What’s going on in Cwmbran, South Wales?

Some of you, particularly Christians may have heard there’s some interesting stuff going down in Wales, Cwmbran, near Newport. Some people are labelling it the 2013 Welsh Revival. Those closer to the events are simply calling in an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  It’s not a place I would have chosen to whiz across the country to go and see, yet I had the opportunity of a few days off so my wife encouraged me to go.

Yes, I saw people healed through the anointing of Nathan Morris. of various conditions. And yes, I saw people come to Christ for the first time. Does this make for a revival? It makes for a very exciting thing to witness for sure, but from learning from the writings of CH Spurgeon in 1866, this isn’t what revival is about.

Basically, you can’t revive something that wasn’t already alive. Someone who hasn’t been alive, can’t be revived. People who have come to Christ for the first time, aren’t being revived – they are being brought to Christ for the first time, been given life for the first time. So those who are being revived in this outpouring are those who are already followers of Christ.

Sadly, many Christians are limping along in their faith, barely spiritually alive however busy they are ‘doing Church’. When I turned up in Cwmbran, South Wales at Victory Church, I dare say I was one of those limping Christians who needed revival. Being curious, I walked along the queue (mainly to find the end which was half way round the church) and talked to people why they were there. The general feeling I got was there were many sightseers wanting to be witness to the outpouring. Yet underneath these words, I sensed most people were really there because they too were limping along in their faith and needed spiritual defibrillating. And that is what I saw on the Monday night in June – a re-ignition of faith delivered by people who were walking by faith, being led by the Spirit.

Many of the guys leading and serving at Victory Church were the kind of guys you might think about avoiding on the street. These were testosterone filled, working out, out of prison tattooed kind of men that sadly, is often lacking in our ever so comfortable middle class lovey-dovey churches. Guys with balls, each with an authentic relationship with Jesus, equipped with the Word and the Spirit, walking in faith, is a powerful thing to witness.

You see, when you’ve been stripped of everything, banged up in prison, labelled a drug addict, violent criminal, it’s easier in some ways to walk in faith because you’ve had all the worldly things around you taken away. Furthermore, it’s all too easy to have one’s faith pacified by an addiction to worldly, often ‘churchy’ things, by doing things in a worldly way, being ‘nice’, not rocking the boat, etc.

Walking by Faith, Tracey Elliot-Reep in deep water, somewhere in the world.

Here’s an example. In the B&B I met Tracey Elliot-Reep who rode 3000 miles from Mexico to Canada by faith. That’s what she does (google to find out more). She will take two horses, few provisions, and ride by faith, sharing the Gospel as she goes. Despite the real challenge of doing this, she shared that one of her biggest challenges is at home to remain faithful in a barrage of Christian’s advising her to be ‘sensible’ and bombarding her with the doubtful ‘what ifs?’ of worldly living. For her, the events at Victory Church were a personal revival, a re-igniting of the passion to live a spirit-led, faithful, authentic Christian walk, particularly when  back to ‘normal’ living.

But this spiritual ‘pick me up’ is not revival either. It is only revival when it leads to repentance, to turning away from what is of this world and walk in faith filled with the Spirit. That is why so many revivals fizzle out. When the affects of that pick me up hit normal life, are brought back home, all too often the passion, power and authenticity are dampened down by the fire extinguishers of dysfunctional worldly communities, including the local church community.

Here’s a hypothetical suggestion. Transplant the spirit (and testosterone) filled, misfits of Victory Church into every single local church across the UK and let them loose. Boy would you see an explosion of real revival across the nation. As it is, the stuff in Cwmbran will come to an end, life may return to normal for most, and the ‘2013 revival’ in Wales will be consigned to one of those things Christians like to read about.

Lastly, revival starts with you. After the spiritual defibrillation however and wherever you receive it, can you turn away from worldly ways, equip yourself with the Word, power yourself with the Holy Spirit, and get on with being the misfit God calls you to be?

God Bless

-Martin

Misfit of Trowse, Norfolk.

Wales Revival from JT's Blog

My wife Janet and I went to Cwmbran about 55-60 miles from our home. To Victory Church the home of what is called 'The Welsh Outpouring'. Its been going on for 21days we were told and I was going to 'check it out'!

The place is an industrial unit with a circular route for cars to park around. We arrived 30 minutes before meeting start, nice lounge and coffee shop, suitable buzz, friendly stewards. I saw a few people I recognised from across S Wales and it was obvious though a little disconcerting that more than a few recognised me...probably from Revelation TV. Hard to guess how many were there, it was full, I guess 4-500? We queued  up patiently but discovered some youngsters (friends of the band?) had mysteriously appeared inside already lol. The band were mainly teens or twenties but not exclusively, the meeting was led by Andrew Parsons who is sort of 'second in command' of the Victory set up which is a family of churches across I think 5 sites.

He explained that 'everything was wrong', the projector screen was in the wrong place (to our right), they had moved the stage around to the side, the speakers were pointing in the wrong direction and that the events of the last three weeks had caught them by surprise. Someone else had described it as a dimly lit shoebox, probably right but it didn't really matter, the quality of the building, set up or ambiance were of little concern to me. I chuckled when he said half the stewards don't know what day it is as they are still 'on stuff' and in Rehab!   (Victory outreach is a rehab centre for druggies, they have a great reputation).

OBSERVATIONS  (theological!)

Its 'Pentecostal' not 'Charismatic'  that is obvious. I was in one sense pleased when the speaker kept saying 'Only Jesus' meaning he is the source and focus of the blessing and healing etc.  I was more concerned as the night wore on that there was NO mention of the Father or the Holy Spirit, it must have taken some mental discipline to do or it was his usual and regular  approach. I was concerned that he might be 'Jesus Only /Oneness, the website would not support that though (I checked later). 

The only voice all night, welcoming, reading, speaking praying was the leader (apart from singers), almost all the praying was by him and he went through pretty well all who came out for healing, to be filled or whatever. I guess they were working on 'the anointed man' sort of model of ministry. I felt it was 'old' and the release of others to 'minister ' and pray surely would have been better.  Why on earth did he read exclusively from the KJV ...odd??

There was no 'Kingdom' understanding here, it was old style Pentecostal healing, leaving the non healed wondering perhaps why. The 'Kingdom' (now but not all now and not all  yet) is so much more holistic and helps people cope with non healing. No deliverance and I didn't hear any call for 'salvation' although he said that 'do a quick sinners prayer' would be appropriate!! These were people untouched by Wimber, Kingdom, charismatic movement, Restoration, house Church etc etc etc  

There were 'prayer cloths' available, that had been anointed with oil, I have no issue with this, God does unusual and extraordinary things I only would have a issue with any 'compulsory' inclusion  and routinisation of this idea. I took one for a friend. (Acts 19v11-12)

OBSERVATIONS (practical)

Many people fell over, I didn't see evidence of pushing (which was nice) in fact he asked' please stand up if you can'!  I didn't see any women 'catchers' and he only referred to 'his guys' who were a group that followed him around , supported in prayer and 'caught' (for 1 guy I stepped in and helped him to the ground after prayer).  The presence more prominently of women would have made me more comfortable, as it was some men 'caught' women and probably more as an accident didn't do an 'appropriate' job of it.

I couldn't understand why the speakers voice was amplified even when he wasn't on stage (during worship), his shouts of praise and speaking in tongues was amplified, he never let the microphone go. I found it unnecessary and if I was being a bit cynical I might have thought  reflected a desire to 'be on the Mic'   an ailment which is usually dealt with by a dose of POAB  (Priesthood of all believers).  All of his prayers for everyone later (usually' I command healing', 'body be healed)  were also amplified, why? 

It would be easy to think I wasn't enamoured by the evening, that would be untrue though. It wasn't to my mind some mighty outpouring, with Salvation in the streets and a sense of Gods presence , No one reported healing on the night publicly , I saw no one jumping out of wheelchairs (although the 'revival' started with someone doing just that), but clearly something good is going on. The cynical would question the healings (as they always do) but listen to this.....  He read out 7 A4 sheets of reported healing and took not far off an hour to do so. 'Little' ones like a bad back healed, gradual ones like 'much improved mobility after athritus' and some more like 'Brain tumour disappearing, Bells palsy going and Doctors puzzled, the list was long and impressive and some of the people were there on the night. If only a quarter were 'true' it is very impressive and very exciting!

If you were doubting, the girl with the disappearing Brain tumour was sitting by me and she was so thankful she cried with appreciation at what had happened.

So does it matter then what they believe or how they 'do it' if God is blessing them. Of course it does since when has Gods blessing ever determined what we believe, its his revelation that does that. God 'blesses' Roman Catholics....and your point is??  I am glad God is more generous than we are.... he loves sinners didn't you know! However this should not be a reason for us to throw our Brains and our bibles away.

However, I'm with Barnabas, he 'saw the grace of God and was glad', he may have had some doubts about structure, practise or whatever but seeing Gods mercy and kindness at work is always a matter of great rejoicing. I saw faith there last night, I saw the working of the Holy Spirit, I saw the Grace of God and was glad.

So do pray for 'The Welsh outpouring', do pay a visit....but get there early!

Welsh Outpouring Cwmbran By Anita Mathias

By Anita Mathias

Last summer at RiverCamp, Heidi Baker said, casually, “Revival is coming to the UK. You know that, don’t you? Everyone knows that.” And something like a collective sigh– or sneer!–shivered through the audience.

For in Charismatic circles, people have been talking about and longing for this revival for a very long time. It’s way past its due date, but hasn’t come A) because of God’s sovereign decision. B) because, perhaps, revival begins with one, and was waiting for the one.

* * *

Revival. Why want it? For the same reason, one might fly to Rome rather than walk on the Via Francigena, the ancient pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome (though I will be walking 71 miles on the Tuscany portion in September).

Because when the Spirit comes, difficult things become easy. There is an infusion of joy. We forgive our enemies–easily. We glimpse the Father’s heart of love. And yes, yes, there  are miracles—healings, deliverances, conversions, the spectacular bait which draws people, (but which are secondary to the revelation of the Father’s love and a fresh filling by the Spirit.)

* * *

My blogging friend Jules Middleton of Apples of Gold from Sussex invited me to go with her to the 2013 Welsh Revival in Cwmbran. Me going was a totally crazy idea; heck, I don’t even live in Wales, and am 8 days behind with my book manuscript, but I wanted to go, and rapidly committed to going before I overthought it, and worked all the totally logical and sensible and cold reasons not to go!

* * *

The glorious hymn “Here is Love, Vast as the Ocean” was the love song of the Welsh Revival. The love song of the Cwmbran Outpouring is Just one touch from the King changes everything.

It’s true, isn’t it? The woman with an issue of blood who touches Jesus (Luke 8:46). The man with the withered hand (Mark 3:5). Blind Bartimaeus ( Mark 10 46-52).

It takes just a minute for us to see him with the eyes of faith, seeking his face and not his hand (as Richard Taylor, the speaker, yesterday) said for us to be healed.

If the Cwymbran Outpouring were to be characterized in these early days, it would probably be “the igniting of latent faith.”

* * *

Okay, let me tell you about yesterday.  There was definitely an atmosphere of emotional contagion, of expectant faith, which strengthens your own rather atrophied faith.

The church has been meeting every evening since a series of miracles on April 10th.  I spoke to the stewards, and to one of the church’s pastors after the meeting, who showed me pictures on his iPhone of the disabled man (whose healing ignited the revival) walking, and then lifting his wheelchair above his head. The pastor pointed to the heavy wheelchair, kept as a trophy by the front door—I could not lift it, Roy could lift it a couple of inches. This miracle ignited faith in other people, and they’ve had deliverances from cancer, paralysis, addictions, hepatitis, etc. (Victory Church particularly caters to ex-addicts).

What stood out most for me was the atmosphere of faith, joy and expectancy, of people coming every night for 13 nights to worship Christ. The worship was good; the preaching was “anointed.”

“Anointed?” Well, when a preacher can look at a familiar passage and see fresh bread, meat and drink in it, and convey this in a way that others too can come and see, and eat and drink with delight—that’s anointing! This cerebral Oxford girl transcribed Richard Taylor’s entire sermon—simple, to the point, and it spoke to me.

And then, ministry time. I sensed the presence of the Lord in the house, and wondered if I should just pray quietly for one touch from the King. But then, the Kingdom of God advances through violence, and the violent bear it away (Matt 11:12).

So I went and received prayer.

* * *

Let me tell now how prayer for healing works with me—and this could be partly because of my lowish expectation. I have been depressed, and have asked for prayer for that. It’s completely gone, but it lifted gradually over weeks and months. I have prayed for healing from adrenal fatigue which is completely gone, so that I can write for long hours. My reading speed is not back to what it was by any measure, so I asked for prayer for that yesterday.

I am gradually being delivered from my addiction/habit of emotional overeating. I’ve lost 13 pounds over the last months, as this is lifting, but prayed for complete deliverance from using sugar, chocolate and white flour products to raise my spirits and change my mood. That prayer I believe was granted!

So when I go up for prayer, I do go with the expectation that God will answer, that he finds it hard to keep his hands off us when we ask for healing. I am open to instantaneous healings and deliverances (which I haven’t yet received), or to a long process of healing, transformation and deliverance being initiated at the moment of prayer—which is what has happened very often.

* * *

Anyway, last night, receiving prayer for healing was electric, my most powerful experience of the laying on of hands—and I have been a charismatic since I was 17, for 3 + decades! I felt my knees buckle; I burst into deep, soul-wrenching cathartic tears, a mixture of tears and laughter, each time I was prayed for.

“What is it about tears that should be so terrifying? the touch of God is marked by tears…deep, soul-shaking tears, weeping…it comes when that last barrier is down and you surrender yourself to health and wholeness”  (David Wilkerson, The Cross and the Switchblade”).

 I felt joy, I felt freedom. I felt healing. I felt I had been healed of what I asked for. And then, I just sat there for the 3-4 hours I was there, asking for “one touch from the King,” for the many areas of need in my life. And how many there are!

And I left joyful.

* * *

Should you go? Hmm. Read other reports. Go if you would like to spend a few hours in passionate worship, and have your faith reignited. The preaching will probably be good. The faith displayed will be contagious, and remind you of your first love.

Go if you would like to see a revival in its early days, still full of innocence. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a baptism of love, as Andrew Murray says in his splendid book, “Absolute Surrender.” You will see much evidence of love, from the congregation, the stewards, and the lovely pastors, mostly big burly men, who pray for you in an unhurried, passionate way while encasing you in close bear hug. How adorable!

And I sure wouldn’t be surprised if you receive one touch from the King that changes everything!

UPDATE: Here are links to two more posts from our second visit to Cwmbran

At the Cwmbran Outpouring, I am Healed as the Healer says, “Rise, Take up your Pallet & Walk” (Part 1 of 2)

Welsh Outpouring by Dai Pike

Cwmbran is not the first place to spring to mind when you think about revival in Wales. For a start, the place is Wales's 'new town' and as such is a fairly anonymous mid-twentieth century settlement just north of Newport and not far from the border. It doesn't have a particularly Welsh feel to it - it could be almost anywhere in England and Wales; only the long line of hills immediately to the west of the town coupled with the bilingual road signs suggest that we are in the Valleys! Furthermore, the name of the place is a little sinister, for Cwmbran actually means 'Valley of Crows'. It doesn't sound like a place of blessing! Yet, it is currently a place where God is pouring out his Spirit in a church which meets in a converted warehouse where they used to make swimming pools. That bit does seem a little more appropriate. 

Victory Church was started just three years ago by Richard Taylor, a charismatic and energetic Jonathan Davies lookalike (think former Wales rugby star and BBC sports pundit) who is still in his mid 30's. When he was a teenager, his lifestyle was such that it would have been impossible to anticipate that he would ever be a key figure in an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But, as well as working in unlikely places, God often uses surprising people to fulfil his purposes.

Richard Taylor

Richard Taylor was born in Swansea in 1975, and brought up in the rough Bryn area of Llanelli, just a couple of miles east of the town centre. His parents were very poor, and life was difficult. After his parents' marriage broke up when he was nine years old, things got even more challenging as his mother brought up her boys alone. Richard started stealing at the age of twelve, becoming more and more angry and embittered because of their circumstances, and because he missed his father. By the age of thirteen he was uncontrollable, involved in drugs and petty crime. The criminal lifestyle gradually got worse, until eventually, still a teenager, he was sent to prison. 

By 1993, on remand in Swansea prison, Richard began asking himself some serious questions about life, and began attending the prison chapel. It was here, during communion services, that he began to sense the presence of God for the first time. A
Christian prison visitor shared with him about the love of God for him and that God had a plan and purpose for his life. These talks had a profound effect on him, and instead of using the thin pages to roll tobacco into cigarettes, he began reading his prison Bible. 

Released into the care of the Christian organisation, Victory Outreach, in 1993, Richard finally met with God, was born again, and filled with the Holy Spirit. The change in him was dramatic, and he found he was able to give up the drug habit that had dogged him for some years and had pushed him into criminality. He devoured the word of God, and began travelling with Victory Outreach, sharing his testimony and preaching. He went on to study for a degree in theology at Birmingham Bible Institute, and after that became the pastor of a small church in Tipton in the Midlands. He moved on from there to become Associate Pastor at Renewal Christian Centre in Solihull. 

Pastor Richard Taylor

At Solihull he became a writer, and was involved in broadcasting work on both radio and television, featuring in the BBC series 'To Catch a Thief'. His life up to this point was described in his autobiography, also called 'To Catch a Thief', which is well worth reading. 

Today Richard leads Victory Churches, and is the Executive Director of Victory Outreach UK which provides homes and support for addicts and former convicts. He is also a co-founder of Gateway Outreach which helps provide financial support for the homeless and socially disadvantaged, as well as ex-convicts.

Richard Taylor began Victory Church in a small chapel in Cwmbran just over three years ago, in January 2010. The initial congregation consisted of his family and a handful of former convicts and drug addicts. They quickly grew to about 50, and moved into a sports centre, where soon 150 were gathering. By April that same year, they were renting a disused industrial unit, which they converted into the modern meeting place they still use today. It was opened in September 2010, at which time there were as many as 650 people attending.

Today, Victory Church runs meetings on several campuses in the South East Wales area. After starting in Cwmbran, meetings were begun at Soar Chapel, Merthyr Tydfil in the summer of 2011; and a year later, in September 2012, they were able to secure the use of the huge Bethania Chapel in Dowlais. Over 330 attended the first meeting there, filling the balcony as well as the seating on the ground floor. The congregation witnessed 26 baptisms there during that inaugural meeting. Evan Roberts once preached in this chapel, though ironically, it was the home chapel of the Rev Peter Price, who became the great opponent of the 'Evan Roberts Revival'.

Victory Church, Cwmbran

Further Victory Church campuses have been established in Chepstow, and just over the border in the Forest of Dean area of Gloucestershire in the village of Bream, near Lydney. There is also a small work now gathering young people in Caerphilly; and there are plans for many further campuses in the future including one in Bargoed and another in Maerdy in the Rhondda. The vision is to see 50 churches established in ten years, and at the present rate of progress that's not out of the question! This could be one of the most energetic church-planting initiatives Wales has seen since the days of John Pugh's Forward Movement in the years leading up to the outbreak of the great Revival of 1904-5. It is motivated by a similar vision to that expressed by Seth Joshua, who was John Pugh's successor; for written over everything at Victory is their three-fold vision: 'Passion for the Saviour, Love for Scripture, Rescuing the sinner.' As the church's website puts it:

Victory Church encourages its congregation to be the church among their friends, family, neighbours and co-workers. We are a church that is passionate for the Saviour, have a deep love for scripture and are intentional about rescuing the sinner.

Victory Church has been committed to preaching the gospel and teaching the word of God, and has a particlar emphasis on reaching some of the most needy individuals in society. It seems there is something about Richard Taylor's own personal transformation from the bad boy of Llanelli with his lifetyle of drugs and crime, to a charismatic church leader and media figure, as well as a married family man, which inspires hope in the lives of people with few if any prospects outside of the mercy and grace of God. Many hundreds of people have been impacted by his life and ministry, and been born again and baptised after finding freedom through the gospel. But it has been a significant additional emphasis on seeking the presence of God which has led to a significant breakthough to a new level just in the last week.

The recent move of the Spirit began on Wednesday night 10th April 2013 at approximately 7.35pm. At that specific time, Pastor Richard was praying for an older man in the congregation called Paul who ten years before had been involved in a serious car accident which left him crippled and in a wheelchair, unable to walk. Richard had just finished speaking from the book of Esther, and invited the people to bring their own Haman to the king's feast, in other words, their own particular problem or need. For Paul, that was his disability. As Richard prayed for him, Paul found he was able to move his legs. He then tried to stand and found he could. The next thing that happened, as the truth of what God was doing dawned on him, was that he lifted the heavy weelchair triumphantly above his head to demonstrate he was healed. The church erupted as he then set off to run around the building without any sign of limitation. Faith was ignited in the people, and in the praise that followed several other people found themselves spontaneously receiving wholeness without anyone laying hands on them. 

One woman who had suffered from a frozen shoulder and was unable to lift her arm above the horizontal found she could lift it right up into the air. When the people saw and heard about what had happened, they erupted again. Suddenly, as Richard's PA Cerian explained to me, everyone  who was there realised that everything was possible with God. Others with drug and alcohol addictions were powerfully touched by God and many were set completely free; and the leaders of the church were fired with fresh passion and desire to see God do more.

In a brief review meeting of leaders afterwards, it was suggested that it would be good to continue to meet with God rather than wait until the Sunday gathering or the next scheduled Encounter meeting the following week. Recognising that God was powerully breaking in in a way beyond what they had experienced before, Pastor Richard decided that they should meet again the next day. He subsequently felt that if more people came on the Thursday than on the Wednesday, they should see it as a sign that they should continue to hold meetings each evening.

The next day, Thursday 11th, as staff arrived at the church building, there was still a thick and tangible sense of God's presence in the place. Many were deeply affected by it, some being completely overwhelmed and falling to the floor even as they entered the building. Others were unable to get on with their work. People coming to the building with problems were prayed for, and several experienced healing, while others shared testimonies of how they had been powerfully impacted and filled with joy as a result of being in the meeting the previous evening.

There were more at the meeting than the previous night, and as soon as it began, the presence of God descended on the people. Many were shaking and weeping, the presence was so strong. Richard shared on the story of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' garment and was healed. Afterwards many were powerfully touched during the ministry time, and the worship went on late into the evening as the people met with God.

Shifting the stage at Victory on Tuesday afternoon

The following day also, Friday, God's presence was heavy in the church building, and many came to be prayed for by the pastors, powerfully encountering God as a result. One teenage boy fell under the anointing and spoke in tongues for the first time. In the evening meeting the worship time was very powerful, even 'heavenly', and many were overwhelmed by the Spirit as they came forward during the ministry time after Richard preached. There were many healings. One was of a woman who suffered badly from MS was reported on the church website:

One notable miracle was that of a woman who has suffered with MS and hasn’t walked since being affected. The Holy Spirit spoke to one of our pastors and he prayed with her and said, ‘when you feel you can get up, get up’ she sprang up and walked (supported) for twenty steps, her legs continued to strengthen… She was filled with amazement and believed that she was being healed… Pastors continued to pray for her for over an hour, she continually received more and more strength. One pastor reported that the ladies leg was cracking as she prayed, at the same time the lady said hot oil was running through the joints! By the end of the evening, the woman walked out of the  auditorium, leaving her walking frame behind. She then sat in the foyer. God  is healing her and restoring her strength. We are waiting for more update on this. In her words ‘I couldn’t stand up before, now I’m standing, and I just walked! I believe!’

Many have been giving their lives to the Lord, including an entire family of four people who were not part of the church. It seems they were led to the Lord by another family member who was a part of the church. Immediately after this had happened, even though it was after midnight, they asked if the church was still open so they could go there to meet with God.

By Saturday night 13th April, people were beginning to come from other places in the immediate area to experience what was going on. A group of Korean pastors came, and they were invited by Richard to share with the meeting. One of them explained that God had called them to come to Wales to pray for revival and to keep praying until it arrived. Another of these dear men had tried the week before to go back to Korea, but had been unable to make the trip because of visa issues. Then, on Wednesday morning 10th April, just hours before the outpouring started, he had a dream in the early hours of the morning of a brilliant shaft of light piercing the darkness of a cave. He felt at the time it was a sign to him of what God was about to do, and knew later that the outpouring that began in Cwmbran that evening was its fulfilment. He explained that he realised now that God had prevented him from going back to Korea so he could witness the outpouring for which he and his friends had been praying. He wept as he shared this. It must have been a deeply moving moment for the people of the church in Cwmbran as they heard this.

The church website account of what happened next gives something of the flavour of what is going on:

The place erupted with praise and the atmosphere was what can only be described as supercharged… God began breaking into people’s lives. Pastor Richard received a Word and called all people with mental illness forward. Many responded. Many have got in touch to say that they feel completely healed!

People flocked forward for prayer and were powerfully touched by the fire of God. Bodies were everywhere, many reported that they couldn’t walk in a straight line! But much greater than this, is that lives are being transformed.

One young man who has suffered extensively with addiction and is currently on methadone, but also has depression has stated that he is no longer depressed, God has released him from a prison in his mind.

A woman with severe knee problem for many years has received complete healing.

People continue to be filled with the fire of God. Passion for the Saviour is at a new level, people are hungering and thirsting for the presence.

After 5 hours in church, many were still on the floor, soaking in the presence of God. The worship is electric and people are constantly praising God.

Richard Taylor with the worship team

On the Sunday, the meetings took place according to the usual format, but the outpouring continued to take people deeper and deeper into God. One of the leaders, Pastor Andrew Parsons, preached on the life of Samson, emphasising the need for people to break free from religiosity. There was a deep time of repentance, and Andrew anointed each person with oil as they met with God.

The church website account recorded afterwards:

We thank Him and praise Him for His precious, precious presence. We never want to go back to church with less of Him!

That afternoon Richard and Andrew drove all the way to London with a team from the church to speak at Kensington Temple, where they reported what was going on in Cwmbran. It was a powerful time of impartation to the people of that church also. Meanwhile, in the evening meetings held on Victory church's various campuses in South East Wales, people were sharing testimonies of the impact of the outpouring on them, many being healed from physical illness, depression, and being set free from addictions and dependencies on drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. The children too have been powerfully impacted:

Perhaps one of the most moving things, is hearing how God is at work in little lives. Children are being reported as going to sleep singing and praising God. One girl fell asleep singing ‘Just one touch from the King, changes everything!’ the song that has become the anthem of this revival. Many are improving in behaviour and are desperate to be in church with their mums and dads. The presence of Jesus is exciting to them.Godfey Birtill singing 'Just One Touch from the King': 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46uMMT70440

Godfrey Birtill's song has already become 

the outpouring's theme song

I was not able to get to the meetings at Cwmbran until yesterday, Tuesday 16th April, six days after the outpouring began. Initially, I went during the afternoon to try to speak to someone about the outpouring, and was able to hear an account of what had been going on from Cerian, Richard Taylor's PA. As she was talking with me, a group of carpenters was in the process of putting in a new stage in the middle of the long side wall of the long box-like auditorium, to replace the original one which had been at the far end ripped out that morning. Cerian explained that they were doing it because Pastor Richard wanted to get closer to the people to be able more effectively to lead the ministry times that were happening. Interestingly, this one radical shift of orientation meant that the lighting, projection and sound system were all in the wrong place at one end of the building. This sudden radical alteration meant that the meetings now depended on the presence of God utterly and completely rather than on equipment and technical expertise! 

Cerian also answered some of my questions about what had been going on before the outpouring began. She explained that Pastor Richard had just returned from a visit to meet Tommy Tenney in the States. A friendship had been developing between the two leaders for some time. Pastor Richard had been encouraged to pursue the presence of God in their meetings and to experience a greater measure of the breaking in of the kingdom of God through healing. Some nine months ago, Pastor Richard had felt to pray for each member of the church, from the youngest to the oldest, laying on hands and asking for more of God in their lives. This had been followed by the starting of Encounter meetings each Wednesday night. These were specifically intended as times to draw near to God and to seek him for a greater measure of his presence and for breakthough in healing. 

That evening, the foyer was packed with people waiting to be allowed into the main auditorium. I was delighted to people from Nations in Llanelli who remembered me visiting them to give a talk about Welsh revival history some weeks before, and others from Eritirea who knew good friends of mine from that nation. There were also several I knew from other churches in Cardiff. Many had travelled long distances from places in England as well. 

The power of God's presence was thick and tangible from the word go in the simple, now badly lit shoe-box of an auditorium in the converted warehouse. The worship was powerful and strong, with raw Valleys energy. Many in the congregation were former drug addicts and ex-convicts, and there were loads of young people completely on fire with love for Jesus. Pastor Richard himself led some of the singing, and his praying from the start encouraged people to press in to more of God. Some of the testimonies of what God had already been doing in people's lives in the week to date were remarkable.

Pastor Richard told the story of a young guy called Matthew who suffered so badly from dyslexia that he was unable to read at all. he had been touched by God and was able to read fluently from the Bible from the platform the previous evening. 

A former prison inmate who had an alcohol dependency and who had up to that point not been able to attend the church meetings without having a couple of cans first to calm himself, explained that he was now able to come to the meetings without a drink at all.
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Another who had been dependent on methodone had given up taking the drug, and was not even suffering from withdrawl symptoms.

View across Cwmbran town centre from Upper Cwmbran

The most remarkable story was of a young local girl who came to one of the meetings drawn by what she had heard is going on. She encountered the love of God and was completely healed and set free from the results of sexual abuse. As far as I recall the story, the next day she met a friend who she had not seen for several years who was troubled and depressed. She too had been a victim of abuse. The friend who had met with God suggested they go to a bridge by the river to talk. After sharing for a while, the friend then prayed for God to touch the depressed girl. In the next few minutes, she was healed and delivered, and gave her life to the Lord. After this, the girl who had been healed the day before felt God prompting her to sing 'Amazing Grace' over the newly saved girl. She obeyed the prompting. The girl broke down as the song was being sung over her. Afterwards she explained that the song had meant a lot to her. She then explained that that very bridge that her friend had brought her to and where she sang the song was where she had some time before tried to take her own life. The place where the enemy tried finally to extinguish her became a place of transformation and liberation for her. Her Valley of Achor became the doorway of hope. This happened this week in Cwmbran. 

After hearing stories like that, you just want to praise God for what he is doing. 'If our God is for us, then who could ever stop us!' took on a new level of significance, and was sung full of faith and the belief God was going to do more of the same that evening. The sense of God's presence on the house intensified even more.

There followed a time of prayer for people with mental health issues, with about 40 people being prayed for individually by members of the leadership team, as the band led out with 'Be high and lifted up!' and Pastor Richard declared 'Sickness, take your hands of people now!'

Pastor Andrew Parsons preaching

Pastor Andrew Parsons spoke from the passage in Ezekiel 47 about the river of God flowing from the temple. There was a powerful anointing on the word, and the ministry time afterwards saw many being completely overcome by the power of God. I must admit to not really following much of what was going on after I hit the deck, apart from the band singing 'Just one touch from the King changed everything!' which somehow seemed approriate at that moment.

Towards the end it was party time with a wonderful, uninhibited and completely free outpouring of praise to God for his goodness and love, during which it was clear that a number of people were being set free from sickness and addictions.

It's now the following day, and I can't get Godfrey Birtill's song out of my head, and all I want is more of Him! So I think we will both be there tonight, to hear more stories of what God did in people's lives yesterday!

Something is definitely going on in Wales, and several other churches have reported a distinct upturn in the spiritual temperature in the recent days. We hope this will be the start of something which will spread and become still deeper in its impact in the coming weeks; but this will only happen is there is sufficient hunger and thirst for more among God's people in Wales rather than a complacent clinging to the belief that we have enough of God already.

Just in response to some stuff I already posted on Facebook about the outpouring in Cwmbran, my friend Joe James, originally from Merthyr Tydfil and now a pastor in St Louis, Missouri posted this:

'My friend was in Waitrose in England somewhere and she saw this woman putting groceries into her cart with tears running down her face and laughing. My friend asked her what was the matter and the woman said: 'My son has just been healed of leukemia. We were at a church in Cwmbran in South Wales and they prayed for him and he felt all fatigue leave him immediately. We took him to the doctors and they ran bloods, and all the cancer has gone!' 

The e-mail to my friend Joe continued:

'I don't know the lady whose son was healed of Leukemia. I only met her in Waitrose yesterday. She was only up this way as she is visiting her friend for 3 or 4 days. She is from Worcester. Her son is 30 years old. He travelled from Cheltenham to the meeting in Cwmbran, after hearing from a friend about the outpouring and healings taking place.'

Awesome!! 

I think there will be more to come on what is going on right now in South Wales!