Tom Nefyn Williams: A Warning From History 8: Coming to Judgement

Tom Nefyn's response to Treherbert was to offer his resignation to the congregation at Ebenezer, Tumble. In his letter, he took a truculent tone, declaring: "It is evident that antiquated theological forms are considered more important than a forward-looking humanity." The congregation refused to accept his resignation and resolved to stand by him. John Morgan Jones, Principal of the Independent (Congregationalist) Bala-Bangor College, editor of the Student CHristian Movement Magazine Yr Efrydydd, attacked the Presbyterians for 'persecuting' Williams.

At the Nantegaredig Association, Tom Nefyn was belligerent. Asked by the Moderator, Peter Hughes Griffiths whether he accepted the standards of the Presbyterian Church, Williams asked exactly what those standards were. Hughes Griffiths ignored him, assuming that Nefyn should have read them, and repeated the Treherbert decision, requiring William to resign from the Presbyterian Ministry if he no longer agreed with the creeds. Tom Nefyn replied that he repudiated the decision and would not willingly resign.

Owen Prys stepped in to seal the doom of his former student. He moved a resolution to suspend Nefyn from the ministry, which passed almost unanimously. Tom Nefyn was to leave Tumble by 9 September, 1929.

On his return to Tumble, Nefyn was treated like a martyr. He was offered pastorates where he would be free to hold his heterodox opinions, but decided to remain in the Presbyterian Church. His congregation supported him, the five remaining elders and 215 members resolving that "the attitude of the Association toward Tom Nefyn will decide the attitude of the undersigned towards Welsh [Calvinistic] Methodism."

What would that attitude be?