elder continued to seek the approval of the Monthly Meeting with each request having the same result.
    He then took his request to the Quarterly Meeting (the second tier of 'court') to see if they could over-ride the decision. Although they initially sided with the Monthly Meeting, in the spring of 1906, merely in the spirit of unity, they passed a resolution to accept Hermon as a member church.
    At this point the Monthly Meeting sought legal opinion inasmuch they considered the chairman of the Quarterly Meeting had over-stepped his authority. The Barrister In Law formed his opinion in favour of the Monthly Meeting who were adamant that Hermon would never be recognised as a member church of the East Glamorgan Monthly Meeting.
    In 1908 the second source document describes a meeting in Tonypandy with various individuals with the view of errecting a larger chapel in Dunraven Street. One of these individuals was a representative of the West Glamorgan Monthly Meeting and it was this body that recognised Hermon as a regular church being initially within the Aberavon District and at the end of its existence within the Maesteg District.
    It would appear from denominational records that Hermon ceased to be a Calvinistic Methodist church around 1945/46. There even exists an un-dated letter of a proposed merger between Hermon and its 'Mother' church, Bethania.
    As the 1970's photograph shows, Hermon would later be acquired by an Apolstolic movement. Furthermore the 2009 photograph shows several commercial entities have occupied its shell even up to the present day when one can still see the name high above the exterior whilst surrounding buildings have been demolished/rebuilt.

Source Documents:-
NLW MS 11425B
NLW CMA