The October Treasury 2020 THE MAGAZINE OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF WALES EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT, NOT EVERYTHING IS NEW hose who have been Following the decision to attending the adjourn the 2020 T General Assembly Assembly we have been over the years will recall advised that we need to that one of the first items meet the requirement to on the agenda, following the complete this work this opening service and year, and that we can do welcoming delegates, is the this, not by holding a virtual AGM. This is an agenda Assembly, but by holding an item when we adopt the Annual Meeting of the Annual Financial Report, charity virtually, which is and check on other issues the item referred to above. relating to the Presbyterian To realise this, the Church of Wales as a Executive Committee of the charity. General Assembly Board has called an Annual Meeting on the 13th of anyone who is not a October 2020 at 10.00 am. representative at the AGM, If you are an elder or officer can request a copy of the in one of our churches, the papers to be presented, and Presbytery will have already you can make a request by notified you of the meeting. sending a note to Eleri The meeting will be held Melhuish. using the Zoom facility, and In terms of the meeting you will be able to join on agenda, as noted above, we your computer, tablet or will be discussing smartphone, or join by 'corporate' issues - phone by dialling into the adopting the Financial meeting. We are sending Report, confirming our the invitation and papers to Trustees and appointing delegates on Tuesday (28th external Auditors. We will September 2020), and the also recommend the 2021 information will include Ministry and Mission details of how to join the Contribution levels, the AGM. We are also keen to ecumenical contribution remind all our elders / and 2021 grants, and the ministers that you are 2021 stipend / salary levels. members of the AGM, and The Executive has also if you wish to join but are decided to bring to the not a representative then meeting one issue relating we can share the details to rules on trading as a with you. Send a word to charity, and, of particular Eleri Melhuish interest to readers of our ([email protected] Denominational weekly, the mru or 02920627465), future of Y Goleuad from who will be able to provide January 2021 following the you with the information. discussion of creating one As required by our Rules, denominational weekly leaders locally, pray for our paper. witness in our communities, and pray that The AGM will be chaired by the Lord, above all, will the Moderator of the administer His grace in the General Assembly, the Revd lives of people who are Marcus Robinson, and after struggling to cope with the discussing the above current situation. Although issues, the Moderator will take the opportunity to offer some comments on how things have been over the last six months. Although the terms of the annual Meeting mean that it will be a business- related meeting, we trust that the Moderator's contribution will also be an opportunity to give thanks for, and celebrate the contribution of the leaders our time is taken up by in our churches over the internal discussions as last six or so months, and churches and as a an opportunity to Connexion, please pray that encourage one another as we will all know when this is we look forward to the being done at the expense winter and spring. of our primary Whether you join the responsibility of being the meeting or not, please pray salt and light in our society. for the work during this Revd Meirion Morris time. Pray for churches and (General Secretary, PCW) IT WAS THE BOOKS THAT MADE ME FEEL PERHAPS I WASN’T ALONE So said Cassandra Clare in her It sounds so easy but I novel Clockwork Prince. As believed it then, and still do. more and more places become However it’s only in the last subject to local Coronavirus few weeks that I’ve given restrictions, we highlight four any thought to what that helpful books written or wilderness might really be published during lockdown like: dry, sandy but mostly that have been drawn to our vast areas of barren rocks attention. and mountains. In his book, David Gill compares our time ‘Faith in the Desert’ by in Coronavirus lockdown to a Professor David Gill desert, through which we are all travelling. In his own any years ago we words:These reflections on used to sing a chorus the Psalms were written M that began, during Lent 2020. We made ‘My Lord knows the way our ascent through the through the wilderness, Judean desert from Jericho All I have to do is follow . .’ to Jerusalem during a time (22). Commenting on Psalm115, David says, Shielding is one of the words emerging in the present crisis, but it is good to remember that the Lord is not only our help but our shield. We may feel alone and isolated, but our Lord remembers us in our different situations, and he promises to bless those who fear him ‘both the small and the great.’ and our response is one of of self-isolation imposed by praise: the corona virus pandemic. But we will bless the lord Each day, as we move from this time forth and towards Easter, we have forevermore. Praise the the text of one of the Lord! Psalms of Ascent (120— 134) with David’s No need to wait for Lent to reflections on it, made benefit from these psalms interesting by his personal and reflections—they are experience and knowledge for now and every day. of the area and illustrated by wonderful photos of the Eleanor Jenkins (Elder and locality. church secretary at Bethesda, Burry Green) Finally, arriving in Jerusalem we have Passover Psalms (113—118) and one for Good Friday A Trefeca Diary (1973 – first went there as 1984)’ by Jenny Garrard Administrative Assistant in 1973, the post becoming ou will have heard Assistant Warden within a about the ‘Trefeca year. When Jenny arrived in Y Letters’, a fruitful Trefeca from Eye, Suffolk, source for those researching the Revd John Tudor had the history of Howell Harris, been the Warden for seven and the ‘Teulu’ which he Years. The Tudors were founded in Trefeca. Recently followed by The Revd Arthur ‘A Trefeca Diary (1973 – Meirion Roberts in 1975 and 1974) has been published by then in 1983 by Mr Ronwy the Revd Jenny Garrard. Rogers 1983. Reference is Within nine chapters she made to the valuable describes the developments assistance of the three in the old college since she wives, Nerys, Morfudd and indeed” uttered on Easter Dorothy. morning 1982? When Jenny left Trefeca The answers to these and she had “a mix of diaries, memories and Which Warden ate a memorabilia” collected over daffodil on Easter eleven years, and these are morning 1981? incorporated in this book which includes eight pages other questions can be of photographs. Jenny says, found within the book. “They were some of the busiest, happiest, most Jenny hopes that reflecting formative years of my life”. on the breadth of Trefeca’s She refers to many events - contributions within the humorous, deeply serious Church and nation will be and challenging. helpful to those of the General Assembly of the What was the response of Presbyterian Church of the two schoolboys from Wales involved in making London when they saw the decisions for Trefeca’s cross on the mound as they future role. approached the college? What was the biggest In her introduction Jenny challenge faced by the early says, “this is an offering of Wardens? Which Warden thanksgiving to God, and to ate a daffodil on Easter the Presbyterian Church of morning 1981? In which Wales for all I gained from languages were the words, that experience”. All “Christ is risen – He is risen proceeds will go to Trefeca, as a way of helping their loss of earnings this year. Copies will be available to purchase in Trefeca, or by post from Revd Jenny Garrard, 18 Hafren Terrace, Llanidloes SY18 6AT (01686 413354). Email [email protected] The cost is £5 + £1.40 postage. Trefor Lewis (Chairman, three Iranian and two Greek ships, and sailed as a Trefeca Department) Seaman / Helmsman through many parts of the The Captain Commanded world. The story follows Me, ‘Full Speed Ahead’. Nisam's heroic adventure This is my true story over land, sea and oceans, finally meeting Christian his is a true story people in Denmark, an based on real life event which changed his T events. The story faith. He then settled in reveals that Nisam from Wales. This book is an Sri-Lanka, born in a small inspirational, true story. Buddhist village to a fairly wealthy Muslim family, left Christian autobiography published home aged 21, travelled via Amazon, September 2020): 220 about twenty-five thousand pages, ISBN: 979 868166 940 1, Printed copies: £12.95 plus p&p, miles across land from Sri- Kindle: £8.00 (with many of the Lanka to Europe, then photographs in colour) joined a merchant ship in a Iranian port in Jonathan David (Crescent Khrorramshahr, worked on Christian Centre, Newtown) Madagascar Memories pleasure, thinking back and 1973-1995 by C Eleri writing it all down. People Edwards probably wondered what I was doing out there and were too hen I was ordained polite to ask so I have cast my in 1999 in Glyn mind back and tried to give an W Geiriog, apart from impression of the place, the the support of faithful people and the tasks I was friends from England and asked to do as a mission Wales, I was delighted that partner.