IT WAS once a rugby club, a pub and a church, but a Valleys building is nearly all set to welcome in worshippers once more.

For the Zion Church in Talywain, the New Year brings a new beginning, as the doors are set to reopen for the first time in around four years, after it was bought by a Christian couple.

Neville Stephens, 60, and wife Hazel, 57, successfully bid £60,000 to breathe life back into the building.

They saw off competition from several others, in the process saving it from conversion to a residential development, as it has planning permission, Mr Stephens said.

The couple have attended the Mountjoy Christian Fellow-ship in Newport for a number of years, but are more accustomed to running post offices.

They refurbished Fairwater Post Office, Cwmbran, with a £20,000 grant from the Welsh Government two years ago and have been behind the counter ever since.

In their spare time, Mr and Mrs Stephens run local branches of the Prophetic Witness Movement International, an offshoot of Christianity where believers concentrate on the messages of Bible prophecy.

Mr Stephens said such a faith is growing in Wales, as four years ago there was just a branch in Swansea, but now Newport, Pontypool, Caldicot and Ebbw Vale have one too.

When the Zion Church reopens on February 17, it will welcome speaker Brian Gemmell, one of three pencilled in on the calendar.

“We are trying to bring the church back to the community,” explained Mr Stephens.

“There are too many churches closing up and down Wales.

Zion Church will be used for Christian activity to start with but then if there is a need we may open it for groups such as mums and toddlers.”

Mr Stephens said the church building is believed to be around 200 years old, and has an interesting history, formerly Talywain Rugby Club, a pub called The Greyhound and most recently a Pentecostal church.