Christmas Evans (25 December 1766 – 19 July 1838) was a Welsh nonconformist minister, who, according to D. M. Lloyd-Jones, was "the greatest preacher that the Baptists have ever had in Great Britain."
Portrait of Christmas Evans by William Roos, 1835.
Evans was born near the village of Llandysul, Cardiganshire. His father, a shoemaker, died early, and the boy grew up as an illiterate farm labourer. At the age of seventeen, he became the servant of a Presbyterian minister, David Davies. Under the influence of a contemporary religious revival, he learned to read and write in English and Welsh. The itinerant Calvinistic Methodist preachers and the members of the Baptist church at Llandyssul further influenced him, and he soon joined the latter denomination.[1]
In 1789 he went into North Wales as a preacher and settled for two years on the remote Llŷn Peninsula, Caernarfonshire, from where he moved to Llangefni in Anglesey. Here, on a stipend of £17 a year, supplemented by the selling of tracts, he built up a strong Baptist community, modelling his organization to some extent on that of the Calvinistic Methodists. Many new chapels were built, the money being collected on preaching tours which Evans undertook in South Wales. In 1826 Evans accepted an invitation from a congregation at Caerphilly, where he remained for two years, moving on from there in 1828 to Cardiff. In 1832, in response to urgent calls from the north, he settled in Caernarfon and again undertook the old work of building and collecting. He was also noted to have sermons in the village of Llantwit Major.[2] He was taken ill on a tour in South Wales, in 1838, and died at Swansea.[1]
In spite of his early disadvantages and personal disfigurement (he had lost an eye in a youthful brawl), Evans was a remarkably powerful preacher that was said to have been 7 feet tall.[3] To a natural aptitude for this calling he united a nimble mind and an inquiring spirit; his character was simple, his piety humble and his faith fervently evangelical. For a time he came under Sandemanian influence,[4] and when the Wesleyans entered Wales he took the Calvinist side in the bitter controversies that were frequent between 1800 and 1810. His chief characteristic was a vivid and affluent imagination, which absorbed and controlled his other abilities, and earned for him the name "The Bunyan of Wales".[5] His sermons are entirely free from sectarianism, being intended merely to enlighten the understanding and warm the heart, and therefore well adapted to Christians in general.[citation needed]
In 1909 a seven volume work compiled by Grenville Kleiser entitled 'The World's Great Sermons' included Evans' famous graveyard sermon 'The World As A Graveyard' and was the only sermon in the collection by a Welsh preacher and one of the few by a Baptist.[6]
Death and legacyedit
Evans' burial place - Bethesda Baptist Chapel, Swansea
He died in 1838, at the house of Daniel Davies (1797-1876) at Swansea, while on a preaching tour in South Wales, and was buried in the grounds of Swansea's Bethesda Chapel.[7][8] His funeral was one of the largest ever attended in the country.[9] It is believed to bring good luck if you kiss the headstone of Christmas Evans, making it the Swansea version of the Blarney Stone.[citation needed]
Evans was described by D. M. Lloyd-Jones as "the greatest preacher that the Baptists have ever had in Great Britain".[10]
Worksedit
His works were edited by Owen Davies, in three volumes, and were published in Caernarvon between 1895 and 1897.[citation needed]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Evans, Christmas". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 10 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 1–2.
Further readingedit
Lives by David Rhys Stephen (1847) and Paxton Hood (1883).
christmas, evans, december, 1766, july, 1838, welsh, nonconformist, minister, according, lloyd, jones, greatest, preacher, that, baptists, have, ever, great, britain, portrait, william, roos, 1835, contents, life, death, legacy, works, references, further, rea. Christmas Evans 25 December 1766 19 July 1838 was a Welsh nonconformist minister who according to D M Lloyd Jones was the greatest preacher that the Baptists have ever had in Great Britain Portrait of Christmas Evans by William Roos 1835 Contents 1 Life 2 Death and legacy 3 Works 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksLife editThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed June 2019 Learn how and when to remove this message Evans was born near the village of Llandysul Cardiganshire His father a shoemaker died early and the boy grew up as an illiterate farm labourer At the age of seventeen he became the servant of a Presbyterian minister David Davies Under the influence of a contemporary religious revival he learned to read and write in English and Welsh The itinerant Calvinistic Methodist preachers and the members of the Baptist church at Llandyssul further influenced him and he soon joined the latter denomination 1 In 1789 he went into North Wales as a preacher and settled for two years on the remote Llŷn Peninsula Caernarfonshire from where he moved to Llangefni in Anglesey Here on a stipend of 17 a year supplemented by the selling of tracts he built up a strong Baptist community modelling his organization to some extent on that of the Calvinistic Methodists Many new chapels were built the money being collected on preaching tours which Evans undertook in South Wales In 1826 Evans accepted an invitation from a congregation at Caerphilly where he remained for two years moving on from there in 1828 to Cardiff In 1832 in response to urgent calls from the north he settled in Caernarfon and again undertook the old work of building and collecting He was also noted to have sermons in the village of Llantwit Major 2 He was taken ill on a tour in South Wales in 1838 and died at Swansea 1 In spite of his early disadvantages and personal disfigurement he had lost an eye in a youthful brawl Evans was a remarkably powerful preacher that was said to have been 7 feet tall 3 To a natural aptitude for this calling he united a nimble mind and an inquiring spirit his character was simple his piety humble and his faith fervently evangelical For a time he came under Sandemanian influence 4 and when the Wesleyans entered Wales he took the Calvinist side in the bitter controversies that were frequent between 1800 and 1810 His chief characteristic was a vivid and affluent imagination which absorbed and controlled his other abilities and earned for him the name The Bunyan of Wales 5 His sermons are entirely free from sectarianism being intended merely to enlighten the understanding and warm the heart and therefore well adapted to Christians in general citation needed In 1909 a seven volume work compiled by Grenville Kleiser entitled The World s Great Sermons included Evans famous graveyard sermon The World As A Graveyard and was the only sermon in the collection by a Welsh preacher and one of the few by a Baptist 6 Death and legacy edit nbsp Evans burial place Bethesda Baptist Chapel Swansea He died in 1838 at the house of Daniel Davies 1797 1876 at Swansea while on a preaching tour in South Wales and was buried in the grounds of Swansea s Bethesda Chapel 7 8 His funeral was one of the largest ever attended in the country 9 It is believed to bring good luck if you kiss the headstone of Christmas Evans making it the Swansea version of the Blarney Stone citation needed Evans was described by D M Lloyd Jones as the greatest preacher that the Baptists have ever had in Great Britain 10 Works editHis works were edited by Owen Davies in three volumes and were published in Caernarvon between 1895 and 1897 citation needed References edit a b Chisholm 1911 p 1 Llantwit major Reverend Christmas Evans 1766 1838 ROOS William National Museum Wales Christmas Evans www revival library org Chisholm 1911 pp 1 2 Ramsbottom B A 1985 Christmas Evans ISBN 9780951003503 EVANS CHRISTMAS 1766 1838 Baptist minister Dictionary of Welsh Biography National Library of Wales Christmas Evans Dies 1838 ukwells org Christmas Evans Wrestles with God 1802 Landmark Events 6 April 2020 Christmas Evans Day One Publications nbsp This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Evans Christmas Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 10 11th ed Cambridge University Press pp 1 2 Further reading editLives by David Rhys Stephen 1847 and Paxton Hood 1883 External links editWorks by Christmas Evans at Project Gutenberg Works by or about Christmas Evans at Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Christmas Evans amp oldid 1176630427, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
