Shortage Of Clergy Is Church’s Problem

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 28003, 25 June 1956, Page 6

Shortage Of Clergy Is Church’s Problem

The Christchurch diocese of the Anglican Church would begin its second century-when it celebrated the centenary of the consecration of Bishop Harper, the first Bishop of Christchurch, on Christmas Day this year, said the Bishop of Christchurch (the Rt. Rev. A. K. Warren), when he preached at St. John’s Church. Latimer square, yesterday. It was the occasion of the 92nd anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the church.

Preaching from the text “Let us rise and build,” Bishop Warren outlined the main tasks that would lie ahead of the church in the diocese at the start of the second century. If the men were available and there* were funds to support them, he could immediately place 11 men as curates, said Bishop Warren. On a map in the diocesan office new areas where church facilities were needed were markd with red squares. The map looked like an outbreak of measles, he said. To meet current church extension requirements in a modest way, £75,000 was needed. In the first place, a section with a hall was required in new areas so that youth could meet. Almost every week, a new church centre was opened. More staff would be needed at College House to train the men who would be required by the Church and bursaries would be needed to support men in training. If all the men needed were obtained some would have to change their occupation in mid-life to enter the service of the Church. What, he asked, was the Church doing about the great new hospital taking shape at the foqt of the hills at Cashmere and the sanatoria that spread over the hills? They were in the care of one man, the Vicar of

Cashmere. Canon Richards was doing a great work at the Public Hospital, but more men would be needed for hospital chaplaincy. Bishop Warren said it was vitally necessary that there were enough adequately trained workers to teach in the Sunday schools. There would also be increasing calls for social service work, on which the diocese was now spending £16.000 a year. Until recently, Bishop Warren said, he had a feeling of inability to meet these growing demands, but into this atmosphere had come the Wells organisation. The standing committee of the diocese recently agreed to seek the help of the organisation and several parishes were doing likewise. The particular value of organisation did not lie in the money that it raised but in the numbers of people it brought back into communication with the Church. It did not do the work instead of the Church, but as a result of its advice and suggestions people were able to do things 'hat they had not previously thought possible. , ~ , When people realised the needs Bishop Warren said he believed that the people and funds required by the Church would be forthcoming.