FIRST MAORI SYNOD

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 243, 27 July 1935, Page 3

FIRST MAORI SYNOD

CONFERENCE AT ROTORUA.

/ (Per Press Association). ROTORUA, July 26

The first Maori bishopric conference, or Synod, in the history of the Anglican Maori Church has just concluded at Oh in em util. The conference was attended by 36 Maori clergy and 28 laity, representing practically every Maori parish in the North Island. The conference, over which Bishop Bennett presided, was conducted entirely in the Maori language, and arrived at several important resolutions. Chief of these was a resolution expressing the opinion that the timo had now arrived to give effect to the bill passed by General Synod in 1934 to set up an Aotearoa Church Board to act with the Bishop as an administrative body in charge of the work of the Maori section of the church. Another resolution expressed the opinion that steps should be tafeeu to establish an institution for the training of Maori clergy, and suggested that Rotorua would be tho most suitable place for such an institution. It was stated that the first Christian mission in the Rotorua district was established at Koutu, near Rotorua, in 1835, and it was suggested that tho old site could he purchased to mark the centenary of the commencement of mission work in the district.

A further resolution asked that a similar conference should be held in 1937, North Auckland delegates requesting that it should be held in their district.