EBENEZER - A CENTURY OF BLESSING 

In the late 1800s in the West Dock of Cardiff, an old wooden warship, one of Nelson's, called HMS Thisbe, was moored and used as a Church of England mission ship for dockworkers, pilots and boatmen etc. As a result of evangelical work carried on by the superintendent of the ship
Mr Gale, several channel pilots, boatmen and others connected with dock work were converted, and their lives completely changed. They were so full of this new found faith that their one desire was that others should share this conversion experience, so they gave their friends and colleagues no rest until they too came under the sound of the gospel. Blessing spread, and among those changed were a number of prominent men associated with the docks. Every Sunday evening an open air service was held on the old Pier Head which drew great crowds of people and as a result many were converted.

As the numbers of folk with the new found faith increased, Mr Gale left the Thisbe and hired a room in Stuart Street where the original group met, who later were to become Ebenezer assembly. A short while afterwards, two rooms were rented in Eleanor Place which were to become known as the "Seamen's Bethel". The larger room was situated above a stable, and as can be imagined during the summers months, with the animals housed beneath, the smell, noise and heat made the search for more congenial premises very urgent. In the other smaller room downstairs, various services were held and also a day School was commenced by Mr James Buck. In this building a good Sunday School was held, and a number of children and young people were also converted.

Mr Peter Evans commenced a Sunday School in Harrowby Street which was situated near the "old sea lock" near the entrance to the Glamorganshire Canal and this effort became known as "Auntie Ann's" because it was originally built as a shop and locally known as that. The room was regularly filled, and many persons were converted. It was in "Auntie Ann's" that the first "mother's meeting" ever to be held by the Assemblies of Cardiff was commenced by Mrs Peter Evans. The services were held in the evenings, and Mrs Evans purchased material for the women to cut out clothes, and taught them to sew for their families. Before the ladies left, she always had a reading from the Bible and a prayer with them. 

Soon another outreach effort was commenced at the docks. The assembly at Eleanor Place had two houses in Evelyn Street knocked into one, and from there they carried on a fine Gospel and Sunday School work. In addition, open air services were held in the streets of the docks area and many as a result were brought into the regular indoor services. At both Eleanor Place and Evelyn Street throughout the winter, a number of special services were held, and as a result of these, the number in the fellowship became greater. After 25 years or so, the old meeting room fell into a bad state of repair, and the church members considered it advisable to search for new premises.

At about this time the Grangetown area was rapidly developing as a residential area, and it was felt that this could be the possible location of a new building. A new bridge, to be known as Clarence Road Bridge over the River Taff, to replace the old ferryboat crossing, was planned, a proposal which gave further impetus to the suggestion that the new hall should be located in the Grangetown area. The main thoroughfare from the docks through Grangetown to the Town centre was Corporation Road.

In the late 1800s the tide came right up to the east side of Corporation Road, (in front of the present building) and there were only a few houses built on the end of Corporation Road. There was a good site available on the west side of Corporation Road (where Ebenezer is now). In the late 1800s the area located behind Ebenezer was ear-marked for approximately 600 houses. Furthermore, there was a scheme to reclaim much of the low lying tide field in front of Corporation Road on which a large number of houses would be built. Also, on the area between the Glamorgan Canal and the River Taff a considerable number of houses were to be erected. These facts reinforced the conviction that Ebenezer should be sited where it stands at present.

The original architect's drawing showed a large single storey building able to accommodate approximately 500 people in the main area. Work soon commenced, but during the early days, after the foundations of the original building were constructed, a number of members of Ebenezer went up into the town centre to attend some conference meetings. Here they were very impressed with the fact that the building in which these meetmgs were accommodated, had a large basement which was extremely useful as an area for providing teas etc. Resulting from this, and after much discussion, it was agreed to include a basement in Ebenezer similar in size to the main hall. The architects drawings were altered for the sum of 15 shillings (75 pence) and the building work revised to include the basement, (this is the reason there are wide ledges running around the sides of the present basement as they were the original foundations of the intended single storey building.

Ebenezer Hall was opened on 5th October 1899 at a cost of £1,250.00 whIch was no mean sum in those days (a weeks wage then was probably in t~e order of £1.50). When the hall was opened, one of the speakers noting the large structure and the absence of houses in the front and the rear, reckoned that it would be a ''white elephant". One year after the building was opened; the register of those in fellowship at Ebenezer was 61

In 1906 a Board of Trustees was formed for Ebenezer, and at present the responsibility for the building still rests with Local Trustees drawn trom the fellowship at Ebenezer.

In the early days, the Sunday School was held in the basement area, but it was not long before the number of children increased so much that the main hall had to be used for the general Sunday School, with the infants using the small room in the basement.

At about that time, a wooden terracing gallery was erected (and later extended) in the basement, to accommodate a greater number of children. Over the years the Sunday School numbers enlarged, and during the peak period in the 30s and 40s, approximately 500 children regularly attended the Sunday School with the teachers numbering 38.

In 1912 it was decided to hold the first Cardiff Missionary Conference in Ebenezer and the present semi-circular platform was built to accommodate the speakers. The original baptistry tank was in the general floor level of the main hall and the pulpit was a small free­standing desk approximately 1 m square. Attending the Missionary Conference as one of the speakers was Mr Dan Crawford, home on his first furlough after 22 years in the "long grass" of Central Africa.

Somewhere about 1912 it was felt that it would be desirable to have a house in Cardiff so as to provide accommodation for missionaries and their families coming home trom the mission field on furlough.

In fellowship with other Cardiff assemblies, the Ebenezer folk took the responsibility of finding a suitable house and organising the setting up of it to be known as The Cardiff Missionary Home. From then until the present, the Missionary Home has been located in Pentrebane Street and has housed many missionary families.

(The Visitors Book records most of the families living in "The Home" trom 1913 up to the present).

In 1917 Mr Fred EIliott and Mr Phil Hulbert held a gospel outreach campaign at Ebenezer and many were converted. A local football team composed mainly of children of the members of Ebenezer played regularly on Saturdays.

In order to persuade these young men to attend the services, a number of brethren trom Ebenezer agreed to support the team on the touchline on a Saturday afternoon , providing they would attend the services on a Sunday evening. Having clinched the deal, both sides honoured the bargain, and as a result, many of the young footballers who attended the services were converted. Most went on later to become leaders in the church.

It was about the time of some special services during the 1920s that the first organ was installed in Ebenezer, and this greatly assisted the singing.

As a result of this unique influx of younger men, Mr AIf Desallioud, a man of much vision and enthusiasm, organised the group into an evangelical team visiting the valleys and other areas, in order to distribute Christian literature and hold open air services.

This work was later to become known as the "Grangetown Tract and Bible Band" which continued until the early 60s.

During the years of depression which followed the First World War, a soup kitchen was established in the basement of Ebenezer and many people came each day to enjoy tree meals and listen to a Gospel message.

In the 1930s it was felt that the outreach work in the docks area should recommence, and as a result, an empty shop was altered for use as a "Mission hall". This work was carried on consistently, and the Sunday School grew to about 100 children plus a large Women's Meeting, together with Sunday Evening services and mid-week Youth work. This outreach continued until approximately 1970 when the docks housing area was re-developed. We are glad to say that in fellowship today, are some who were converted as a result of that work.

In the early 1930s, Cardiff Corporation opened up a large housing estate at Leckwith, and there a further branch of Ebenezer was commenced, with a wooden hall being erected with services for children and adults. As a result of this, the present Leckwith Gospel Hall now stands as a flourishing work, it having recently celebrated its 60th anniversary.

During the Second World War the basement of Ebenezer was used as an unofficial air raid shelter. On the night of 2nd January 1941 when a children's Sunday School party was in progress, Cardiff was subjected to its first concentrated air raid, "the blitz".

That night there were approximately 140 children in the building together with teachers and other workers.

Through the goodness of God, the building was preserved, although bombs fell in In front of and behind the Hall.

During that evening,the numbers coming into Ebenezer were swelled by 100 or more people who had to be evacuated from their homes, due to their houses either being demolished by the bombs or having delayed action bombs dropped near them.

Into the hall came all sorts of folk, plus parrots in cages and various pets. Nobody who found shelter in Ebenezer came to any harm. That night the area was filled with the noise of bombs etc but the Hall was filled by the noise of continuous singing for many hours, of Sunday School choruses and old hymns.

Throughout the remaining years of the War, the basement of Ebenezer was used nightly as an air raid shelter, and at the beginning of each evening a short service was held.

In 1941 Windsor Gospel Hall, located at the Clive Street end of Holmesdale Street was closed, and a number trom there joined with the fellowship at Ebenezer. It was felt advisable, that the Sunday School and the Women's Meeting of Windsor Hall be continued, and after a short delay, services for children were held in the Grange Council School. Soon, the vacant Congregational Chapel in Paget Street was rented, and work to be known as Windsor Gospel Hall recommenced, in fellowship with nearby Ebenezer and North Clive Street assemblies.

During the middle of the 1939-45 war the Government was recruiting young people into various cadet units associated with the armed services, so it was felt that a Christian organisation recognised by the authorities should be started. This venture was commenced and became The Christian Youth Movement (CYM) held in Ebenezer's basement on a Thursday evening.

Various activities were pursued, the girls knitting, cooking and learning shorthand, the boys learning knots and splices, plus Morse code, and all the youngsters doing keep fit exercises.

It was during this time at one of the evening prayer meetings, Mr Desallioud, praying for the work of the youth in his inimitable way, was talking to the Lord about the activities. When he came to the area of the Morse code he said, "Oh Lord, what do you call it, that dib, dib dib, dat, dat dat"!

Youth work continued for many years after the War with large numbers of young people doing practical work, the boys woodworking and the girls knitting and sewing etc the evening always concluding with a service.

One of the outstanding events of the Youth Clubs was the successful parents' evenings and exhibitions when all the handicraft of the year was displayed to the parents and others.

One very encouraging feature of the work at Ebenezer was the boy’s class run by Mr W E Davies, in the mid 40s, when up to 30 boys trom 11 to 15 years of age would meet regularly in the winter period in the hall for services.

In the summer they would be taken to Llandough Hill to play football. Resulting trom this 'boys class', many young teenage boys were converted, and a great number of them are now leaders throughout Cardiff and other areas.

After the War, in 1947, the numbers in fellowship at Ebenezer peaked to just under 300, but with the development of new housing sites in the outlying areas of the city, a number of the younger couples moved out to these locations where they became leaders in the new Fellowships being commenced there.

One of the features of Ebenezer over the years was the ''Whitsun Treat". Apparently many years ago, there used to come to Cardiff a fair which was not conducive for children to attend, so it was suggested by one of the religious leaders in the city at that time, that all Sunday Schools should have their annual outing when the fair came, so as to draw the children away from its bad influence.

As a result, the "Whitsun Treat" was commenced and continued for many years. The Treat would take the form of Ebenezer renting a field from Friday to Tuesday, at Lavernock or at some other location, when the tents would be erected together with the swings and slides, and all the other paraphernalia associated with the Treat.

On Friday, the young men would then camp out for the whole of the weekend. On Saturday, the assembly would meet in the field for an informal picnic, and in later years on Sunday evening, a large barbecue would be held for young people from the Cardiff area.

On the Monday, on a number of occasions when the Sunday School was around the 500 mark a train, would be chartered to take the children from Grangetown Station to the field for their Whitsun Treat, or latterly a number of buses would be chartered to take the Sunday School to the "Treat". Sometimes on the field there would be a thousand people or so.

One' of the features of the earlier "Treats", when a train would be chartered, was a regular march from Ebenezer through the streets of Grangetown to the station.

On Tuesday, again the fellowship would have an informal picnic day at the field, which would conclude with the dismantling of the swings and slides etc to be returned to Ebenezer for storage under the gallery in the basement. A highlight for the young people, was to perch on top of the gear on the lorries which took it to and from the field.

On 19th February 1985 word spread around Grangetown and other parts of the city that Ebenezer was burning. It seemed that there was a bonfire in the garden of the adjacent house to the hall (number 204) and some burning embers found their way into the storeroom in the basement, resulting in a disastrous fire. The whole of the basement was gutted. Part of the upstairs alongside the platform, with the rear classrooms and kitchen were also severely damaged. For two or three Sundays, normal services were held in the Community Centre at Clydach Street, which was rented from the Local Authority.

Shortly afterwards "reduced and restricted use" of the main hall was possible, whilst fire damage repairs and reconstruction work were carried out.

Over the years there had been considerable discussion as to whether the much loved wooden gallery on which hundreds of children sat for the Sunday School, children's meetings, the magic lantern shows and other children's activities, should be removed so as to enlarge the available working area of the basement. Much talk took place as to whether this should happen, but no decision could finally be reached without upsetting one party or the other. However, the fire solved the problem when the gallery was burnt! At that time, when the re-furbishment of the building was being carried out, the original baptistry located within the floor of the main hall, which also protruded into the basement area alongside the original small kitchen, was removed so as to allow the kitchen to be extended to its present size. At the same time, the indoor toilets adjacent to the basement entrance were also constructed.

The pattern of services in Ebenezer may have changed, but the emphasis is still on outreach to all. In addition to the usual services for adults, children and youth, a monthly ladies evening and a monthly mens evening is held, together with a weekly family service. A large parent and toddler group meets each week in the basement, and there is a very popular coffee morning.

A monthly pensioners lunch is also provided and a regular service conducted at a local residential home for senior citizens.

For nearly 70 years regular weekly visits have been made to the ships in Cardiff docks when Christian literature and Scriptures in very many different languages are freely distributed. This work was latterley carried out by Mr Fred Dodds, until he was called home to be with the Lord in 2006.

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