And so the great Colin Meads is dead. A sad day for those of us who remember this rugby legend. A giant of a man, a true superhero and not just for Kiwis!

I guess we all have our heroes. We certainly have them in the church. William Jones is one of mine. To him belongs the honour of founding the Baptist cause in Pembrokeshire way back in the latter half of the seventeenth century ( 1667 to be precise).

It was no easy time for men like William Jones. In fact he had to travel over 100 miles to be baptised as a believer and was to suffer years of imprisonment because of his determination to share the Christian message as he understood it.

We were reminded of his legacy last weekend when we we celebrated the 350th anniversary of Molleston Baptist Church. Jones was one of some 100 clergymen ejected from his church Cilmaenllwyd and imprisoned for four years in Carmarthen jail.

But following his release, he was determined to preach wherever and whenever he could and bravely did so ‘to groups of believers meeting here and there and maintaining such religious fellowships as was possible under the repressive laws of that day.’

One such group met at the home of Griffith Howell, of Rushacre, Narberth, who was one of five intrepid souls who were baptised as believers in what they considered an act of personal conscience.

These were difficult days for Baptists like William Jones. One history of the church informs us that the three jails in Haverfordwest, Carmarthen were almost full of Baptists. And their crime? Holding ‘conventicles’ (secret meetings) in their houses or barns. For the first offence, the punishment was a £5 fine or three months’ imprisonment. A second offence meant six months or in prison or a £10 fine while a third could result in transportation for life.

These were indeed stormy days for what one solicitor angrily described as a ‘sect,’ but William Jones and his fellow Baptists were willing to pay the price of their convictions. And we are all the better for that, for at heart they were convinced that no earthly institution can override the dictates of conscience.

It was a battle well won, but we do well to remember it is a victory constantly under threat. I pray we will never betray their legacy. We need to be willing to stand up for the things we believe in however great the pressure to conform.

Rob James is a Baptist Pastor broadcaster and writer who currently operates as a church and media consultant for the Evangelical Alliance Wales. He is available for preaching and teaching throughout Wales and can be contacted at [email protected]