THEOLOGICAL TRAINING

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25932, 12 October 1949, Page 6

THEOLOGICAL TRAINING

REPORT TO ANGLICAN SYNOD

“NEED FOR MORE AND BETTER PRIESTS” “By comparison with the Otago Medical School, our theological training is casual, haphazard and unskilled,” said the report of the Synod Committee on Supply and Training of Ordinands, presented to the annual Synod of the Christchurch Diocese yesterday. “In secular education the number of teachers has enormously increased: buildings, libraries and equipment have been greatly improved. There has been no corresponding development in our theological colleges. New Zealand educationalists give theology a deplorably low standing,” added tne report. “The Church of England is not attracting enough first-class men to her ministry, she gives her students inadequate education, her clergy begin their parish work in debt, too much is expected of them, they are overworked and grossly underpaid.” said the report. The committee was set up at the last annual Synod to consider the “insufficient supply of students for the ministry, especially from church schools, and the inadequacy of funds to train the number required.” it recommended that theological exhibitions at College House should be increased to £l3-0 a year, that an additional full-time teacher should be appointed immediately, that a tutor chaplain be appointed as soon as possible, and that an assessment be made on church finance for training clergy. Other recommendations suggested measures to keep the church people in touch with the need for more recruits to the ministry, including an approach to Anglican boys at secondary schools and the supply of up-to-date information to district vocational guidance officers. “Where Are the Men?” “In the new housing areas the need for church extension is urgent. We are erecting buildings, but where are the men?” said the report. “Whereas in 1901 we had a larger number of adherents a minister than any other religious body since then some denominations have improved their position, but we have gone steadily from bad to worse.” The report gave the following table, showing the number of ministers in New Zealand:—Church of England—ln 1901 316. in 1948 490. Presbyterian—l9ol, 206: 1948 430. Roman Catholic—ls 3 and 489; Methodist —l9O and 320.

Hand in hand with this decline in numbers of clergy, there had been a steady increase in the number ami variety of calls on their time, said the report. “The loss of 40.000 adherents to the church in New Zealand must be put down partly to inadequate pastoral care. “It is a striking fact that whereas the number of students receiving secondary and higher education in New Zealand has increased in 40 years from 9000 to 78.000. the number uf students in our theological colleges has remained almost stationary.” the report continued. Dealing with finance, the committee said that it was quite wrong for lhe church to take a mean advantage of a man’s willingness to be poorer in worldly goods than the average man. “In general. stipends are lower than they need be. Nearly every man who enters the ministry from another occupation suffers a severe reduction in income.” "Training Seems Scanty” “We feel bound to state that the church of to-day needs not only more priests but better priests. Our shortage of candidates is partly due to the fact that training is not as good as it should be. Among University students to-dav there is a high respect for the medical and engineering professions because it is well known that the courses are long and intensive. Our profession is not so highly regarded because our training seems scanty and our teaching methods out of date.” the report added. The Rev. D. M. Taylor said that no member of the committee had countenanced the thought that the standards would be lowered to bring more in to the ministry. “Although wo want more, we must not lower the standards; on the contrary, we must raise them," he said.

The idea had grown up that the ministry was a kind of Cinderella, said the Rev. M. Sullivan, of Wellington. who will take up his duties as principal of College House next year. A dazzling array of occupations confronted the youth, he said. “It is to counteract that that we must supply them with information.” he added. The discussion was adjourned until to-day.