DIOCESAN SYNOD.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18208, 20 October 1924, Page 10

DIOCESAN SYNOD.

OPENING FOR BUSINESS TO-MORROW. The Synod of the Diocese of (Jhristciiurch "will open for the despatch of business to-morrow. The customary Synod service will be held this evening ;;t the Cathedral. Synod will nieet in the Provincial Council Chambers.

In addition to notices of motion already referred to, the ''Church News" states that Mr E. G. Hogg has been commissioned to move a motion drawing attention to the fact that this diocese has already made alterations in its pension scheme to bring it in line with those of the other dioceses, and recommending to General Synod that a permanent commission be appointed to study the various diocesan schemes and to consult as to' possible ways of bringing them gradually into line with each other, with a view to ultimate amalgamation. This is n, step of considerable importance. It is possible for a clergyman to ''hang up" his pension in this diocese' after three years, which expressive phrase means that he will at the age of (>•"> be entitled to a pension billed on the number of years he served in the diocese as a subscriber. On his going to another diocese he begins the process over again, in accordance with the conditions of that particular fund, and in some funds he can "hang up" a bit of a pension there, too. The end of the matter is that if a clergyman who is a victim of the wanderlust spends much time going from diocese to diocese, by the time he has reached the retiring age he may have bits of pensions to pick up in several dioceses. The movement for has for its objective the ultimate devising of a scheme by which a clergyman's pension provision will operate on a provincial (i.e., Dominion) basis instead of a diocesan. Similarly none of the schemes makes provision for the "soldiers" of the Church on active service in the mission field. There is a likelihood that this Diocese may achieve the honourable distinction of being the first to make provision for these pioneers of Christianity. Mr Hogg has in hand another motion bearing on the matter which will be discussed in Synod. The Cathedral Chapter last week decided to make application to Synod for authority to proceed with the alteration to the Cathedral organ on the lines proposed by the original builders of the instrument, modified to some extend by Dr. Bradshaw's recommendation. The estimated cost is £9OOO.