Jones, John Roger
1879-1974; e.m. 1906

Outstanding Welsh WM minister from Conwy, born on 21 August 1879. He was the first to graduate at University College Bangor with Class I honours in Philosophy; then trained at Didsbury College. Most of his long ministry was spent in the First North Wales District, but his reputation as a preacher of phenomenal physical, intellectual and oratorical power spread throughout Wales and also into England and Ireland. A voracious student with an incisive analytical intellect and encyclopaedic memory, able to communicate lucidly, convincingly and inspiringly, he could have filled a university chair in philosophy or theology, but chose to remain a circuit preacher, combined with lecturing to extra-mural and WEA classes and broadcasting. His preferred medium of communnication was the spoken rather than the written word, though he did publish occasional articles, a volume of sermons (1963) and a commentary on Matthew (1937-1938). He was President of the Welsh Assembly in 1948, remained in the active ministry until his 80th year and preached regularly to within a week of his death at 94 on 20 April 1974.

Sources
  • Glyn Tegai Hughes, in Lionel Madden (ed.), Methodism in Wales (2003), pp.97-9
  • Yr Eurgrawn Wesleyaidd 166, passim