Gellionnen Chapel: The LGBTQ+ church outside Pontardawe setting an example on inclusivity

Gellionnen Chapel, near Pontardawe, is a unitarian church that takes pride in being an inclusive place of worship.

Reverend Rory Castle Jones, minister at the chapel, has worked hard to ensure that people from the LGBTQ+ community feel welcome in chapels like his, after his own negative experiences in churches.

Rory told ITV News: "I grew up attending various churches of different denominations. As a teenager, like many LGBTQ teens, I didn't feel welcome in those places.

"It was only a few years ago when I came to Gellionnen that I found an inclusive church. I had given up to be honest, and I think that's true for many LGBTQ+ people.

"It's important to me to say that there are places where you can be welcome as an LGBT person in a church or a chapel."

Rory joined Gellionnen as a member of the congregation in 2015, later deciding to change careers during the pandemic and trained to be a minister at the same chapel that married him and his husband.

Rory and Rhys were the first same-sex couple in south Wales to be married in a church in August 2016.

"It was important to us that we married in a religious place. We were quite surprised at how few churches and chapels were offering same-sex marriage. There were about 12 across Wales at the time. Gellionnen was one of them."

The church hosts monthly online LGBTQ+ gatherings to offer a confidential and safe space for people from all faiths and backgrounds.

Rory also leads an annual LGBTQ+ Pride Service.

Sean Walker, a regular attendee said: "When you come to this church, you see a pride flag as you walk in, we do pride special services.

"In the past I've been to a church that did try to change me and didn't accept who I was. After that I wanted to walk away from religion.

"When I found this place it restored my faith.

Sandra Beynon, Gellionnen's registrar added "It's a very modern chapel and welcomes everybody. Love thy neighbour is our motto."