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In May, Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Blackwood will celebrate its 150th anniversary.

Currently run by baptist minister Andy Baker, the church will hold special services and events to mark the significant milestone. 

The church plans to run two special services. The first is on Sunday May 10, at 10.30am, where they will hold an anniversary service with guest speaker Ed Kareen, the principal of Cardiff Baptist College. 

The second service is on Saturday May 16, at 7pm. This will be an anniversary concert featuring the Cambrensis Choir, which performs across South Wales – most recently at Llandaff Cathedral.  

After 35 years away from his hometown, Andy and his wife Julie returned to Blackwood in 2022, having lived in London and the south of England due to work commitments. 

Since moving back, Andy has become the baptist minister in the same church where the couple got married back in September 1986 – a full‑circle moment.

“It’s been amazing to be honest,” he said. “We have been so welcomed back, and I have enjoyed it so much.” 

Andy also expressed his gratitude to the diverse group of churchgoers who now attend, and is thrilled with how the congregation has grown. 

“It has been quite exciting for me just to see how and where the people come from. 

“We have had youngsters around 15 or 16 years old come in since they have been baptised, along with old members returning. It really has been excellent,” he added. 

Alongside the anniversary celebrations, Andy has helped organise the weekly running of the church. He welcomes people of all ages to Sunday services and provides more than 50 warm meals every Tuesday for members of the community. 

There is also a mother‑and‑toddler group on Thursdays, attended by more than 40 families. In addition, he also runs activities such as craft afternoons and men’s breakfasts.