“Unsatisfactory” Church vote

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33037, 3 October 1972, Page 13

“Unsatisfactory” Church vote

No-one would be quite satisfied with the result of the vote within the Anglican Church on church union, the Bishop of Christchurch (the Rt Rev. W. A. Pyatt) said in opening the Diocese of Christchurch synod yesterday.

Those opposed to the plan would be heartened that many supported their stand. And those who had worked for the plan would be discouraged because decisions about the way forward would be difficult to make because of this large minority group. The synod would make up its own mind about the steps it would take as a result of the referendum, either now or next year, he said. “UNFORTUNATE”

Bishop Pyatt said he was grateful for the level of discussion on the matter and for the readiness to listen, but said that “one unfortunate and rather less-than-accurate” advertisement in the public press lowered this standard, and was noticeable

rather for those who refused to sign it than for those who did.

Although it was true that numbers exercising their right to vote were low, in many places they equalled the number of Christmas communicants, said Bishop Pyatt.

Union would solve some of the problem of the high country parishes and if union was refused in such areas it would cause difficulties, said Bishop Pyatt. To sustain a full-time denominational ministry in a country parish with good communications and falling populations was perhaps only a dream.

“Whether we join parishes together, see local unions with other denominations, or call for even greater sacrifices on the part of our devoted country churchmen are matters for the church to decide.

“I hope that as country parishes face these problems they will give us all through the standing committee an opportunity to consider solutions before local agreements go forward too far,” he said. “Above all of course, comes tiie calf for reconcila-

tion and the strengthening of each other. This will not come about by cheap jibes at each other’s expense, by talk of what might have been, by recrimination. It can come only as we seek to uphold each other in love, with all the strength with which we are capable. “I call upon the diocese to close its ranks and to work for the strengthening of all our parishes and to agree to abide by whatever decision is made by this synod.” Bishop Pyatt said it had been suggested that the Church should ordain men in secular employment who would continue in their jobs and do what priestly work was necessary. CLERGY ESSENTIAL “1 would regard it as a great retreat and weakness if we were wrongly to use our theology of the laity in such a way as to undermine the professional nature of our ministry,” he said. “Certainly it is true that we Anglicans are only just beginning to learn how to call on the whole Church—layman and priests—to work together for the Kingdom ... It isstill true, however, that

a professional priesthood, a properly trained and adequately prepared group of clergy, remains essential to the life of the Church. “Where men are ordained to remain in secular employment they do so supplementary to the full-time priesthood—to enrich it, not to replace it. The place of the clergyman should remain assured. It is his role which will change.

“We now see the clergyman as the trained leader and servant of the people of God in any one place, leading, organising and serving. "The parish clergyman today has much greater demands laid on him which call for a fairly sophisticated personality to lead, as one among equals, from the midst of the congregation, being free to use his prophetic gifts in speaking out on subjects on which he is guided and has informed himself, and to fulfil the priestly ministering of reconciliation, caring and service. “There seems to me here a full function for the clergyman and an ample call .for the service of brave young

men,” said Bishop Pyatt.