Church-union plan ’already settled’

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33869, 14 June 1975, Page 16

Church-union plan ’already settled’

The criticism by the Bishop of Nelson (the Rt. Rev. P. E. Sutton) of the “ambivalent” attitude towards church union of the Bishop of Christchurch (the Rt. Rev. W. A. Pyatt) was the resurrection of a matter that was already settled, the president of the Methodist Church of New Zealand (the Rev. W. J. Morrison) said in Christchurch yesterday.

Mr Morrison is also the convener of the denomination’s church union committee and the chairman of the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Methodist district.

The references to Bishop Pyatt were made in Bishop Sutton’s presidential address to the Nelson Diocesan Synod on Thursday. Bishop Sutton questioned whether five churches, “so different.” could work together unless. they were real!j- agreed on a plan that united them.

Mr Morrison said that the churches were agreed. However, he would not comment further on Bishop Sutton’s remarks about Bishop Pyatt. “It 'is unfair to comment. This is an argument that belongs in their family. It is not for me to jump over the fence and join in the fray.” The plan for union of 1971 had been approved by four of the negotiating churches and by the majority of Anglican dioceses and those repre-

senting the districts of greatest population density, Mr Morrison said.

He believed the Anglican commitment was slower than that of. the other negotiating denominations because of the autonomy of the dioceses. SEVEN STRUCTURES

Because of the seven independent structures within the Anglican Church, it could not be expected to have the degree of uniformity of opinion of the other negotiating churches. j A decision on church [union was essential, if only (for the proliferation of local (unions that needed to be I regulated and tidied up within (a national structure, and adi ministered constitutionally. ; Mr Morrison is in Christi church for three days. He will open the Methodist Fairhaven geriatric unit on Sunday afternoon, and will meet ministers, the church’s general secretary (Mr W. R. Laws), and ministers of other i denominations.