The English Presbyterian Church in Aberdyfi began as a congregation in 1881 when about 15 people began to meet regularly for English services in what was then called the Assembly Room that was rented for the purpose.
The chapel building was erected in 1893 and the pipe organ installed in 1924. There was a marked increase in membership as a result of the Welsh Revival in 1904-1905. The Sunday School flourished in the early years of the church and again in the years following 1939 when many children were evacuated to Aberdyfi.

The church has continued to minister to English residents and to visitors over the whole of the 20th century and now into the 21st.

At a church meeting in 2000, the church formulated and agreed the following objectives:

• to provide, within the Presbyterian Church of Wales, for worship, ministry and fellowship for Christians, and for witness to the Christian gospel as revealed in the Scriptures, to Aberdovey residents and visitors. As appropriate, some activities would be in cooperation with other Christians in Aberdovey.

• to maintain the chapel building and to provide appropriate facilities in a way that honours the Lord whom we serve.

• to support, as appropriate, the work of Christian care and outreach throughout the world.

Built into the rock in the room behind the main auditorium there is a kitchen, the back wall of which is the bare rock on to which the rear part of the church is built. Running down the rock is a stream coming from a spring that is always flowing and never dries - all of which is reminder of Jesus, the 'rock of ages' and the 'living water'. Jesus said ' Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of warter welling up to eternal life.' (John 4 .14).

© Aberdovey Presbyterian Church 2003

On Sunday, 24th October, our Harvest Thanksgiving Service, led by Rev Mary Turnock, was enjoyed by the members and the visitiors.  During the service the Dedication of the Plaque of the recently restored main Stained Glass Window and the side windows was held.

Y Tabernacl and the English Chapel

After the railway was completed in the 1870's more English people became local residents and the number of holiday and commercial visitors grew.

The Welsh Calvinistic Methodists - already long established at the Tabernacl - recognised that they had a responsibility to cater for the non Welsh speaking fraternity in the area.  Around 1870 they were sponsorong services in English at the Tabernacl in the summer months and on 5 May 1881, the first separate service in the English language was held in the Square at the Assembly Hall - later known as the Imperial Hall.  Soon after a church was instituted and members enrolled using the Assembly Hall as a base.

Our chapel building was built in 1883 mainly funded by Tabernacl members, local events and donations, together with a small loan from the Calvinistic Methodist Loan Fund which was fully repaid by 1914 - all demonstrating a sure sign of the foresight, commitment and Christian spirit of the Tabernacl Elders and Members.

Some years ago the Tabernacl was closed and subsequently sold for conversion into apartments.  In 2007 the remaining five members transferred to membership of the chapel together with the remaining funds.