Powys chapel re-opens after 16-year closure to reach out to people all over the world

A 177-year-old Powys chapel which has been closed for 16 years has re-opened with plans for it to be used to reach out to people all over the world.

A special service to celebrate the re-opening of Bethel Chapel in Evenjobb was held with local residents, and some of the workers who had helped to refurbish the place of worship, in the congregation.

Reverend Robert Phillips will be the pastor of the chapel, and Reverend Rachael Storer from St Peter’s Church in Evancoyd was at the opening service to share in the celebration.

Pastor Phillips said there are plans for the two places of worship to work together.

Reverend Phillips is returning to the chapel after previously pastoring it from the late 1990s into the early 2000s.

He said that before he became pastor of the church it had been closed for about six months, but in 1998 he re-started services, and with the support of the secretary and remaining members, he was officially inducted as the Minister of Evenjobb Baptist Church in 1999. Several new members were also received into fellowship.

Reverend Phillips said: “The chapel thrived for quite a number of years but then, quite suddenly, my assistant pastor’s wife passed away, and he himself was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, and within 12 months he also passed away.

“It was a real shock to us because they were great workers, and were only in their early 60s. Also a number of other members passed away, and some moved away.

“I was called to be the pastor of a church in Cumbria. We commuted for a while, trying to keep the chapel open, but due to a lack of support and funds, it closed in 2010, and sadly fell into a state of disrepair.

“When my wife Lynn and I returned to the area, we saw the opportunity to re-open the chapel, as a charity I am involved with was looking for a base. But we had to wait for funds to become available to renovate it. However, we did not realise the extent of the deterioration and the degree of work that would be required to restore the chapel.

“Months of restoration work has been undertaken by many local craftspeople, some coming out of retirement to take on work at the chapel.

“When we undertook this project, we did not anticipate that we would be engaging in what has been, effectively, a reconstruction project, but the result is stunning. However, the colossal expense involved, especially keeping to planning requirements, meant that far more funds than anticipated have had to be raised, in order to bring about the total restoration of this beautiful Bethel Chapel.”

Work started in November 2024 and was completed in February this year.

Reverend Phillips said: “Lots of work has been undertaken at the chapel, including work on the ceiling. The floor of the chapel was unbelievable, and on checking the floorboards, which had started to rot, we found they were laid directly on the soil.

“The workmen had to replace the entire floor, including the raised platform area at the front, where the baptistry was. When I first became minister of the church, the secretary understood that the baptistry had been boarded over because it was beyond repair. But when the floorboards of the platform area were removed, the baptistry was discovered, and it was found to be in a basically good condition, including the steps, and now it has been fibre-glassed and sealed.

“We now have proper flooring, and the balcony has been reinforced to ensure it is safe. There were damp and drainage problems and they have been resolved, and the tiny door, which was historically used to allow the public outside to witness baptisms, is now repaired and repainted.”

Reverend Phillips said that, now the chapel is re-opened, it is planned initially to hold a gospel service once a month on the fourth Sunday of the month, and he hopes local residents will support it and attend. There will also be some week-night bible studies, and other special services and events as announced.

“The chapel has been designated as a Christian Foundations Centre,” he said.

“We are interested in promoting our Christian heritage, and plan to host various events and presentations, with an emphasis on Christian history and revivals etc. There will also be other activities, including some online conferences and video presentations, to countries all over the world.”

The chapel plans to set up a Facebook page and website, with details of future services and events.