Eglwysi Ynghyd yng Nghymru | Churches Together in Wales

Creating Connections

Cytun — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 10:13:51 +0000

Religion and the Media in Wales

Cytûn is pleased to support the development of two new events bringing faith communities and the media together in Wales this November.

The Religion Media Centre’s Creating Connections: Religion and the Media in Wales events will take place in Bangor on 2 November and Cardiff on 9 November 2026.

Cytûn has been keen to support the development of these events as an opportunity to strengthen relationships and understanding between faith communities and those working across the Welsh media.

Creating Connections will bring faith leaders and organisations together with journalists and other media professionals, providing an opportunity to make new contacts and explore how religion and belief are woven into the life of Wales.

Professionals from television and radio, as well as editors and reporters working in print and online media, will be present to answer questions and explain how they work. Faith representatives will also have an opportunity to talk about their work and identify stories emerging from their communities.

For Cytûn, encouraging this kind of dialogue is particularly valuable. Wales has a diverse religious landscape, while churches and other faith communities continue to contribute to public life at both national and local level. Developing stronger connections with journalists can help faith communities understand the media better, while enabling journalists to develop contacts and a deeper understanding of religion and belief in contemporary Wales.

Bangor

Monday 2 November 2026, 13:30–18:00

Powis Hall, Main Arts Building, Bangor University, LL57 2DG

Book a free place: Eventbrite – Bangor

Cardiff

Monday 9 November 2026, 13:30–18:00

Temple of Peace, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AP

Book a free place: Eventbrite – Cardiff

Places are free, but advance booking is required.

Supporting Mission in Schools

Cytun — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 10:00:47 +0000

Working with schools in Wales? Understand the Welsh context

Churches have significant opportunities to build relationships with local schools – but working with schools in Wales means understanding a distinctly Welsh education system.

Scripture Union, one of the newest members of Cytûn – Churches Together in Wales, is offering an Introduction to Schools Ministry training day in Swansea on Wednesday 30 September, led by the SU Cymru team.

The training offers churches and Christian workers practical support to develop their engagement with schools, with a particular focus on the Welsh education context.

Education is devolved in Wales, with a curriculum and legislative framework distinct from England. The day will explore Welsh legislation around Collective Worship, opportunities to support schools with Religion, Values and Ethics (RVE), resources appropriate to Curriculum for Wales, and the bilingual context of Welsh education.

Rhiân Evans, National Mission Coordinator for Wales, Scripture Union England and Wales, said:

The training will be led by the SU Cymru team who are both fluent Welsh speakers and between them have many years of experience working with schools across Wales in a variety of contexts and across both languages.

Rhiân Evans

Throughout the day, the SU Cymru team will look at the practical elements of church engagement with schools, including Welsh legislation for Collective Worship and opportunities for churches to support schools in delivering their RVE curriculum. Participants will also be introduced to a range of resources suitable for use within the Curriculum for Wales framework.

The training is particularly aimed at those who are new to schools ministry, as well as people who have experience of working with schools in England but have not previously worked within the Welsh system. It will explore both the opportunities available to churches and some of the important differences between the education systems in Wales and England.

With an experienced Welsh-speaking SU Cymru team, the training is relevant to ministry across Welsh-medium, English-medium and bilingual school communities.

Find out more and book your place through Scripture Union

Welcome to the new Bishop of Bangor

Cytun — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 13:58:20 +0000

A joyful celebration as Wales welcomes the new Bishop of Bangor

It was a joyful occasion in Newport on Saturday as Christians from across Wales gathered to celebrate the consecration of the Rt Revd Dr Manon Ceridwen James as the Bishop of Bangor.

Hundreds filled St Woolos Cathedral for the Episcopal Ordination, joining Bishop Manon’s family, friends, colleagues and representatives of the wider Church as she began a new chapter in her ministry.

Cytûn warmly congratulates Bishop Manon and joins the Church in Wales and the Diocese of Bangor in celebrating her new ministry.

“We celebrate with the Church in Wales and the Diocese of Bangor as the Rt Revd Dr Manon Ceridwen James is consecrated as Bishop of Bangor. Manon is a friend and a passionate supporter of ecumenical work in Wales, and we look forward to continuing to work with her as she steps into this new role. We wish her the abundant generosity and blessing of God upon her ministry.”

Dr Cynan Llwyd

Raised in Nefyn on the Llŷn Peninsula, Bishop Manon was ordained deacon at Bangor Cathedral in 1994 and was among the first women ordained priest in the diocese in 1997. Her consecration now makes her the first woman to serve as Bishop of Bangor.

Her ministry has included parish, education, training and vocations roles across the dioceses of Bangor and St Asaph. She became Dean of Bangor Cathedral in October 2025, having previously served as Director of Ministry at St Padarn’s Institute.

The service drew deeply on the Christian and Welsh heritage that has shaped both Bishop Manon and the diocese she will serve. It took place close to the feast of St Deiniol, founder of the early Christian community at Bangor, and the Church’s commemoration of William Salusbury and Bishop William Morgan, whose work translating Scripture and the Prayer Book had a lasting influence on Christian faith, Welsh language and culture.

There was also a particularly appropriate message for the ecumenical life of Wales in Bishop Manon’s own reflections on her new ministry. Looking beyond her own calling, she said:

“As I respond to this call, I hope it will also be an opportunity for people across the Diocese of Bangor, and beyond, to reflect on their own calling and on what God might be calling us to do together. I am excited by the opportunities we have to serve our communities and to share God’s love with everyone.”

Esgob Manon Ceridwen James

That emphasis on what Christians are called to do together lies at the heart of Cytûn’s work and our shared commitment to ecumenism across Wales.

The celebrations continue in Bangor on Saturday 19 September, when Bishop Manon will be installed as Bishop of Bangor at St Deiniol’s Cathedral at 2pm and welcomed by representatives from across the diocese.

Cytûn offers Bishop Manon our warmest congratulations and prayers as she begins this new ministry, and we look forward to continuing to work alongside her in our shared Christian witness across Wales.

You can watch the livestream on YouTube here: Consecration – YouTube

Do not be afraid

Cytun — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 08:49:59 +0000

Christians across Wales called to pray for unity

At a time when fear and division can too easily shape our communities, Christians across Wales are being invited to do something deliberately different: come together, pray together and rediscover what unites us in Christ.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, 18–25 January 2027, brings Christians of different traditions together around the theme ‘Do not be afraid’.

The prayers and reflections for 2027 have been prepared by representatives of the churches in Ireland. Drawing particularly on Luke 12:22–34, they reflect on Jesus as the Good Shepherd and his call to the ‘little flock’ to live not in fear, but in trust, hope and service.

For Cytûn, this is more than a week in the church calendar. It is an opportunity to make Christian unity visible in our communities – through shared prayer and worship, but also by strengthening relationships between churches and finding new ways to witness and serve together.

Resources for churches

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) has produced resources to help churches, local ecumenical partnerships and individuals take part in the Week of Prayer.

The resources include the 2027 English prayer and reflection booklet, material for use in worship, a multilingual poster and presentation resources.

Download the English Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2027 resources:

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2027 – English resources

The Week of Prayer is traditionally observed from 18–25 January, although communities may choose to mark it at Pentecost or at another suitable time.

Do not be afraid. Pray together. Build relationships. Make Christian unity visible.

Hiroshima 2026

Cytun — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:04:28 +0000

Peace and a Political Dilemma for Wales

On 6 August, as the National Eisteddfod gathered at Y Garreg Las, Cytûn marked Hiroshima Day, 81 years since the first use of an atomic bomb in war. The event and its commemoration have particular significance this year.

Wales’s new Plaid Cymru Government is already facing a difficult political dilemma. How does a government led by a party committed to peace, human rights and international law reconcile those principles with its responsibilities for security, economic development and thousands of skilled jobs in Wales?

That tension has now become immediate. Welsh Government support for the forthcoming Defence Security Resilience Cymru summit in Newport has attracted criticism from peace campaigners, particularly given Plaid Cymru’s previous opposition to arms-industry events.

Ministers will not attend, although civil servants will be there to support Welsh businesses, while the Government develops a new ethical framework for the defence sector.

The Challenge to Theology and Witness

For the churches, these are questions of public theology as well as politics. These issues also fall within Cytûn’s shared policy priority of Citizenship – considering how Christians and the churches engage with the moral and political choices facing our society.

The Nonconformist and Dissenting tradition has a significant history of Christian witness for peace. That tradition is represented within Cytûn today by members including the Union of Welsh Independents and the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), while the historic contribution of movements such as the Baptist peace movement in Wales, alongside continuing Christian witness for peace across the denominations.

Hiroshima Day Meditation

Earlier that day, the President of the Union of Welsh Independents led a meditation at the Cytûn stand, reflecting on Hiroshima, peace and the Christian calling to be peacemakers.

The meditation is available in Welsh with subtitles.

Hatch, Match and Dispatch

Cytun — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:33:40 +0000

Hatch, Match and Dispatch? Two Out of Three Under Review

Changes Ahead for Weddings and Funerals?

Two areas of law closely connected with church life and ministry – weddings and funerals – are receiving attention at UK level. Although these matters are not devolved, the changes could have particular implications for churches, denominations and Christian organisations in Wales.

Cytûn is drawing this work to members’ attention and would welcome views, through the representatives of our member denominations and organisations, on any issues in Wales which may benefit from a coordinated response.

Reforming weddings law

The Ministry of Justice is consulting on Tying the Knot: Reforming Weddings Law in England and Wales, with responses invited by 24 September 2026.

The proposals could significantly change how religious marriages are legally recognised and conducted, including a move from a system primarily based on registered buildings towards one focused on authorised officiants.

Issues include:

the eligibility of religious and belief organisations to nominate officiants;
the responsibilities and oversight of officiants;
where weddings may legally take place; and
safeguards within the marriage system.

The proposals may be particularly relevant to smaller and independent denominations, including Cytûn’s Category B members, as eligibility requirements could affect smaller bodies differently from larger established denominations.

There is also a distinct Welsh perspective, including implications for the place and practical use of the Welsh language and for the mission and ministry of churches in Wales.

Some members, particularly UK-wide denominations and established consultees, may already be preparing responses. We would welcome information about this work and any matters requiring particular attention in Wales.

Members wishing to contribute to Cytûn’s consideration of the consultation are asked to do so through their denomination or organisation’s representative to Cytûn. Views will be considered by Cytûn’s Enabling Group. Please send contributions to post@cytun.cymru.

If the responses indicate that a Cytûn contribution would add value, we will explore with members the possibility of a coordinated response.

Further information

Tying the Knot: Reforming weddings law in England and Wales – GOV.UK

The consultation closes on 24 September 2026.

Funerals, funerary methods and remains

The Law Commission is also working on Rights and Obligations Relating to Funerary Methods, Funerals and Remains, within its wider programme on Burial, Cremation and New Funerary Methods.

This is at an earlier stage and has not yet reached public consultation. It is considering a person’s wishes for their body after death, who should make decisions about funerals and remains, family disputes, responsibility for arrangements, and the legal status of human remains.

These questions could have important pastoral and practical implications for churches, ministers and those involved in funeral and bereavement ministry.

Cytûn members may be approached by the Law Commission to participate in pre-consultation engagement. We would welcome hearing, through member denominations and organisations, about involvement or issues which may have a distinctive impact in Wales.

Further information

Rights and Obligations Relating to Funerary Methods, Funerals and Remains – Law Commission

Burial, Cremation and New Funerary Methods – Law Commission

UK-wide legal reform does not always have identical practical consequences in Wales and England. The Welsh language, smaller denominations and the realities of mission, ministry and pastoral care in Wales may all require particular consideration.

We therefore invite member denominations and organisations to channel their views through their Cytûn representatives to the Enabling Group via post@cytun.cymru. Where those views indicate that collective Cytûn engagement could add a useful Welsh ecumenical perspective, we will consider with members how best to take this forward.

Education and faith schools

Iestyn Davies — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 13:39:12 +0000

Local and national policy at the heart of Cytûn’s Eisteddfod discussions

Cytûn used its presence at Eisteddfod Genedlaethol y Garreg Las to continue discussion around some of the most pressing challenges facing communities across Wales, with education and the future of faith schools high on the agenda.

Dr Cynan Llwyd, General Secretary of Cytûn, met the Rt Revd Dorrien Davies, Bishop of St Davids and Church in Wales Bishop with responsibility for education.

The discussion was particularly timely. The Church in Wales has expressed strong concern over proposals affecting the status of church schools in Pembrokeshire, including Ysgol Cilgerran, a Welsh-medium school where Pembrokeshire County Council has proposed removing its Voluntary Controlled Church in Wales status.

The Church has argued that the issue goes well beyond the administrative status of an individual school. It concerns parental choice, the character of local communities and families’ ability to access a church-school education. Bishop Dorrien visited schools facing change earlier this year, underlining the value of both their educational contribution and their Christian ethos.

This raises a wider question for Wales: what place will faith schools have in the future of Welsh education?

Church in Wales schools educate around 27,000 learners. At its national schools conference this year, the Church emphasised equity, inclusion and community cohesion alongside educational excellence and Christian vision.

For Cytûn, this is not an issue for one denomination or one school alone. Education is one of Cytûn’s five policy priority areas, as endorsed by its membership. That gives Cytûn a clear responsibility to ensure that the experience, voice and contribution of the churches form part of the national conversation about the future of education in Wales.

The conversation between Dr Llwyd and Bishop Dorrien therefore connected an immediate local concern with a much wider national challenge: how can Wales protect educational choice, value the contribution of faith schools, and ensure that decisions about the future of schools are rooted in the needs and voices of the communities they serve?

Watch the conversation between Bishop Dorrien and Dr Cynan Llwyd as they discuss the challenges facing education and faith schools in Wales – and please share it to help widen this important conversation.

The Four Gospels

Iestyn Davies — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:53:35 +0000

A distinctive form of Welsh once heard in the communities of north Pembrokeshire was brought to life at the National Eisteddfod y Garreg Las through an unusual project combining the Gospels, local speech and the preservation of linguistic heritage.

Y Beder Ifingyl – The Four Gospels – is a version of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John produced by the late Lyn Lewis Dafis (1960–2022), a native of Mynachlog-ddu in north Pembrokeshire. Rather than using standard written Welsh, Lyn rendered the Gospels in the Welsh dialect of his home area, capturing something of the vocabulary, pronunciation and patterns of speech familiar to generations of local Welsh speakers.

For English-speaking readers, the geography behind the project is important.

Pembrokeshire has a particularly interesting linguistic history. For centuries, a well-known language boundary divided the predominantly Welsh-speaking communities of the north of the county from the more heavily Anglicised south. The boundary became popularly known as the Landsker Line.

North of the Landsker, Welsh remained the community language in many places and developed distinctive local characteristics. The Welsh of north Pembrokeshire – distinct and immediately recognisable to Welsh speakers from elsewhere – preserves words, expressions and pronunciations associated with the area.

It was this living, spoken language that Lyn Lewis Dafis wanted to capture in Y Beder Ifingyl. His work therefore represents more than an alternative translation of a familiar text. It is also a record and celebration of a particular local voice.

In the months leading up to the Eisteddfod, a group of Pembrokeshire speakers came together to give that voice a new lease of life by recording Y Beder Ifingyl.

The project was celebrated at the National Eisteddfod y Garreg Las, where visitors had an opportunity to hear about the work, listen to the recording and remember Lyn and his distinctive contribution to Welsh language and culture.

Sian Wyn Rees chaired the event, and the project received support from the Union of Welsh Independents and Bible Society.

For Cytûn, the project also offers an intriguing example of the relationship between Christianity, language and place. The Christian scriptures have been translated into thousands of languages across the world, but Y Beder Ifingyl brings that principle much closer to home: asking what the familiar Gospel stories sound like when they are told in the words and rhythms of a particular Welsh community.

The complete text of Y Beder Ifingyl 2000 (Lyn Lewis Dafis) yn iaith Sir Benfro is available to read online through YouVersion/Bible.com.

Homelessness Sunday 2026

Cytun — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 11:10:07 +0000

Cytûn calls on churches to pray, act and speak up

Cytûn is pleased to support Homelessness Sunday on 4 October 2026 and encourages churches and Christians across Wales to use the day as an opportunity to pray, take practical action and speak up for change.

Organised by Housing Justice,

this year’s Homelessness Sunday has the theme “community cohesion”. Housing Justice has produced a range of online resources to help churches and community groups mark the day, whether through a dedicated service or by incorporating the theme into their worship and other activities.

Cytûn is pleased to support this important Sunday and encourages churches and their members across Wales to engage in three particular ways: through prayer for people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity; through practical ministry and support within their communities; and by seeking to address the causes of homelessness.

This can include engaging constructively with local councillors and Members of the Senedd, asking what more can be done to prevent homelessness, increase access to secure and affordable homes, tackle poverty and support people who find themselves without a safe place to live.

Homelessness Sunday is an opportunity not only to raise awareness, but also to consider how our churches can contribute to communities in which everyone is valued, supported and able to find a place to call home.

Housing Justice will also record a special Homelessness Sunday service for the Church of England’s online service channel, available to stream from 9.00am on Sunday 4 October.

Find resources and further information on the ⁠Housing Justice Homelessness Sunday website.

Cytûn at Eisteddfod y Garreg Las

Cytun — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 08:00:41 +0000

Cytûn is on the Maes this week for the National Eisteddfod, Eisteddfod y Garreg Las, running 1–8 August near Cardigan. Working with Cyngor Ysgolion Sul, Cytûn is hosting Pabell yr Eglwysi, the Churches’ Tent, offering a warm welcome to everyone visiting the festival.

Drop by to meet member churches from across Wales, hear about their work in local communities, and enjoy a moment of hospitality amid the week’s celebrations. All are welcome, whether fluent Welsh speakers, learners, or newcomers to the language.

Find Pabell yr Eglwysi on the Maes throughout the week.