Rees Howells was born in a small mining town in Wales in 1879. He was the sixth child out of eleven other children, and left school at twelve to work in a tin mill and coal mine. When he was twenty-two, Rees Howells had a gripping born-again experience and encountered God, and slowly began his journey on a complete surrender in every area of his life.
God sought a deeper consecration from Rees Howells and directed him to put Isaiah 58 into practice with the homeless and jobless, where he had to love the tramps the way he loved his family members. In doing so, he had to give them new suits of clothes, help them find work, and pay for their boarding until they were employed, even though he was financially stretched with having to look after so many tramps! This was when he had to die to his love of self, and realised how only the true love of Christ would provide and could compel him to continue loving the prodigals.
Rees Howells’ ministry flourished as more people began to come to Christ, seeing how many others had been transformed by his prayers and love for God and his fellow villagers. Yet at this time, God began to lead him into the secret life of intercession – to identify with those for whom he was praying for, and to do this in private. Rees Howells had to retire from his public ministry and the work that he had established which once again, was not an easy thing to do.
Soon after Rees Howells married Elizabeth Hannah Jones in 1910, he was called into the ministry to serve with his wife as missionaries in South Africa. This proved to be the biggest test to them as they had to leave their new-born son in Wales to the care of foster parents, and God promised them a hundredfold reward in Africa. As they honoured the Lord, they began to witness more revivals and blessings all throughout the next six years of ministry, which he termed the “happiest years of our lives”. When Rees Howells returned back to England in 1920, more doors opened for him as he continued to share his testimony about the revival.
The birth of the Bible College of Wales
In 1922, Rees Howells spoke at a meeting at the Llandrindod Convention and gave a call for the full surrender of a life to Christ. Many young people came forward to respond to God and a minister suggested to Rees Howells to pray for more training facilities in Wales.
Never did Rees Howells expect what the Lord would do next: He told him that He would build a college through him and would provide the finances needed to do so, only if he was willing.
It was not an easy decision for Rees Howells to make as he had to resign and put aside a previous job offer to travel around English-speaking countries to share his testimony, which was what he wanted. Yet the Lord gave him the grace to lay aside his own desires and to accept the new, large financial and spiritual burden.
Money started coming in from various people, and before even knowing where the college was to be built, Rees Howells went to America and visited the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. He was impressed with the academy, and there the Lord once again challenged him to believe in God for the establishment of the bible college in Wales.
After two years and multiple instances where God challenged Rees Howells’ faith, the Bible College of Wales finally opened its doors on Whit Monday in 1924, in Glynderwen.
Since then, thousands of students as well as Reinhard Bonnke have been trained at the Bible College of Wales, and they are now serving the Lord in around 52 different countries.
"You can't hear things in the Spirit while you have any turmoil or fear in you. You can't take a shade of fear into the presence of God."
—REES HOWELLS
Derwen Fawr (Welsh for “Great Oak”) was the second estate that Rees Howells, founder of the Bible College of Wales, purchased in 1929 after he had first established the College in Glynderwen estate in 1924.
The Lord had placed a burden in Rees to buy a second property to provide for an expansion of the College. The property revealed to him was that of Derwen Fawr. This site consisted of a large house and three cottages, sitting on 17 acres of grounds which included the beautiful Italian gardens. To purchase it, Rees had to contend with strong bidders, one of which was the Church of Rome. To compound matters, Britain was in the throes of the great financial depression, which made it the worst possible time to take on another liability. Rees was however convicted by the Lord that he was to take a leap of faith, trusting Him for the finances. The decision to buy was made on Christmas Eve, with Rees paying £8,000.
While Rees was still paying for the estate, God told him to erect new buildings on the grounds. These included a College Chapel, Conference Hall and Men’s and Women’s dormitories. At the time when workmen were engaged, they had not one penny. Day by day, they “prayed up, touching the Throne with every prayer”. God proved faithful, with all the expenses provided for, often at the last possible moment.
