Synod Passes Church Union Statement

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31677, 13 May 1968, Page 12

Synod Passes Church Union Statement

A motion accepting an amended statement of faith as approved by the Joint Commission on Church Union on February 14 was passed by a special synod of the diocese of Christchurch on Saturday after considerable discussion about adding nine words to the preamble.

The motion was “that the synod receives the amended statement of faith which we. believe is now -cceptable as a description of the common faith of the negotiating churches' and suitable for inclusion in the Basis of Union.” An amendment was moved that the paragraph claiming that the united church had the right to formulate, adopt, modify and interpret supplementary doctrinal statements, always in agreement with the word of God received in the Bible, should have added the wqrds “which is the supreme rule of faith and practice.” The amendment was carried. Moving the motion, the Rev. J. M. Mullane said that what had been approved by the Genera] Synod in Wellington last week was very different from that approved in 1966. There were vast changes but the statement was a good one and that it deserved a strong vote in support. The Rev. M. J. Goodall, seconding the motion, said he believed the statement to be Biblical and clear. Parish Activity Only by getting the ordinary parishioners to work with the people of other churches would anything come of efforts to bring at out church union, said Mr A. B. Harman, speaking on a motion that the synod urge parishioners to seek ways of worshipping and working together with the people of other negotiating Churches. The motion was passed. ’ "If church union is to be real it has to be 'local. We can’t give our parishes church union—4t> has to come from the grass roots,:' sai(l Mr W. T. Rice, a member of the church union committee. A divided church could not fulfil' its purpose of proclaiming the Gospel and union was good as long at it was preparation for fulfilling the true work of the church.

and young peoples' groups. -■> In theory there was agreement on the need for union, but the major difficulty was in persuading a number of people that they wanted union, said Mr Harman. There was harmony at the top. a little less at diocesan level, but the rank-and-file parishioner was not even aware that anything was going on. let alone wanting it. Committee Formed A committee of 13 synod members was nominated to study part of a resolution passed by the synod of the Nelson diocese but not commented on by the General Synod. The committee will study the resolution before further consideration by the General Synod in 1970. The resolution said that the statement of faith must be regarded as an integral part of the basis of union and a permanent fundamental statement of the united church, which all ministers would be required to sign, and for the teaching of which church properties would be held in trust, and that failure to agree on this point would, in the mind of synod, become an insuperable obstacle to union. “if there was ever a hot potato this is it,” said the Bishop of Christchurch (the Rt Rev. W. A Pyatt), suggesting that the committee study the resolution during the winter.

Mr Rice said he looked forward to the day when group activities would be put before the affairs of a parish and the day when people would be seen as Christians and not as members of a denomination. Another member of the union committee, Mr G. Whittle, said concern was frequently expressed that the ordinary parishioner was apathetic about church union. Clergy and lay readers were already overworked, but existing means of working towards union could be used, such as mothers’ unions, men’s dinners, young wives'