‘God came to be with us and not over us,’ says Church leader
‘At Christmas we celebrate the good things we do together; the partnerships that bring life and hope to our communities.’ These are the words of the Rev Nan Powell Davies, General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church of Wales (PCW).
‘Looking back on 2025, there are a number of opportunities and projects that shine brightly and offer clear direction into the future. They speak eloquently about the power of cooperation and equal partnerships, not about bossing each other around. We’re sharing these stories because they remind us that Jesus is known as God with us in Matthew’s gospel. Not over us or against us. He invites us to work with him as equals. I genuinely believe that Christmas shows us that healthy relationships are based on partnership not patriarchy.’
Gobaith Clothing
This pioneering Clothes bank is now 12 months old, supplying pre loved clothing to people in need. From it original base in Blaenau Gwent, it now has several depots in South Wales, where people can donate good clothes and clothes. These include supermarkets and churches. More recently, Gobaith Clothing has facilitated a number of pop up events in association with other organisations.
Linda Boyce, Gobaith Clothing’s Manager said: ‘ This is a Matthew 25:36 ministry: “when I needed clothes, you clothed me. We’ve worked with more organisations that support prison leavers, women and children domestic abuse survivors and people accessing foodbanks and community pantries.
‘A year ago, I had no idea that it would grow like this. The public have donated generously and we have formed some dynamic partnerships, enabling us to reach more people. According to a recent report from the Bevan Foundation,* Wales is one of the poorest parts of the UK. This includes 400,000 working-age adults, 200,000 children and 100,000 pensioners. living in poverty. And child poverty remains consistently and stubbornly high. Gobaith Clothing gives dignity to people, enabling them to clothes themselves and their families without feeling patronised’.
Ringland, Newport
Robyn O’Connor is a youth and community worker in the Newport area. She helps churches engage with their communities, nurturing relationships with other churches and organisations along the way. In RIngland Presbyterian Church of Wales, Robin has reopened a community cafe that closed during the COVID 19 Pandemic. It reaches out to the immediate community, offering friendship, a sense of belonging and good affordable food.
Robin O’Connor said: ‘Ringland is one of the poorest areas in south Wales, and my role is to get alongside vulnerable and often isolated people. My vision is to help churches build a relationship with local communities so they can build relationships with God. We can’t do this on our own and we need to work with others. We’ve had so much help from Hedyn, a local housing association, Lovell, the building company and also the Celtic Manor resort. The Celtic Manor have sponsored a Christmas meal for 100 local residents, along with entertainment. They really are bringing some Christmas cheer to Ringland.’
What do These Stones Mean?
This was the provocative title of a conference held in Llandudno in March. Facing declining congregations and church closures, the conference explored repurposing existing buildings for mission and community work. With examples from all over Wales, delegates heard stirring stories of ecumenical cooperation and dynamic partnerships that are driving a renewal of faith in many communities.
Many PCW buildings are underused. When a chapel is no longer viable and the cause there comes to an end, the buildings are mostly sold with little consideration given to potential alternative uses.
In 2021, a survey* showed that 56% of PCW congregation are over 70 years of age.
In 2023, only 2.5% of its membership was under the age of 25.
Over the last 20 years PCW membership has decreased from 30K to 13K, and church closure is accelerating especially since Covid.
From 2005 to 2017, the annual decline in membership was 5%, however, by 2022, it had increased to 12%.
Rev Nan Powell-Davies said: “We cannot carry on like this. This is now the time for new dreams and new plans. We must adapt to new opportunities, or we will rightly fade into history. We must embrace change, or we will die. In a spirit of generosity, mixed with faith, we are heading into 2026, believing that God is leading us to dream new dreams and make new plans.’
Ends
Editor’s note: attached images show , left to right, Linda Boyce, Gobaith Clothing, Robyn O’Connor and Rev Nan Powell Davies
