Objects
The objects of the Welsh Free Church are:
* To provide opportunities for its members and any persons who profess a belief in Jesus Christ to engage in Christian worship primarily in English, but with some hymns and Bible readings in both Welsh and English.

The Challenge
Those attending services of worship at the Welsh Free Church has gradually diminished over the last decade or so to dangerously low levels and unless new members are forthcoming its future is highly questionable.
We therefore urgently need your help to keep the flame of Christian Worship at the Welsh Free Church alive for generations to come.
So those of you with Welsh lineage or association please consider helping us.

Current Program of Events
Sunday services: Every fourth Sunday of every month at Trinity Church commencing at 3.00 pm. The homily is always in English with hymns and readings in Welsh and English. Services are always followed by social gathering in the Vestry from 4.00 - 5.00 pm.
Annual - Gymanfa Ganu (Hymn Singing Festival): Fourth Sunday in August at 2.30 pm. This event remains very popular, attracting over 200 or so to join in the singing of a mixture of Welsh and English hymns.
Carol Service: Arranged as appropriate on fourth Sunday in November or December.

The Welsh Free Church of Western Australia and the Perth Male Voice Choir invite you to a Gymanfa Ganu / Hymn and Choral Singing Festival at 2.00pm on Sunday 27th August 2023, at Trinity Church, 72 St George's Terrace, Perth, WA 6000. A free-will offering will be taken in support of the Uniting Church's Homeless Projects.

Free entry, including refreshments afterwards.

President Welsh Free Church: Milly Farrier-Brookes. Musical Director: Simone Bishop. Organist: Diane Gill. Hymn Presenter: Eluned Bevan. Choir Accompanist: Andrew Angel.

For more information phone Elanora Fox on 9386 2086 or Milly Farrier-Brookes on9381 5931 or email here.

The annual Choral Evensong of St' David, Patron Saint of Wales, will be held at 3.00pm on Sunday 5th March 2023, at St. George's Cathedral, 38 St. George's Terrace Perth WA, 6000.

This service replaces The Welsh Free Church's (WFC) February service, no service will be held in February. The WFC will hold its usual monthly service at 3.00pm on Sunday 26th March at Trinity Church, 72 St George's Terrace, Perth, WA.

The Welsh Free Church services are normally held on the fourth Sunday of each month, (whish is not necessarily the last Sunday of the month). The Christmas Carol service will be held early in December, details will be advised at a later date.

The Welsh Free Church of Western Australia and the Perth Male Voice Choir invite you to a Gymanfa Ganu / Hymn and Choral Singing Festival at 2.00pm on Sunday 28th August 2022, at Trinity Church, 72 St George's Terrace, Perth, WA 6000. A free-will offering will be taken in support of the Uniting Church's Homeless Projects.

Free entry, including refreshments afterwards.

President Welsh Free Church: Milly Farrier-Brookes. Musical Director: Simone Bishop. Organist: Diane Gill. Choir Accompanist: Andrew Angel.

Foe more information phone 9386 2086 or 9381 5931 or here.

The 2021 Gymanfa Ganu will be at the Trinity Church, 72 St Georges Terrace, Perth on Sunday August 22^nd. This is an annual event held by the Welsh Free Church.

The Perth Male Voice Choir will be performing at the Gymanfa, which starts at 2.30pm.

There will be refreshments following the service. Entry is free but a collection will be taken and proceeds donated to help the homeless of Perth.

For more information contact Odwyn Jones on 9450 2632 or by email here.

2021 SERVICES

February 28 - 5.00pm Evensong to celebrate St. David, Patron Saint of Wales, St. George's Cathedral, 38 St Georges Terrace, Perth.

March 28 - 3.00pm Welsh Free Church service, Rev. Wilf. Pearce officiating.

April 25 - 3.00pm Welsh Free Church service, Rev. Marie Wilson officiating.

May 23 - 3.00pm Welsh Free Church service, Rev. Marie Wilson officiating.

June 27 - 3.00pm Combined service Welsh Free Church and Scarborough Uniting Church, led by Delys Griffith.

July 25 - 3.00pm Welsh Free Church service, Rev. Wilf. Pearce officiating.

August 22 - 2.30pm 'Gymanfa Ganu' Welsh Free Church and Perth Male Voice Choir, led by Rev. Wilf Pearce.

September 26 - 3.00 Welsh Free Church service.

October 24 - 3.00pm Welsh Free Church service.

November 28 - 3.00pm Welsh Free Church service.

December 19 - 3.00pm Carol Service, Welsh Free Church.

Our next service of worship at the Welsh Free Church, will be held at Trinity Church on October 4^th at 3.00 pm., when the Rev. Wilf Pearce will officiate. Naturally, we’ll have to adhere to all current Covid 19 restrictions which include, social distancing and no unnecessary socialising which means no post-service chats over a cup of tea or coffee.

 We will have two services in October, with the next one being held on Sunday 25th October commencing with a short AGM at 2.30 pm, prior to the worship service at 3.00 pm led by Delys Griffith, of Scarborough Uniting Church.

The Welsh Free Church is very hopeful of having our next and long awaited church service at either Wesley Church on 27th September, or Trinity Church on the 4th October. If our service takes place at Wesley later this month, we'll commence the service at 3.00pm. Once either of these arrangements is confirmed details will be advised.

It is with great sadness, that I report the passing of one of our oldest members, Mrs. Sylvia Williams. Sylvia and her husband John and family arrived in WA in July 1966, and almost immediately immersed themselves in community and Welsh diaspora activities. It wasn't long before John became a member of WA's Legislative Assembly representing the Metropolitan Province, and being elected President of the Welsh Free Church. Indeed it was always a great pleasure to see John leading the Church's annual singing festival (Gymanfa Ganu) from the pulpit with such gusto and panache.

Sylvia was also a great contributor, becoming President of the Welsh Society, whilst being a regular attendee at our monthly church services, until failing health restricted her mobility. Nevertheless, Sylvia and her daughter, the Hon. Liz Behjat, were the designated readers of the Bible readings, in Welsh and English respectively, at this year's St. David's Evensong service at St. George's Cathedral.

Following my brief tribute to Sylvia as a valued friend and colleague:

 

The Sylvia I Knew

 

She loved life, but life

Wasn't always kind to her,

 

A proud Australian,

Who never forgot her roots,

Deep in Welsh speaking vales

Of North Wales.

 

She gave of herself freely

To The Welsh Free Church,

And Welsh Society; and her sweet voice

Will be missed at the Gymanfa Ganu.

 

Her legacies are many;

Warm memories of fun

And laughter, even when in pain.

 

The Sylvia I knew

Will be sorely missed.

She lived her faith,

And gave us so much of her love.

 

Gorwedd mewn Hedd a Phob Bendith Cariad.

 

Odwyn

 

 

Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic all Uniting Church premises in the City will not be open to the public until, at the earliest, the end of May. Consequently, the next Welsh Free Church service of worship cannot take place before the 28th June, and maybe much later.

Indeed, the whole of humanity is in trouble, with an unseen and toxic virus threatening our lives, if not our very existence. This coronavirus is testing all of us. and if we are not careful it will divide us, rather than bring us together.

We're facing an enemy we don't fully understand, and we've no idea when or how we'll get out of our current dire and worsening situation.As someone said recently, social distancing and locked doors can lead to closed hearts, but we as Christians must never allow this to happen, even though we're not at present able to worship together as a congregation.

All the more reason to remember that the Gospel tells us to reach out to the vulnerable and sick. Hence, we need to stay connected as a congregation, whilst at the same time checking on our neighbours, especially those living on their own and/or disabled. These worrying facts lead me to say:

The world darkens by the day,

All I can do is hope and pray -

The light of love will never die

As life becomes a lonely lie.

Let us therefore, as members of the Welsh Free Church, ensure that as long as we have life, the "light of love" will never die, because the God we worship is the source of all goodness and light.. Indeed the Gospel tells us, "we are the light of the world" and that, "we must let our light shine", so  that others can see the light of hope in and through our actions.