Day 122: Praying for Ammanford (1995)

Join with Salvationists of the Wales Division for day 122 of 150 days of prayer.

• 'It made me very happy when people said to me, "We will go to the house of the Lord" (Psalm 122:1, EasyEnglish Bible). 

1995

Major Martyn Clements writes:

‘The corps at Ammanford began in the spring of 1921 and became a homeless, wandering, evangelistic work, renting rooms and buildings across the town until 1927, when the owners of a boxing hall in the centre of town needed to replace their corrugated metal shed.

‘The building was given to The Salvation Army to use as they wished, a large building that could give permanent homes to Ammanford and Pontardulais Corps if they could dismantle and move this large, corrugated metal shed. The corps officer of Ammanford, Captain Warden, along with the corps officer at Gorseinon, Captain Davies, assisted by candidate helper Albert Dedman, demolished the boxing hall and reconstructed two buildings to give both corps a permanent home.

‘The opening of the new buildings coincided with The Salvation Army Great Salvation Siege where five souls were registered for consecration and salvation. This new building gave a home to a Salvation Army church family for more than 50 years, seeing souls saved, children dedicated, young people commissioned as junior soldiers, adults enrolled as soldiers and many promoted to Glory because of the life and ministry that came from a converted boxing hall. 

‘Ammanford 1995… After almost a year of change the corps stood on the threshold of 1995 with hope, daring and fear of what would happen for the corps. January saw three new junior soldiers recognised and a greater emphasis on prayer descend on those left in the corps. March was set aside as a month of prayer, asking God to give us courage to step out into our community to bring people into our worship and build up our church family. 

‘Bible study, prayer and worship were all centred around asking God to give us the courage to dream big dreams about touching the heart of Ammanford and the wider community. After Easter we began going out into our community, prayer walking our area, asking God to lead us forward. The prayer walking helped us make new contacts and find new friends in the wider community. 

We were helped in our reaching out to the community by Llanelli Band, Morriston Band and Pentre Band, Songsters and Singing Company, who came and led family-friendly open-air meetings in the areas we had been prayer walking. Because of our outreach and prayer, little by little we greeted new people in worship, new children in our kids clubs and Sunday worship and we met new pensioners attending our lunch club – a little growth all round for Ammanford Corps.

‘We set aside November to thank God for all that he had done through us and to thank him for answering our prayers. We made the final Sunday of 1995 a day of commitment, goal setting and prayer. We set some big goals for Ammanford and we committed ourselves again to trust God as we had seen him do some great things. 

‘During our time of commitment one of our new attenders, soon to become an adherent, said they thought God was wanting us to do something in Carmarthen. This was an astonishing moment. We were seeing God doing a new thing in Ammanford, we had set some big goals for Ammanford – could God really want us to do something in Carmarthen? So, it was added to our list of goals.

‘In 1996, as a corps, we rejoiced as we saw God fulfil our goals for Ammanford and as we held our first service in Tabernacle Chapel, Carmarthen, in November 1996, with the vestry full of people worshipping with us.’ 

Prayer

• Thank God today for the blessing of Ammanford. Pray that there will be revival there.