ANGLICAN DIOCESAN SYNOD.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 254, 27 October 1898, Page 5

ANGLICAN DIOCESAN SYNOD.

. . ; —» _ 'The annual Anglican Diocesan _ Choral Festival was held in St. Mary's t j Cathedral on October 17. There was a I i good congregation and a large attendII anee of the clergy. The procession was ordered by Canon Walsh as fol--1 lows: Deacons, Revs. 11. Mahi, Hapij rnana, Lutter, McNickle, Wingfielc., , I Priests Kayll, Kirkbride, Harrison, : Taukau, Hoete, Larkins, Boyes, Wilson, FitzGerald, Lush, Hawthorne, - Hewlett, Davis, Smallfield, Dr. O'Call | laghan, Dr. Purchas. Canons, Walsh, i Haselden, Gould, Archdeacons Willis, • Clarke. Vicar McMurray. Chaplains, :E. M. Cowie and L. Marchall. The . Rev. E. M. Cowie preceded the Primate ; carrying the pastoral staff. The pro- . cessional hymn, 'To the Name of Our . salvation? was sung. Choral even- : song was conducted by the vicar, Turner's Canticles being used. The i Rev. E. M. Cowie preached the t sermon, giving a. history of the work .of the S.P.C.K. The offertory, amount. ; ing to £9 was taken for the society. . The Primate pronounced the Benediction, after which the recessional : hymn 306 was sung. Next morning the opening service in . connection with the annual meeting .of the Anglican Diocesan Synod was held in St. Matthew's Church, Hobsonstreet. There was a large congrega- : i tion, many clergymen from various j parts of the diocese being present. The Primate was celebrant, ancl the Rev. Canon Nelson preached an earnest and scholarly sermon on 'The Holy Communion as an Act of Worship? which was listened to with deep attention. The musical portion of the i service was especially well attended to. | The choir included members of St. Mary's, All Saints' and St. Thomas', as I well as St. Matthew's choir, and Mr ! Jones was in charge of the organ and j the choir.'* There w*as a procession of j surpliced choristers, and processional I and recessional hymns, the whole serj vice being sung to Gregorian chants. ' The annual proceedings of the j Synod were opened on Tuesday afternoon in the library at Bishopscourt, Parnell. His Lordship Bishop Cowie, Primate of New Zealand, delivered his opening address, which dealt exhaustively with the work ofthepast year. Clergy—Yen. Archdeacon Clarke, Archdeacon Willis, Canons Gould, Haselden, Nelson, and Walsh, Revs. Beatty, Boyes, Budd, Cowie, Cubitt, Davies, Dobsou, English, Evans, Evershed, Fitzgerald, Gillam, Hapimana, Harrison, Hawkes, Hawthorne, Hew.lett,. Johnston, Kirkbride, Larkins, Latter, McFarland, McNickle, MacMurray, Marshall, Merton, O'Callagha,n, Purchas? Ruarangi, Tautau, Wilson. Wingfield, Young, XV. H. Wilsou. Laity—Messrs Abbott, Armstrong, Batger, Brown, Calder, Clarke, Clements, Cochrane, Crisp, Grosvenor, Barker, Jackson, Kensington, ,Langley Latham, Litten, /Luke, O'Halloran, Reid, Roach, Snelling, A. S. Thompson, A. J. Thorp, Tibbs, Tunks, Upton, Yon Stunner, Walker, Walter, Watts, Whitley, C. J. Wilson, A. J. Litten. The President delivered his opening address, for which he was accorded the thanks of the Synod, ancl the address was ordered to be printed. THE MAORI MISSION. Archdeacon Clarke submitted the report of the seventh general meeting of the Native Church Board, held at Parawai, at the Thames, in March last. He also read the annual report on the Maori Churcfr Mission in the Diocese of Auckland. The report referred with regret to the deaths of the Revs. Hohua Moanaroa and Heta Tarawhiti, of Waikato, two veteran ministers of the Church of Englanlamongst the Maoris. The Rev. Mr 1 ora whiti was a chief of high rank said Archdeacon Clarke, and had considerable influence, though it failed to prevent j his people from joining- the other Wai- j kato tribes in the late war, when they ] at the same time renounced their pro-1 fession of Christianity. The question of filling the places thus vacant was one for anxious thought as they had j not the men at present nor the means \ of supporting them. 'And yet? pro- j ceedeel the Archdeacon, 'if the work is i to be carried on it is absolutely neces- j sary that their places be supplied. The I two native clergymen now at work in the "King Country" cannot be expect- J ed to take charge of the whole of the j Waikato district. With two addition- j al active men there would be ample ; occupation for all. Appeals have been i received from the European member's of the Church at Taranaki for a Maori. clergyman to work amongst the fol-; lowers of Te Whiti and To.hu, but there is the same difficulty—the men j and means are not forthcoming. Visits at intervals of three or four months to the descendants of lapsed Christians, where there is no organisation for following up the teaching, caunot be satisfactory. Then, so far, there are very few of the olaer men who have even an elementary know- ; ledge of our religion, and fewer still who are willing to act as lay-readers ; and teachers. To tise new converts to teach still newer ones must certainly prove a failure. There is not anything ! - of special interest to report of the work north of Auckland. Most of the i ■ clergy are fairly energetic- and in j ' many cases the numbers attending the services have increased. Especially is ; this the case at Waimate, Paihia, and ; Kaipara, where the three deacons were respectively placed in the beginning of '. 1897. They are all doing useful . work and making themselves felt as a pow-er for good. At Waimate the < congreg-ation is nearly 'rwiee what it . used to be, the hopeful feature being the large proportion of young people > wdio attend the services. There are three candidates from this diocese at the Training College, Gisborne, but none of them will be eligible for ordi- : nation for two years at- least. As the majority of the Maori clergy i are not sufficiently acquainted with * the English language to benefit by < our g-eneral and theological literature, : it was decided by the New Zealand Mis- .: sion Trust Board which sat at Wei- ? ling last January, 'that the native ,i ciexgymefl should be- received ixpm '■;

y j time to time in the Theological Co] c | lege at Gisborne for some months fo 0 j further instruction and study.' Ac - .1 cordingly the Bey. H. T. Papahia spen j. ! most of the winter in that institution >, I with much advantage to himself, and .. as a consequence, to his people. Th - General Native Church Board of th< s Diocese met at Parawai, Thames, 01 i March 23 and 24. Whilst the native; 3 all acknowdedged the desirability o: t having a Maori girls school at Auck . land on similar lines to that at Huka c rere, Napier,t hey have practically don< r very little in the matter of contributions _tions in money and none at all ii 1 land. A new church was opened a" - Whakapara, Whangarei, in August. . . regret to have to inform the Synod - that the repeated appeals for greatei j liberality on the part of the native! towards the support of their clergj has not been responded to. This is { matter of great concern, for unless tin Native Pastorate Fund is considerably augmented, the result must be-a fur ther reduction in the already too smal stipends of the pastors, as well as i bar to the increase of our clergy.' 1 The statistics of the Maori Churcl J in the Diocese showed that there were 1 16 clergy, 129 lay readers, 6,110 churcl • members, and 1.?#.6 communicants 1 During the year there had been 31. " infant baptisms, 30 marriages, and 2S! " burials. STANDING COMMITTEE. The Synod went into Committee tc , consider the report of the Standing ■ Committee, which contained the fol- , lowing paragraphs:—Selwyn Memor- , iai Fund: The capital of this fun. ,' now stands at £IS6O, £60 of interest •■ received during the past year having s been transferred to capital. The Com- • mittee has agreed to continue the pre- • sent contribution to the stipend of the • Hospital Chaplain to the Vicar of St. • Sepulchre's until the 31st December : next; and to make grants of £10 tc : the vicars in charge of the Costley Home and the Lunatic Asylum for the year ending June 30, 1890. Home Mission Endowment Fund: This fund now amounts to £337 1/4. Country Clergy Endowment Fund: The amount to the credit of this fund is £84 4/5. Home Mission: The Committee views with concern the falling off in the amount of the income received during the year towards the support of this most important work. Country Clergy Fund: The income of this fund for the year 1897-8 (including a balance of £10 0/4 in hand on Ist July, 1897, was £303 17/10, being about £50 less than last year. Church Registers: The Committee is of opinion that it is not desirable that baptismal and marriage registers should be kept in every church of a parish or parochial district, but that there should be one register of each kind for the whole parish or parochial district, to be kept wherever the vicar finds it most convenient for his work. Paparoa: It j has been decided that the boundaries of this district be the .same as when the Rev. C. A. Tobin took charge. Hokianga: The boundaries of the Hokianga Home Mission district have been fixed to include Broadwood, Motukaraka, Kohu Kohu, Rawene, Hokianga Heads, Auckland Settle, ment, Canterbury Settlement and Waimamaku, Waimate: The Waimate parochial district has been fixed to consist of Waimate, Ohaeawai, Pakaraka, Kawa Kawa, Keri Keri, Kaikohe, Taheke, Okaihau, Rangiahua and Umawera. Wairoa North: This parochial district has been defined to include the districts now visited by the. Rev. A. J. Beck, and the Kaipara North Head, the new settlement beyond tbe Kaihu Valley and Tangiteroria. Helensville: A committee was apointed to report upon the feasibility of forming this district into a parochial district with Waikumete as a centre. The Committee reported that the proposal was not at present practicable. Selwyn Memorial Window: It has been suggested that the sum collected in the Lichfield Diocese might be added to that collected in New Zealand, and the whole sum spent on one window in Selwyn College Chapel. The Committee has concurred in the proposal and has asked the Primate to obtain the approval ot the other Bishops of the province. In answer to a question Canon Nelson said the amount collected for the Selwyn Memorial Window w*as £103. ACCOUNTS. The Synod in Committee proceeded to consider the accounts submitted by the Standing Committee. The Country Clergy Fund showed the total expenditure to have been £328 9/. Grants to districts amounted to £295 15/. The receipts exceeded the outgoings b}* £C 10/10. On the motion of the Rev. W. E. Gillam it was resolved 'That this committee regrets to notice that no collections have been received from Holy Trinity Church, Devonport, for the Country Clergy Fund, and asks Unit an explanation be made to the Synod? The receipts of the Home Mission Fund were £460 10/10, of which £31 5/ was cash balance July, 1597, and the remainder collections and donations. The sum of £343 3/2 was expended in stipends ancl travelling* allowances, and after meeting other expenses there was a cash balance or* June 30, 189S, of £S5 5/2. The name of Holy Trinity, Devonport, did not appear on the accounts and a resolution similar to that adopted when the previous account was under consideration was adopted. It was resolved on the motion of the Rev. G. Mac Murray 'That' the Standing Committee be requested to urge defaulting parishes and parochial districts to obey the regulation of the Synod respecting compulsory offertories for general purposes? HOME MISSION WORK. The Rev. E. M. Cowie, Diocesan Missionary, submitted a summary of work in the Home Mission districts for the year ended Jun. 30, 1898. He reported that he or other clergy of the diocese had visited and held services in a large number of settlements throughout the Auckland province in which there was no regular minister. There were 191 services held during the year, 94 baptisms, and 637 com- j munions were made. The report j said: —'The Home Mission is much in! need of clergy to help the Diocesan; Missionary. Although several of the clergy have helped in the work during the year ended, this has in nearly every case been done by way of ex- i change, so that except on three occa-! sions there has never been more than one clergyman at a tirr-. doing Home Mission work. But, of course, if there is need of more clergy there is also need of more funds, and it ip impossible to exaggerate the duty which'is laid upon all churchmen who are able to help in this matter. The present Diocesan Missionary, as he becomes acquainted with the work, feels more and more the need there is for real effort on the part of the laity to help by their means to make the Church a power in the country dis.tric.ts, .wjb.... to ,a_oftea• tl.Q*;-OQ.^joxjty,-_

- are utterly ignorant of her clah r upon them. The country people, co_ - sidering that the greater part of the: fc I means is in land, etc., contribute fc . j the most part liberally, though ther .j is room for improvement; but thei ; contributions at best are quite ir > adequate .to meet the expenses ir i A'olved in ministering to their spiritua ' needs.' ; * TRUST BOARD. The General Trust Board reportei •as folloAVs: —'Cathedral Site.—The ex '■ penses in connection with this sit ■ having been for many years greatl; in excess of the income derived fron i the same, and this Trust being n> - longer able to bear the increasin; deficit, the Board has transferred th ' accounts of this site to the Diocesa_ : Trust, the sum to the debit on Jun t 30, 189S, being £163 3s 4d. The Boan .is noAv making arrangements to leas > | the property for building purposes • j the rental to be devoted to repay • ment of the above advance.' The Trust Board accounts were ther . considered. The following figure show the position of the variou. funds: — ■-< I £ S i Amount at credit of — ' Auckland Trust 3,048,12 Cathedral Trust 12,81719 i Diocesan Trust 921 1G Native Pastorate Fund 10,040 2 Native School Trust 1,990 17 Onehunga Trust 622 8 Total £29,44116 £ s i Invested on account of— Auckland Trust 1,733 S Cathedral Trust 12,773 2 Diocesan Trust 925 0 Native Pastorate Fund 10,025 0 Native School Trust 1,750 0 Onehunga Trust 600 0 Total £27,806 11 : Cash Balances June 30, IS9S— Auckland Trust 1,315 3 1 Cathedral Trust 44 16 1 Native Pastorate Fund 15 2 ! Native School Trust 240 17 ' Onehunga Trust. 22 8 . Less Diocesan Trust, £3 3/11 / Grand total. £29,44116 '. The total receipts of the Genera Trust Board for the past year were £5004 6s lOd, while the principa items of expenditure were: Cathedra Trust, £1254 15s 3d; Diocesan Trust £1152 3s sd; and Native School Trust £1340 3s lid. MAORI LAY SYNODS MEN. The report of the committee re election of Maori lay synods men was presented by Archdeacon Clarke anc read. The committee made the fol lowing recommendations: (1) That ir the opinion of this Synod Table I. canon 11., clause 5, should be amended so as to place the election of Maori lay Synods men in the hands of the District Native Church Boards; (2) that one Maori lay synods man he elected for each of the Native Church Board Districts; (3) that the period oi time for Avhich Maori lay synods men shall be elected shall be concurrent with the period for which European lay synods men are elected; (4) that pending the change in the canons the Bishop be respectfully requested tc exercise the poAvers vested in him by title B, canon lE., clause 6 for giving effect to the canon. THE NATIVE CHURCH AND MAORI MISSION. Archdieacon Clarke presented the report of the committee appointed to consider the annual report of the Native Church and Maori Mission. The committee begged to make the following general reepmmendations: —1. That. .as. the General Synod has directed that the 'whole* Chui__h of NeAv Zealand be asked to contribute liberally to the native pastorate funds? the Most Rev. the Primate be respectfully requested to issue a letter to the European clergy explaining .the claims and needs of (1) the native pastorate fund, and (2) the Maori mission fund, requesting them to have one offertory collection on the Sunday in the octave of St. AndreAv's Day for the above funds. The Primate's letter to be read to all European congregations. Twothirds of the collections to be given to the native pastorate fund and onethird to the Maori mission fund. 2. That as the General Synod has directed that 'Christian Maoris be stimulated to more systematic and liberal giA--ing of their substance toAvards the maintenance of their clergy? the Most Rev. the Primate be respectfully requested to issue a letter to the Maori clergy directing them to have an offertory collection at all Sunday services, so that Maori churchmen may have an opportunity in the same .way that their pakeha brethren have of making regular and systematic offerings to God; to be used for the maintenance of the Maori clergy. The Primate's letter to be read to all Maori congregations. VOTE OP CONDOLENCE. His Lordship the Primate in accordance Avith intention expressed in his address, moved: 'The Synod desires to j record its sense of the loss sustained | by this Diocese and by the Church of j NeAv Zealand in the • ea.rly departure from this life of the Right Reverend Bishop John Richardson Sehvyn, Avho had endeared himself to very many people of the colony by acts of perso- J nal kindness, and had Avon the respect of the whole Church by his life of devotion to the missionary ea'u'se in the islands of Melanesia. The Synod offers to Mrs J. R. Sehvyn and the Bishop's family, ancl to Mrs Sehvyn, senior, its deep sympathy in their bereavement? The resolution was carried unanimously, the Synod standing. ARCHDEACON DUDLEY. Canon Haselden moved, and it was carried, 'That this Synod desires to express to the Venarable Archdeacon Dudley its cordial sympathy .vith him in his break-down in health, ancl hopes that his enforced rest ancl change will be beneficial and pleasant to him, and that he will return to the diocese and his Avork in reneAved strength.'" OTHER' BUSINESS. j.'-ie session was brought to a close on October 21. The question of increasing the number of! clergy on the Home Mission staff { Avas* brought forAvard, and a resolu- | tion in favour of the or ope sal adopt- j cd. It was further decided to call j upon all members of^ the Church to make a real effort to increase their j contributions to this fund. The ques- j tion of appointing a chaplain to take : all funerals at Waikumete Avas re- j ferred to the Standing Committee. A motion was brought up advocating the establishment of parish day schools, but after some discussion it j was AvithdraAvn. On tho motion of i Archdeacon Willis the Standing Com- I mittee Avere instructed tr> see that as full diocesan statistics as possible be inserted in the Synod renort this year. A resolution was adopted expressing approval of the principles and -objects of the Church of England Temperance Society, and urging the formation of branches throughout the diocese. The re,commena,,ations pf committee, .upofl

. .. -.: I the Maori Mission and *C _ureh reI port were considered and adopted. A vote of thanks A/as accorded to the Rev. J. c. Eccles of Woodville, for giving the Synod the opportunity of purchasing Lindauer's portrait of ; Bishop SelAvyn.