BISHOPRIC OF WAIAPU.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 617, 21 September 1909, Page 6

BISHOPRIC OF WAIAPU.

AN EXPLANATION. SHORT HISTORY OP THE DIOCESE. Illy TolecriDh.—Special CnrrcjonnricnO Napier, September 20. ■ Mr. J. B. Fielder, lay secretary of tho Waiapu Diocesan Synod, and Registrar of tho Diocese, interviewed to-night, said: "I observe frcma telegraphed report in Saturday's issue of T'hk -Dominion regarding the Bishop-Elect that its Napier correspondent in his last paragraph has made Eorae statements purporting to describe what took place in tho Synod. You have, unfortunately, not been correctly informed as to the facts. Many names were doubtless in the people's minds, but.the Synod in committee took precautions that no nominations should bo! made until an opportunity had

been given for, some discussion., It must be obvious to you that this discussion could not with propriety be made public. It was not competent for the committee to receive nominations and make the election in committee, but on the Synod resuming Archdeacon H. ~\X. Williams nominated Archdeacon Averill', which was seconded', by Mr. Tanner, and as no. other nominations were forthcoming a ballot was taken, with the result that Archdeacon. Averill was elected Bishop of the Diocese by both orders with what was virtually a unanimous vote!" . .

.Archdeacon Averill, of Christchurch,' if he decides to accept the position, will be the fourth Bishop of Waiapu. The first Bishop of that diocese was. Bishop William Williams, an early; missionary, aid the author of a Maori dictionary.- Ho was succeeded by Bishop'E. C. Stuart, a brother of. Sir Alexander: Stuart, who was once Premier of New South .Wales.-Dr. Stuart relinquished the position in 1895 to con-duct-missionary work in.Persia..: He was..6ucceeded by Bishop W. L. Williams, a sou.of the first Bishop, who retired this year. /The diocese extends, over a .large part of the East Coast of the North Island, including the whole of the Hawke's Bay and Poverty.Bay districts. Up to IS6S. the provincial district of Hawke's Bay formed part of the Diocese of Wellington. • Dr. C. J. Abraham .being the first: Bishop. In that year the nawko's Bay and Poverty Bay N portion's of the Diocese of Wellington were incorporated in the Dioceso of Waiapu, which is the name of a small district and village close to the-East Cape. The parish church at Napier, called the.church of.St. John the Evangelist, is-the of .the diocese, and-Napier is. tho headquarters, of'the Bishop. When the Synod of the new dioceso held its first meeting at Napier,' on August 30,: 1872, it had a membership of sixteen clergy and thirteen lay members;;. It' inoiv. liasjrsixty-'eight clergy and forty-six lay members. A biographical sketch' of Archdeacon Averill, the bishn'p-elect, has already appeared in The Dominion.

''''.'' THE SYNOD OPENED.- ':"."'

(By Telegraph—Press Association.! Napier, September 20. The session of the Waiapu' Anglican Synod opened to-day. ■; Archdeacon ■H. W. Williams, who as commissary, confined'his ad : dress to matters which' seemed to demand immediate action on the part of tlie Synod. He expressed the opinion that it would, perhaps, be the.best plan that a select committee should be appointed 'to deal with communications which bad been received regarding the reconstitution of the Maori Mission Board. ;