Horeb chapel stands out in the country beside the road that leads from Nantgaredig to Frechfa.
When properties come up for sale these days they are bought by non-Welsh speaking families. So the membership has dropped to 23 in number. On average around 7 members attend the services regularly.
The chapel was built between 1830 and 1832, before that a sermon was preached on top of a stone in the nearby quarry and that stone was placed as the foundation of the building. The church was under the care of the Reverend T. D. Davies Pant-teg from its inception until 1850. Ministers at Capel Isaac took care of Horeb for a few years afterwards. In 1857, the church was connected with Gwernogle and in 1872 with Abergorlech, also under the care of Reverend T. Grenig Jones. In 1887, Horeb joined forces with Siloam Pontargothi and there was the blessed ministry of the Reverends D. December Jones and D. Curwen Davies. Curwen became a local minister for many people of all denominations. Due to ill health, Reverend Curwen Davies retired at the end of 1941. He died on Saturday morning 13 October 1945 aged 75. His remains were buried in Siloam cemetery, when a large crowd gathered together to pay their last respects.
A student from Brecon College was inaugurated next to the pastorate, the Reverend D. Arthur Thomas BA BD. He was an excellent scholar and preacher and it can be properly said that his aim was to nurture the Christian Welsh culture. He held Bible classes and also some on contemporary Welsh literature. Embarrassment was felt when the Reverend Arthur Thomas informed the church of his intention to move to Mount Zion, Ponciau in 1950. He returned to service in the church, on Sunday 27 September 1964 to celebrate twenty one years in the ministry and again on 19 September 1993 to celebrate fifty years in the ministry. He died in August 1994.
A call was extended to the Reverend Dewi Jenkins, Seion Cwmafon in 1951 and he ministered diligently and successfully until his move to Tabernacl, Fishguard in 1955.
He was followed in 1956 by the Reverend O. C. Jenkins of Nebo, Felindre, Swansea. In the days of religious ebb, he tried to encourage his members to walk confidently into the future deepening their faith and doubling their diligence to promote the interests of the Kingdom of God. It was a period of modernization. In 1958 the chapel was renewed by painting inside. In 1966 an organ was received for the service of the Church from the Cultural Society. In 1967 a new kitchen was built as an extension to the small loft and in 1969 an electric heating system was installed in the chapel. Due to illness which confined him, the Reverend O. C. Jenkins retired on 10 June 1973.
In 1982, the circle of pastors was expanded, and a new chapter in the history of the church began, when Siloam and Horeb joined with Ebenezer Abergwili and Pant-teg under the ministry of the Reverend Emyr Lyn Evans. A new order was seen with services and more involvement and cooperation between the churches for Good Friday, Easter and Christmas services.
Alas, it was a time of losing dedicated officers. Such as, Mr Gruffydd Williams, Graigwen in April 1989, a brother who worked quietly as secretary of the church for nearly twenty years, and also in March 1992 Mr Rufus Isaac, Frondeg died, the treasurer of the church who had been so active and careful of all the interests of the church for forty one years. The present organ was presented as a gift in memory of him and the late Miss Alice Fletcher.
In order to maintain a full-time minister, the pastoral circle was further expanded to the Broydd Myrddin pastorate, which included six churches: Horeb, Siloam, Ebenezer, Pant-teg, Peniel and Bwlch-y-corn. The Reverend Emyr Gwyn Evans worked as minister on the pastorate between 2018–23.
Wendy Hughes
