Bishop Mary visits Llanfair Uniting Church
Bishop Mary and Rev’d Emma have visited Llanfair Uniting Church in Penrhys in Rhondda Ministry Area to learn about the many ways the church makes a difference to the community.
Llanfair is an ecumenical church, supported and recognised by eight of the historic Churches in Wales (the Church in Wales, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Baptist Union of Wales, the Congregational Federation, the Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church of Wales, the Union of Welsh Independents, and the United Reformed Church).
Bishop Mary enjoyed a tour of the church with Sharon Rees, who has been serving there since 1991. The day started in the Café, which not only provides a varied, reasonably priced menu but is also a place where people feel confident to talk about their worries, problems and community concerns.
In the Library Bishop Mary enjoyed looking at the reward charts and artwork of some of the young people who attend the church’s after school homework clubs. The colourful room has been used by generations of Penrhys’s young people. Llanfair often collaborates with Penrhys Primary School to deliver a wide variety of educational projects, which includes art and music.
Volunteer Natalie says, “They queue up outside banging on the door to be let in. It’s such an important space to lots of the kids around here.”
Bishop Mary also visited the ‘Boutique’- a clothing bank and the foodbank. Sharon explains, “We had a family of six; mum, dad and four children, arrive arrive last year, literally with just one suitcase between them. They had nothing. We were able to give the children clean clothes, provide them with some food, and furnish their flat from our furniture bank no questions asked.”
During the visit the team took delivery of a sofa, which was taken to the church’s storage facility and will be offered to whoever may need it, completely free of charge.
For lots of people in the community, Llanfair is a lifeline. Bishop Mary met with a group of teenage girls who were in the process of completing their food hygiene course to enable them to volunteer in the café.
During the visit plans were underway for an evening parkour course led by award winning choreographer Sandra Harnisch-Lacey. Parkour, also known as freerunning, is a physical discipline where practitioners (called traceurs) move efficiently and creatively through an environment using running, jumping, climbing, and other movements to overcome obstacles.
Since its very early days Llanfair and Penrhys has welcomed visitors from all over the world. Through the Council of World Mission Llanfair has created a close relationship with the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar (FJKM), and with Akany Avoko, a home for girls in Antananarivo. Before Covid Llanfair had been enriched by the ministry of around 30 volunteers from Madagascar. The link between Penrhys and Madagascar is recognised in Llanfair’s chapel with a banner featuring a Baobab Tree. On the leaves the names of Malagasy volunteers who have served the church over the years have been written.
Llanfair also welcome volunteers from Time For God (TFG) who come to Penrhys for almost a full year to live and serve in the community. Currently the church is being supported by Filip and Annet, who are spending a year away from their native Slovakia on the TFG Scheme. They are volunteering in the café, and Filip is supporting young musicians leading a guitar workshop.
The day ended with a Eucharist, where Bishop Mary spoke about Oscar Romero and the Virgin Mary, drawing parallels with their humility and the humility shown by staff and volunteers in Penrhys.
The church meets so many of the community’s needs and is such a good example of different denominations working together. Not only is Llanfair geographically in the centre of Penrhys but it is at the centre of the life of the community.
If you would like to make a donation to support the work of Llanfair, you can do so on the church’s website, if you would be interested in volunteering at Llanfair contact llanfaironline@gmail.com.