BISHOP WEST-WATSON.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20076, 4 November 1930, Page 11

BISHOP WEST-WATSON.

RETURN FROM iJUM—r CONFERENCE. 3 [*HB FBESS Special Sanfet.] AUCKLAND, November 3. Bishop West-Watson, of Chrisfcehureh, . returned by the' Niagara from Etigland, where he attended the Lambeth Cos- , ' ference. He &1M inspected a niuab«r> of training colleges for clergy in England, Canada, and the United States./. Speaking of the deliberations of the 'Lambeth Conference, Bishop West-Wat-aon said he had beea impressed with 7 the increasing weight which the overseas delegate* were exercising at *nc-~ eessive conferences. Another noticeable feature of- the representation at / .the'-,' conference was the large proportion of' delegates from the Protestant Episcopal - Church of America. They numbered about fifty, or one-sixth of the total. ■' representation. 1 "*i T "Not everybody realises the enonnovs . - importance and influence of the confer* ene'e," he said. "The Anglican' Ch.urtilt - is now' so wide filing, penetrating so many lands, possessing its own life^and. f* oatlaolc, that it is no longer possible tfc'>. view it as an influence limitedsolely to English people. In recent years,. too, the Church haabeen widened very dopr siderably by the transformation -of many of the, overseas mission* - into churches. The conference #u ofimmense value in bringing about a greater measure of nnity of thought and aefioa. among the-Bishops. It enabled thsmto get to know each other and appreciate each other's point of view. It has undoubtedly hgfped to create that greater bond of unity in the Church which is becoming increasingly important as the Church grows up in the younger countries of the world. One of the most significant -things about the conference in this connexion waa the . reunion scheme for certain of the Churches in Southern India." Bishop West-Watson took the opportunity while in England of visiting old friends in Barrow-on-Furness in Oarlisle diocese, where he was Bishop for sixteen years prior to coming to Sew Zealand four years ago. He left by' train, this evening en route t-o Chri»tchurch. Archbishop AveriU, together with Bishop Kioharde and Bishop Cherrington, who also attended the. oonfeireaw, are expected to return later this mosth.