Monday 4 May 2015

Revival - Part 11: Daniel Rowland

Daniel Rowland was born in 1713 in the tiny village of Llangeitho, about 15 miles from Aberystwyth, to the Rev Daniel Rowland the rector of Llangeitho. In 1733 Daniel was ordained as curate to his older brother John who had succeeded his father as rector. He took up the ministry as a family tradition not through any particular conviction or calling and his preaching was unremarkable. He was converted in 1738 after listening to the preaching of Griffith Jones of Llanddewi Brefi, and his life and preaching dramatically changed. Quickly his name became known all over Wales and people started to flock to hear him. An eye witness said that," the impression on the hearts of people was that of awe and distress, as if they saw the end of the world drawing near and Hell ready to swallow them up". People walked to hear him from as far away as Anglesey, travelling in groups, hungry to hear God's Word. Crowds of up to 2500 gathered inside and outside of the church at times of Communion. This is all the more remarkable when it is considered that Llangeitho is in a sparsely populated area and that it took people many days to reach it on foot or on horseback. For 48 years Daniel Rowland preached with the same popularity and effectiveness in the same village.
However, when the opportunity arose he would preach elsewhere in the surrounding district, and this was to bring him into conflict with the church hierarchy who did not share his faith. When churches closed their doors to him then he took to the open air just as Whitefield and Wesley had been forced to do. To nourish the new converts, societies were established in areas throughout Wales and over 100 ministers regarded Rowland as their spiritual father. The worst enemies of our Lord were not found in the world but among the established religious leaders, and this has been true whenever men have arisen in the Church to preach the whole counsel of God. The local Bishop opposed Daniel Rowland, and on the death of his brother Daniel's son was appointed rector. It was thought that he could be more easily controlled as a curate to his own son. Then in 1763 he was ejected from his church, which did lasting damage to the reputation of the Anglican Church in Wales from which it has never fully recovered. It did not have the desired effect because Rowland's people built a new church and his ministry continued uninterrupted. He even continued to live in the same house with the permission of his son.
Daniel Rowland was acknowledged to be at least the equal of Whitefield as a preacher, and is thought by many to be the greatest to preach in the Welsh language. The following account is given by Christmas Evans, himself a great preacher. "Thus Rowland, having glanced at his notes as a matter of form would go on with his discourse in a calm and deliberate manner, speaking with a free and audible voice; but he would gradually become warmed to his subject, and at length his voice became so elevated and authoritative, that it resounded through the whole chapel. The effect on the people was wonderful; you could see nothing but smiles and tears running down the faces of all".
A humble man, Rowland refused many offers to move to other places that would have given him protection from his enemies and a wider influence. J.C Ryle summed up his life, "The ministry that exalts Christ most is the ministry which produces the most lasting effects. Never, perhaps, did any preacher exalt Christ more than Rowland did, and never did preacher leave behind him such deep and abiding marks in the isolated corner of the world where he laboured".