Today’s Leader of Faith
EVAN JOHN ROBERTS
Home Call : Jan 29 1951
Preacher, Evangelist, Revivalist, Writer
Evan John Roberts (1878–1951) was a Welsh revivalist and central figure in the 1904–1905 Welsh Revival, a significant spiritual awakening in Wales that impacted the broader evangelical world. His four principles of revival were, Confess all the known sin, Remove anything doubtful from one’s life, Be fully obedient to the Holy Spirit and Publicly confess Christ. With these four principles, thousands were converted during his sermons, profoundly transforming the moral and spiritual atmosphere of Wales. He did not undergo formal theological or pastoral training. Despite this, his deep spiritual life and personal experience with God became the foundation of his ministry.
Evan Roberts, born in Loughor, Wales, to Henry and Hannah Roberts, was raised in a devout Calvinistic Methodist home. He worked in coal mines with his father from ages 11 to 23, where an explosion scorched his cherished Bible. Later, he apprenticed as a blacksmith with his uncle. He was deeply spiritual, dedicating countless hours to personal and group prayer.
In 1904, Evan Roberts began studying for ministry at Newcastle Emlyn. Inspired by a spiritual experience during a service by evangelist Seth Joshua in Blaenannerch, he embraced the “Baptism of the Spirit” and started preaching at small meetings. These gatherings soon grew, drawing thousands and sparking the Welsh revival. Within weeks, the revival became national news as Roberts, his brother Dan, and friend Sidney Evans travelled across Wales conducting extended meetings marked by confession, repentance, and life transformation, making the pubs empty and pit-ponies bewildered by the miners’ newfound, cleaned-up language, a stark contrast to their usual foul language. He was joined by singers Annie M. Rees and May John, who later led their own revival services. In June 1905, he preached to 6,000 in Rhosneigr, with May John assisting. The revival, credited as ignited by Roberts, sparked remarkable spiritual fervour, including reports of 100,000 conversions, chronicled in ‘The Western Mail’.
In 1906, the pressure of his demanding schedule led Evan Roberts to suffer a physical and emotional collapse. Despite enduring depression, he maintained his faith. He withdrew from the public eye due to concerns that his unexpected fame was attracting people for the wrong reasons, and he longed for God, not himself, to be glorified. He continued to write letters reflecting his steadfast faith and turned to prayer as his primary ministry. He continued to influence the missionary movement of the 20th century through his writings, co-authored with Penn-Lewis. While some felt he had abandoned Wales, Penn-Lewis urged him to reconsider his views on the signs and wonders that had accompanied the revival. Around 1926, He was invited to Loughor, where the revival had begun. His rare public appearances included conversions, healings, and deliverances.
Roberts spent his final years in Cardiff, passing away in 1951 at the age of 72, largely in obscurity. He was buried in a family plot behind Moriah Chapel in Loughor, where a memorial column stands in honour of his significant contribution to the Welsh revival.