ANGLICAN SYNOD.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1792, 3 July 1913, Page 7

ANGLICAN SYNOD.

ANNUAL SESSION.

THE MARSDEN CENTENARY.

! GREAT MEMORIAL PROPOSED.

I'ho session of the Synod of the Wtfl-,' ington Diocoso was continued' yesterday; •' il'tornoon, his Lordship Bishop Sprott pre Wiuß. Election of Bishops. flio Ven. Arclideacon Harper was given lenuission to introduce a bill to amend \ct I, and the bill was read a first time. L'lni object of tho bill is to provide that vhirn tho Bishop of tho Diocese has giveni lotico of resignation, tho Synod cannot' :easo to exist until his successor has lxwnj lomftiatcd. Archdeacon Harper pointed' mt that when Bishop Wallis resigned,' t lmii boon just possiblo to elect his sucjessor before the synod expired. It would lot by a good thine for a Synod to be. sleeted during a vacancy, as tlio appoint nent otf tho Bishop might be made f auin is.sue of the election. Tho, Marsdcn Centenary, Archdeacon Harper moved a resolution endorsing tho scheme of General Synod tor celebrating tho Marsden jnd enlisting the people of the diocosat to givo it their hearty support. Thia'i resolution Heads as follows:— 1. That tlnis synod eapestly calls attend ion to tho great event of tho coming Marsden Centenary. Christmas Day, 1914,' mil be tho 100 th anniversary of .the first preacmng of the Cross in New Zealand by the courageous missionary, tho Ik v. • Samuel Marsden, and the synod feels that an event which commemorates both the introduction of Christianity and tho founelation of tho codony should be marked by commemorations worthy of tho occasion,' R'hich should inspire our people alike with frahtudo to Aliuighty God, and create fresh zeal in thy proclamation of His truth and in tho development of His Qfflirch. . . 2. The synod endorses the following pro* posals of the Bench of Bishops:—(a) That a series of services ;in Maori and in Eng. lisli should be held at Hie Marsden Cross, the site where tho fArst Christian servica was held, during tlic Christmas ireek of 1914. (b) That a Mow- Zealand Church Congress bo held in Auckland in Febru. ary, 1915. _ lliat a fund of . C-0,i"( 00 as a memorial fund bo raised to found and foster religious educatio)?. in tho province, 1. That the objects of tho filnd should includo:—(a) Tho contribution of ,£SOO s year, if necessary, for thiieo years for ith« Bible iii Stato scuools movtemont. (b) Foi the training and payment', of a Guild oj Church Teachora of KeligaVm in Schools.', (c) For helping to found cli urcb seoondarji boarding schools for Maoris or pakehas., (d) For such other purpose.s as tho Com-: mission deem to bo connected with ro». ligious education. ■ ' 2. That subscribors-to the Wnd may oar-j mark their contributions in favour of one or more of these objects. I 3. That an advisory committee bo setj lip for these purposes, "consisting of tho( Bishop and two representatives, one clergyman, and ono layman, to bo scVooted by*' tho representatives of tho several, diocoscs' hero presont, with power to oddtto theiri number. \ Tho mover gave It as his opinion that they could not better c6mmomon\to tho great work of Bishop Marsden than by: seeing that those who follow him and enjoy tho benefits of his labours should, have tho Biblo within their reach, \VVith. reference to Clause 3b, ho explained that tho object of the clause was not to imterforo in any way with tho regular teachers of schodls. Tho right existed for voluntary teachers to instruct classes in schools once a week in Biblical knowledge. It ; was proposed to provide those teachers: with a more thorough equipment for thoir I work. The' schemo would also extend to j the training of Sunday school teachers.. Archdeacon Harper further stated that; tho Church Cdngress which it is proposed! to hold in Auckland would bo probably" tho greatest pothering in tho history of tho Church in New Zcalond. Delegates would be present from the Homeland, from all other parts of tho Empire, and from America. Tho sum of .£20,000 seemed a great deal for a memorial, but the occasion demanded something worthy of it. Already a sum of .£IOOO had been promised by Miss Marsden, of Nelson, who was no rolation of Bishop Marsdon, . on condition that four others gave » sim- ■. ilar amount. The fund had therefore ro-. ceived an exofellent start., (Applause.)j With regard to the proposed Church Con- ' gross, the speaker said that it would bo necessary to have a, guarantee fund of. .£IOOO. Such congresses, however, usually' paid their way, and there was not much' likelihood that tho guarantee would bo called upon. The motion was seconded l by Mr. Hen< derson, and was heartily supported by several speakers. Bishop Sprott said that it was essen-.| tial that tho centenary should be pro-, perly celebrated. If tho celebrations, should fall flat, they would never recover • from tho humiliation of it. Ho thought' it would bo better never to have men-, tioned -the subject than that they should not carry tho commemoration to a sue- ' eossful conclusion. Marsden was a truo hero. Ho had , had the uniquo distinction amongst modern missionaries of having introduced into.a new country, not only Christianity, but civilisation. The State owed as great a debt to Marsden, as did the Church. The objects of tho fund had bpen most carefully coiiMdcredi mid his Lordship thought that there could! be no more adequate memorial to this' groat man than tho extension of Chris-; tian training. What a great thing it| would be if in tho hundredth year of tlioi arrival of Marsden's Bible, Marsden's; Biblo could bo found in every school in' the Dominion. (Applause.) Tho motion was carried. Sunday School Work. Tho Rev. It. 11. Hobday moved: "That this synod, realising tho great importance, of adequate religious instruction being given in our Sunday schools, respectfully, commends to tho attention of those in. charge of Sunday schools in the dioccse,' tho work of tho Society for Promoting Sunday School Work in tho Diocese of Wellington." The mover said that so far tho work of the society had not boon very extensive, although it had been decidedly useful. The society had no control over the Sunday schools, but if any iviciir wished,to make use of the society ho was very welcomo to do so. Only-somo four parishes had formed branchos of tho society to date, and it was thought tho, timo had oomo when other branches shouldbe instituted. Tho society had cdready' held various examinations, and had en-' gaged an expert in Sunday school work; to deliver lectures to teachers on tho lat-i est methods of instruction. It was hoped; that eventually tho expert would bo obla to locturo not only in Wellington city, but in tho outsido parishes. Tho Rev. G. Castle, who seconded tho motion, stated .'that a similar society in tho diooesc of Christchurch was supported by four-fifths of ithe parishes in the diocese. Tliero was great need of uniformity amongst tho various parishes, and it wa< proposed to provide a, text-book, wliicV might bo used in all tho schools. Tho motion was carried. Miscellaneous. On tho motion of Mr. G. Shirtcliffe, Mr., J. S. Jameson was re-elected a liusteo ofj tho Wellington Diocesan Pension Fundf Trust Board. . J Tho llev. C. 11. Isaacson mom: "Th#* the boundaries of the parishes and para-' cliial districts be printed in the Diocesan Year Book for this year." The movoPj said that the boundaries had not beoni published sinco 1002. Since then many! alterations had been made, and it waa extremely difficult to traeo boundaries. I The motion was carried, an amendment by Mr. Henderson, that a map, instead of the list of boundaries, b? inserted in the 1 Year llook, being negojtiyed by a larg* majority. '