THE SUPPLY OF CLERGY

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1265, 21 October 1911, Page 9

THE SUPPLY OF CLERGY

« A DIFFICULT PROBLEM. SUGGESTIONS BY BISHOP CTOSSLEY. (By TclcgraDh.—Soccial Correspondent.} Auckland, October 20. In his first address to tho Diocesan Synod, the Anglican Bishop of Auckland (J)r. Orosslcy) staled that thc < Diocese of Auckland lias made 110 provision for the supply of candidates for Iho ministry for servico in its own diocese. It requires at the present moment 21 more men—six curates (:j for Auckland) and 3 ior country parishes. Three missioners for the Home Mission districts—tho hack-block work, and 0110 mail to take a parochial district; one man to share the heavy burden ol the ministrations in the public institutions of Auckland; at least three more .Maori priests; and a chaplain-secretary, who could be used in many ways, and sometimes loaned to give a Sunday holiday to over-worked priests. Knock out tho six additional men for Auckland, and one from the country parishes, one from the Home Mission, one irom the public ill; slitutions' service, one from the Maori work, and tho Bishop's Chaplain, there remains an irreduciblo minimum of 10 men urgently required. The Bishop goes on to say; "My first suggestion is concerning St. John s College, \\'e have, so to speak, but a seventh of a shore in it. It is provincial. Nor is ii exclusively a Theological College. It possesses theological scholarships, few of them, if any, large enough to support a. man during his career. But the Church allows a man to use its scholarship and ■puts 110 lien upon him for service in the Church of New Zealand, or in any diocese thereof. I submit to this iSynod to determine whether if should not by resolution call upon the Government bodies or tho General Synod to conditionaiiso its scholarships, and to require of every holder service for a term of years in the Province of New Zealand, or as an alternative to repay the amount of his scholarship. But I "go further. The college is here, its endowments largely here, tlio money contributed for some, at least, of its scholarships came from 'Auckland donors. and the pomilaiion of New Zealand's biggest city is here, and wo in Auckland have, largely sneaking, tho burden of the management of its affairs. Could not the General Synod go further, and apportion its scholarships among tho dioceses annually, or on alternate years, 011 the basis of uopulation,' with a leaning towards the Northern Island, and a fair deduction from those dioceses which have T.ieir own Diocesan Theological Colleges or Hostels? But even if these two suggestions became realities, the solution of the supply of men we require would jret remain. Tho one hope is by the creation of an 'Ordination Candidates' Fund' for (lie diocese. .Suppose wo took a course of three years—far too short, but lam going down to bed-rock—and we placed two men each year, say, at a cost of .£IOO a year earh. Next vear we should require for our fund .f'L'OO; 1913. .£400; 1911. JtGOO; and j.'(ioo every year after, I would ask you to pledge "tile men to -work five years in this diocese. For three years wo should have no supply, and then' we should have a guaranteed "supply of but two men a year. Inadequate, but still something. But what are we to do for tho im"'ediato present? 1 can onlv throw myself upon the ."enornsity of this diocese and upon the missionary spirit of bis-minded, largehearted Britishers who might be persuaded to come out even for a few years and help us, 'midst our infirmities. I yield to 110 one in the des : r" to see New Zealand supply our own clergy. I will use every effort'to attain this. But we are a people in a transitory state. We are a diocese in some respects really missionary, and we, must, in my judgment, stretch out hands across the sea immediately if the cause is to be saved. I wish to support St. John's , College by every means in my nower: but there is one other plan, which I would adopt with ercat reluctance, but which we may yet V.e driven to adopt, namely, the cstaMWimont of a Theological Collego for our own diocese, as other dioceses have done."