THE BISHOP-ELECT OF WAIAPU.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 615, 18 September 1909, Page 14

THE BISHOP-ELECT OF WAIAPU.

'••.' ' ■ .'.'■■ —~—"*■— •■-■■'. ■' AN UNEXPECTED TURN IN THE VOTING. CHOICE .OB|.THE SYNOD.-,' ■ vIBi TejeeniDb.-SDeciel Corroarondont.l . : ■'•'- '■'.'.■'.■?'s■[■ '['."::' Napier, Septembor 17. The utmost secTocy.was preserved:in regard to.;tho. election of the Biehop of Waiapu, and the press ;and 'public wero: rigidly excluded. Arch'deacbn .Williams, :the Primate's commissary,- delivered ■■: the.', 'following .■ address:of the clergy.and laity. .We have peon called together to. discharge the most important duty which is laid upon'a diocesan synod,, namely,-that of electing a bishop for the.: diooeso. ■ From:the time when the bishop 1 announced to the synod: in November last ■' that he had decided to resign; the matter has been much .in-' the. thoughts of allof .us,' and this fact :relieves me from the necessity of dwelling on, , the 'importance, of. tho subject. , \ I will merely indicate. briefly, the lines of procedure .which, ,it'seemsto,me,'we should do .well' to follow.- : It "has been proposed, that a! meeting of 'the members of synod should, be held ,in oatnera, "with a view to allowing a greater freedom of discussion' than would! be possible in the synod itself. If this suggestion.commends itself to the synod, an early adjournment-will be - made/, to allow time , for such a\ meeting. On-'resuming, iynpd. will •• proceed -with its business, .and, if an election is made, a further adjournment will be necessary in order that the person elected may have time to consider the question and::send his'reply.' The data of the, receipt' of this reply is .of some importance, ■as the _ chancellor of the dioceso has given his.* opinion that'when .the person elected shall have signified, his 'acceptance of the: office, the, present synod .will forthwith ffltp'iro.;'..'.'-It- will be necessary, therefore, to allow in the second adjournment, a sufficient /interval-for : the,transaction of/the. business of the ordinary session, which -will : be opened on Monday next.-It has been;necessary to refer to these details. On. the main question, I have little to say.. 'Tho needs of the diocese are patent'.to all. It may not be'a simple matter, to-appraiso the relative'importance of the respectiyo needs, but many prayers ;have been offered on. the, subject, and we.are 'justified in.trusting that in, making our decision we .may,,'be., enabled' to ! lay 'aside:all: personal con-, siderations,. and look only'to the. good of the; . Church' * and ,: the':, gloryi of .God's :holy:nanie.. ' .:■■ '■ ' ' .',. '■'■'■-'■:* ■". ■■ '■,•'■ ■■' -' : ' ' - ■' ~; then ; wont .into ' committee, all jstrangors iboing. "asked -to'retire..''• On resuming 'Archdeacon I ..Williams ;■ proposed,', ..and . llr. '..Thomas, 'Tanner, seconded,;. "That the -Wen. Archdeacon Averill is a fit and proper person to,bo elected.bishop of,this diocese., A ballot was taken, and Archdeacon Averill elected. .: '■The;special session iof tho synod was adjourned till Thursday .next: to receive from the bishop-elect intimation whether he will accept office. 'Vi, " : ;'■■■ '.-. ' 7," ..■'-■ .: ; -.' ... ■ •From - the particulars .that; have leaked out, it appears that the voting took a tum';entirely different to .public expectation. Two candidates were; nominated 'for. tho..position; Archdeacon Ayorill: and . Archdeacon. Williams.; 'It was th'onght.'that the'; Native. cler(fy\would .-have "plumped", for Archdeacon Williams, and 'had they done so , his ; election; would have been socured. ; It 'is to .the Native .clergy,' however, that ! Archdeacon Averill 'owes his election. .Ten votesf'stood' between'■■; the- two' candidates, and' the- younger.'Slaori plergy.. '.explain 'that. while their'hearts'prompted them to.vote for 'the representativoof the Williams family,' they felt their vote was. a serious, thing .to cast, and Archdeacofl ,'Averill's gifts ; . stood out for.. the benefit of the. pakeha community. They,■'accordingly: turned the scale in his favour; Archdeacon. Williams fulfilled the highest principles of a Christian.prentleraan, and •withdrawing, his name''moved the appointment .'-.of ■ Archdeacon Ayorill,:.which ,then received, the-unanimous' support of,;.the synod.'; ■'' ■'[':::', ■■■'■.-=;■ .'.■. ■■; ■'■■.;,, ■'.'': • A BioflraphicarSketch. : , :;'; ; ; ; ; jThp'i Ven. .-Alfred Waited:Averill was' born at Stafford, in 18G5, and was educated at King 'Edward VI Grammar St. John's; College,, Oxford. , ; His university careerwas a" brilliant'one; 'He represented 'his ; . college ; (St. John's,. ,Oxford.) .in its. eight,: and ,Ws university'; in' 'both'• Eugby ''and: Association football;■- -In 1887 ■. he; graduated as an M.&., withv.-hbnonrs, in'.theology, and .then, .'after tSelye months at:Ely,.Theological College' he was 'ordained in St. Paul's in 1888, and,became curate; at, St. George's, Hanpyor Square'! flndor'Canoii Capelcure, Canon:of Windsor, andChaplain.'to tho .Queen. After the of wont..;to"'' Holy 'Trinity Ch-ilrch' atUalstdH, M'llf. London,;under the Rev. E.: S. Hassard, who was at one "time vicar of\ St.: Matthew's, Auckland. ' Mr. Averill reramned -there .nntil 1893, '.%Jwfl he '.was; '-ap, po}nted:;to.St;:Michael's..vFor fifteen years Jlr! AverillihaS'been , chaplain'qf"*thei;hospital,' and that wUrk , . has- 1 brought ■hinyv-int6:' i touch', , witt thousands of all sorts:of people. Archdeacon Averill is'i stated to be a; man of broad human , sympathies,. .Ho is known as-one of tho most eloquent: .'preachers in ' the.' .Dominion. Bis shnrc-h at St; llichn'el's holds 750peo'ple, and it is ;:always.' crowded. ;■• The preacher's sermons iro'jsta.tpd; to be: theneh'tful; helpful, and .'virile/ There is Eometbing in bis. preaching that apto men/; even l to>young. men, .and they form; "no .'•inconsiderable part of those who listen'to liirn.,;,.;: ; .... ,"■,,•:'■:' '•.. ■..;..-'; ;.-■■:,.': : ■.■ 'JARCHDEACON AVERIUL'S WORK IN - '• : ■,;,' >'; ;| i: .' ( : (Dt hotrttßanataU ■'•' . '''}::.!■'' ■' ;•. ''<":<■' Christchurch, September 17. ' : 'Archdeacon Ayerill's election' as Bishop of i7aiapu : !waS' not , -.unexpected in- Christchurch, Jilt .-.congratulations are'-, mingled' "with gehuine".regrets> at his ; departure." from ;he, city.. ■ 'During the .fifteen; years that have .tossed. ■ since , the. Archdeacon first: reached 3hristohufch'-from' .the -Old',Country -he;' has iakeu.;;a;*,'tir6minent''and .increasingly active , ' ?art -in- the ! ,;work .of ;his church -in this pro- , ijrice..' iTHfli; prominence,' remarks the "Press, 1 " .in any ease almost inevitable,'. for the. his-; rorical- associations so • closely .^connected'. with' : )t. : : Michael's', give it a 'unique.' place 'among, :ity, .ohurches.: It was the cradle of the --Angli:an;.,Church; in :the" settlement'.: that owes its: sxistence to that\ohurch; and. it has' always' slaimcd.' the idevoted 'service; of many..of .the 'amilies of the 1 pioneers!; .The. vicar .of such 'a ; ihurch .comos into an ; iriheritance' thit is not' sommpn;.,in :: New Zealand,,:an- inheritance', of Taditidns that bind tho congregation- of' to-: lay; to'.the church of'their fathers and grand-' ■athws.-.witli strung ibonds.of '■affection: In iroWeacon, Avc'rill's;|.hands .thoso , traditions 1 laye'inot.suffered. •VStJ- Michael's occupies -to-cl lay-.hs -honoured a place as it; has ever held;,indiite sphere ..of inlluence has -increased; with' • ;he. years.i.iThe parish.; work, both lay aud'eler-' calivis' admirably organised,' the' congregations' ire "invariably;-.-large, -and often'..'overflowing.: rhe. church' services -are rendered 'as-' seldom ilseiyhero;in;,New Zealand, and tho parislrall round, deserves-its reputation of. being the;best in; the Dominion. <Bey6nd his own church, the irchdeacon, by his activity and: administrative ja'pacityj has made his.influence felt throughmt the city and'diocese, while his intellectual rigoiir.has,placed him' in the forefront of the inglican community,in New Zealand.. The talmts ■ and have been bo untiringly devoted to'the. service of the ohnxch in panterbury, will, find even '-a wider fieldof work in: Hawke's Bay," and.' in that thought the irchdeacon'e congregation and his fellow-work-»rs throughout Canterbury must find compeniatioh.for hifl,departure. : :': ; ..' i '■,:•.■ , ■.:..