Eglwysi Ynghyd yng Nghymru | Churches Together in Wales

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.

The Challenge of Rural Ministry

Iestyn Davies — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 08:27:51 +0000

New video from the Royal Welsh Show focuses on rural ministry in Wales

How can churches better support farming families and strengthen rural communities?

Filmed at the Royal Welsh Show, Cytûn’s latest video brings together Christian leaders and organisations working across rural Wales to explore the challenges and opportunities facing rural ministry today.

Supporting good mental health and wellbeing is one of Cytûn’s public policy priorities. Cytûn is also committed to equipping churches to work together in ministry, mission and service, enabling a compassionate and collaborative Christian presence in communities across Wales.

The discussion is chaired by Captain Kathryn Stowers, Chair of Cytûn, Ecumenical Officer for The Salvation Army in Wales and Royal Welsh Show Chaplain.

The panel features:

Jon Stockley, National Director of Christian Vision for Men (CVM) Cymru , which equips churches to reach and disciple men across Wales.
Rachael Aka, Project Officer (Wales) with Farming Community Network (FCN), the Christian charity providing practical and pastoral support to farmers and farming families across Wales and the UK.
Archdeacon Eileen Davies, representing Tir Dewi, the Welsh charity offering free, confidential pastoral support to farmers and their families throughout Wales.

Revd Aled Davies, a minister serving in a rural context and a member of Cytûn’s Events Team.

Together, the panel explores how churches and specialist organisations can work in partnership to address rural isolation, promote good mental health and wellbeing, strengthen community resilience, and offer practical hope to farming families and rural communities.

Recorded at one of Wales’ most significant gatherings for the agricultural community, the discussion highlights the value of churches working together across denominational boundaries to serve rural Wales through practical action, pastoral care and a shared Christian witness.

We are grateful to all our panellists for sharing their experience and insights.

Watch the full discussion to discover how churches across Wales are responding to the opportunities and challenges of rural ministry.

Llangollen and Wales’s international responsibility

Cytun — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 18:53:40 +0000

Llangollen interview explores Wales’s international responsibility

Cytûn has published a new interview with the Revd Ruth Gee, Methodist Minister in Llangollen, recorded at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

Ruth reflects on the significance of an event that has brought people from different nations, cultures and traditions together in Wales for generations. She considers how local communities, churches and faith groups can help build relationships across difference, strengthen belonging and promote peace.

The interview comes at an important moment in Welsh public life, following recent Senedd debates on Wales as a Nation of Sanctuary and on the nation’s international profile and responsibilities.

These debates raise important questions. What does it mean for Wales to welcome people fleeing conflict and persecution? How should our international values be reflected in our own communities? And what role can churches play in resisting division and nurturing understanding?

The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod offers a powerful example of internationalism rooted in community life. It shows how Wales can welcome the world while remaining confident in its own identity, language and culture.

For Cytûn, Wales’s international reputation must be matched by a practical commitment to dignity, hospitality, justice and peace.

Venezuela Earthquake Appeal Cytûn update

Cytun — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 15:02:56 +0000

Weeks after the earthquake: Wales reminded it can still help Venezuela

More than three weeks on from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on 24 June, churches and ecumenical bodies across Wales are reminding congregations that the crisis is far from over.

The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck within seconds of each other near the capital, Caracas – the strongest to hit the country in more than a century. Latest figures show more than 4,400 people have been killed, over 16,700 injured, and tens of thousands remain missing. An estimated 96,000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed, and 680,000 children are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launched a UK-wide appeal on 1 July, with 14 of its 15 member charities – including Christian Aid – responding on the ground in Venezuela. By early July the appeal had raised over £10 million, including a donation from His Majesty The King and £2 million matched by the UK Government through its UK Aid Match scheme. The Welsh Government contributed a further £50,000.

Despite these encouraging totals, the needs of those affected continue to grow. Christian Aid’s local partners in Venezuela are still distributing food, water, first aid kits and shelter to families who have lost everything, in a country that was already facing a severe economic crisis before the earthquakes struck.

Donate Now

Dr Cynan Llwyd: 'It's easy for a crisis to slip out of the headlines, but that doesn't mean the need has gone away. We're encouraging churches across Wales to keep Venezuela in their prayers, and to consider holding a collection or making a gift – every penny still counts.'

Click Here to Donate

Cytûn’s Summer Engagement Continues Across Wales

Cytun — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:21:30 +0000

Summer is always one of the busiest times in Cytûn's calendar.

Our summer programme began at the Urdd Eisteddfod, where we enjoyed welcoming visitors to the Cytûn presence on the Maes and meeting people from across Wales. Throughout the week we had the opportunity to celebrate the contribution that churches make to Welsh life, while hearing the stories and experiences of those taking part in one of Europe’s largest youth festivals.

More recently, we were delighted to support local member churches at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod. Over the coming days we’ll be sharing photographs, videos and interviews, including a special conversation with Rev Ruth Gee exploring what the International Eisteddfod means to the local community and its enduring message of peace and reconciliation.

Royal Welsh Show

Our attention now turns to the Royal Welsh Show, where Cytûn will once again be working alongside member churches to engage with visitors from across Wales, the British Isles and further afield. As one of Europe’s premier agricultural events, the Show provides a unique opportunity to meet people from rural communities, the farming sector and many other walks of life. This year’s programme will include the recording of a panel discussion exploring how churches and communities can provide effective pastoral support, particularly in responding to the ongoing challenge of maintaining good mental health within rural and agricultural communities.