VICAR AND VESTRY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 143, 16 December 1908, Page 2

VICAR AND VESTRY.

+ THE TROUBLE AT ST. PAUL'S, AUCKLAND. [BT TELEGBAPH. — PKESS ASSOCIATION.] AUCKLAND, This Day. A special meeting of St. Paul's Anglican Church parishioners was held last night to elect three vestrymen in place of those who recently resigned bemuse of failure tc concur with the vicar, the Rev. Watson, in his views as to ri trial i&m. One of Uv» ex-vestrymen, Mr. W H. Churton, in explaining his reasons for resigning, declared that, deeming it the duty of vestrymen to see that the incumbent of their church was duly paid, he left the vertry, seeing that he could not raise or assist in raising the stipend of an incumbent whose practices he disagreed with. Mr. Whiiley, a member of Hie vestry, spoke in strong support of the yicai. Notwithstanding the narrowminded things that some people in the parish had talked of doing or had done, he w-^s satisfied that Mr. Watson was going to make the parish a great success. He regretted what ho had heard of nasty things lus brother anil sister members of the church had done. Mr. J. B. Donald, one of the resigned vestrymen, asked if Mr. Whitley inferred that ho had been one of those who had donr nasty things, or whether Mr. Churton or Mr. Cobine, the other two that had resigned, were meant. Mr. Whitley said he did not name any body j he only knew what somo persons had done. Mr. Cobine. explaining his secession, claimed to be as good a churchman as any one in the church. It was against tho grain to go out of it, but he could not go back to it as long as practices went on such as he objected to. He originally thought the vicar was a low churchman, and finding he was not, he resigned. Ono or two parishioners expressed re gret alb the disunion in the church, and thought a little tacb would removo it. It was suggested that concessions slt-.'uld be made both by the vicar and tbu- Q opposed to him. Mr. Watson, in reply, said he had never hidden any of his views. In his last parish he had vestrymen of rll shades of opinion, yeL they always worked well with him, and were loyal, because wher it came to a decision, tlicy realised he was the vicar and the onr to decide. If that were possible for five years, similar conditions ought to be possible in St. Paul's, and he beliaved the parishioners would support him. His great aim was to link them all together, and he' must use all the means he loi«eyed would itend to iiplift those under his charge. Mr. Watson defended his methods, and concluded by saying tnat there he was, and the parish must lnako the best of him. Three new vestrymen were pli-cied, Mr. Churton, who was nominated, rot being re-elected.