Anglican survey of union voting

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33213, 1 May 1973, Page 12

Anglican survey of union voting

By and large, the opponents of the 1971 plan for union are in favour of church union itself, the church union committee of the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch says in a report.

The report has been written following an investigation by the committee into why voters against the plan voted the way they did. “There was no general desire to drop the plan,” the report said. “Many were pleased with the plan as far as it had been developed, but were unable to accept it in its present state.” Opposition to church union as a principle was only small.

“Some do not want to see tried and tested methods placed in jeopardy, and others see church union as a non-issue, feeling that the church is too preoccupied with itself and not enough with evangelism and renewal,” the report said. The main body of objection was not theological. Most people thought that a national organisation might be too bureaucratic and top heavy, and that central committees would quash local initiative by having too much control.

Church-goers feared that the individuality and distinctiveness of local forms of worship would be lost in large parish structures, and that the loss of individual congregations would be a tragedy for the church, The plan was not always fully understood, and a proper understanding of it would have answered some of the questions in people’s minds, the report said. A number of those who voted in favour of the plan had also been concerned, over the same points, but had chosen to vote for the

plan, “sooner than hold up progress.” The committee thinks that the plan should be adjusted before its implementation, but has not decided yet what form its recommendation to the Synod will take. “It is impossible at the moment to gauge the numerical strength of those who would still not enter union if changes were made, but the feeling is that to proceed according to the plan is along the right lines,” the report said.