Church Unity

Papers, pamphlets, reports and minutes relating to the discussions between the denominations concerning an United Welsh Church and Covenanting, 1959-1987.

During the 1960s a movement, which had begun in the previous decade to work towards uniting the denominations, gathered momentum. The first three denominations to join in discussions towards unity were the Congregationalists, Methodists and Presbyterians, with the Baptists joining later. Many conferences and discussions were held producing a number of pamphlets and booklets airing contentious issues and discussing the way towards unity, and in 1964 David James, Pantyfedwen, offered a substantial amount of money to the denominations on the condition that they united as soon as possible. This disrupted the natural course of the discussions and caused a setback. By 1966 it had became clear that church unity was still a long way off, and the attempt was abandoned. However, another means of showing such unity had been suggested by writing and entering into a covenant between the churches, but in 1975 only the Presbyterian Church of Wales, the Methodist Church, the United Reformed Church and the Church in Wales Covenanted.

During the 1960s a movement, which had begun in the previous decade to work towards uniting the denominations, gathered momentum. The first three denominations to join in discussions towards unity were the Congregationalists, Methodists and Presbyterians, with the Baptists joining later. Many conferences and discussions were held producing a number of pamphlets and booklets airing contentious issues and discussing the way towards unity, and in 1964 David James, Pantyfedwen, offered a substantial amount of money to the denominations on the condition that they united as soon as possible. This disrupted the natural course of the discussions and caused a setback. By 1966 it had became clear that church unity was still a long way off, and the attempt was abandoned. However, another means of showing such unity had been suggested by writing and entering into a covenant between the churches, but in 1975 only the Presbyterian Church of Wales, the Methodist Church, the United Reformed Church and the Church in Wales Covenanted.

Preferred citation: 5

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