DIOCESAN SYNOD.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 5, 6 July 1910, Page 10

DIOCESAN SYNOD.

BISHOP WALLIS'S ADDRESS.

4 In opening the third session of the Eighteenth Synod of the diocese of Wellington yesterdaj' afternoon, his lordship Bishop Willis, in his address to the clergy and laity, made feeling reference to the death of King Edward. "At the beginning of this year," he continued, "we enjoyed the privilege, which is ours only once in eighteen years, .of welcoming to this city the members ofthe General Synod. As you are* aware, the General Synod is our supreme legislative body, and no Diocesan Synod in ihe province — it is different in Australia — can enact anything contrary to its decisions." In a new canon adopted by the . General Synod power was given the Synod of each diocese to fix the number of trustees in each board, of trustees. Under this canon the Synod will be asked to increase the number oE trustees of the Porirua College Estate, and also the number of the trustees from the Wanganui Collegiate School Board of Trustees by one. He had been urged to point out that, as the object of this latter request was to lessen the burden -that now falls upon the chairman and another of the trustees, it is desirable that the additional trustee be a Wanganui resident. It is obvious, said his lordship, that there is much to be said in favour of appointing a sufficient number of residents of Wanganui to deal with the properties of the trust, all of which are situated in and about that town. But it is to be considered whether that advantage is not counterbalanced by the inadvisability of limiting the choice of half the governors of an educational institution which is of incalculable importance to this diocese, and, indeed, to the whole province, to a* group of gentlemen, merely because they happen to live in the neighbourhood of the school buildings and properties. He thought it right to record his serious conviction that the Bishop of the diocese should always be the chairman of the Beard of Governors of such a school as this. It would, however, be open to any member of Synod to move a resolution for an increase in the number. The General Synod had ordered the Diocesan Board of to consent to- the proposal to' lease part of the church acre at Wanganui. Mention was made of transferences of clergy from one cure to another. Two have left, the Rev. John Earnest Holloway and the Rev. John Humphreys. Both of these hope to offer themselves again for work in this diocese in a year or two. Numerically the gains far exceeded the losses. The Rev. Herbert Albert Walke has come from the diocese of Worcester to fill the vacant cure of Eketahiina,- and tho Rev. Alexander Henry Heron and the Rev. George Raw\don Ffrench Nobbs have been licensed to the assistant curacies of Petone and Wanganui respectively. Before the close of this session welcome would be extended the Rev. Cecil George Mutter, who did .useful work for several years as stipendiary lay reader at Porirua. Once more, towards tho end of this month, he hoped to be able to admit the Rev. Wilfrid Gaster Williams, son of the Superintendent of Maori Missions, to the cure of the Wanganui parochial district,, which is to be vacated by the appointment of the Rev. H. J. Dean to. Pateaj and in a Tew weeks time the Rev. Charles Wilfred Iver Maclaverty would return, and the Rev. Robert Fran'flin would arrive from England to take charge respectively of Martinborough and the newly-foraed district of Waitotara and "Waverlsy. Reference was also made by his Lordship to the retirement of the Yen. Atclideacon Towgood, after forty years' service in his parish. The area of the archdeaconry of Wanganui had been divided into two parts, since the retirement of Archdeacon Towgood, the northern part being administered by the Yen. Archdeacon, Jacob, vicar, of Wanganui ; the southern by Yen. Adchdeacon Coleridge Hcope;, vicaT"of Palmerston North. Two other of the country clergy, Revs. V. H. Kitcat and H. Watson, had kindly consented to be his chaplains. One other loss had been, the- retirement of Mr. H. S. M'Kellar, diocesan treasurer to the Melanesian Mission, owing to failing health. He ,was sure members would welcome the formation of the Wellington Church Immigration Society, the object of which was to help immigrants from Home, by giving them advice as to lodgings, employment, etc. Synod; would be asked to elect a trustee for the Diocesan Pension Fund, and for the Bishop Hadfield Memorial College Board of Governors; also a diocesan nominator to fill tho place vacated by Archdeacon Towgood, and assessors for tho Bishop's Court. In conclusion, his Lordship said: — "How we can stir up in ourselves and in others an, expectation that God will do great things ior us, and prepare by constant prayer and intercession to Teceive .th© blessings He longs to bestow, many of us have heard already from the forerunners of the mission, Canon Pollock and the Rev. H. A. Kennedy, for whose wise and sympathetic counsels we are full of gratitude. In the course of their long i journeys through the province they spared no pains to discover where the thirteen missioners who were then promised us might work most usefully, and they found thg openings so many that it became their earnest hope that the number of missioners might be increased. Since they left us this hope has been fulfilled. Three more men have been found for the province, as well as one who will work in this diooese only during the whole period' of the mission. This means that there will be few, .if any, parishes .which some mksioner will not visit." MEMBERS PRESENT. The following members of Synod were present : — Clergy : Yen Archdeasons Fancourt, Harper and Jacob ; Reverends J. Jones, W. Ballachey, T. H. Sprott, J. H. Dove, A. 0. Williams, G." R. F. Nobbs, J. E. Blackmore, A 'S. Innes-Jones, R. Herman, A. S. Hansell, E. W. J. M'Connel, H. V. Kitcat, G. P. Davys, J. D. Russell, J. H. Sykes, A. W. H. Compton,? A T. B. Page, J. T. Phillips, H. J. Deane, H. G. Blackburne, J. Walker, A. M. Johnson, A. W. Payne, R. Young, J. S. Compton, H. W. Klingenden, H. F. Wilson, F. H. Petrie, D. M. Stent, C. H. Isaacson, T. W. Bond, J. A. M'Nickle, J. E. Jones, G. W. Dent, A. H. Heron, C. J. Smith, T. G. B. Kay, It. H. Hobday, G. Y. Woodward, W. Fancourt, G. V. Hendrick, W. Raine, C. E. OH. Tobin, A. E. Aston, F. T. Sherriff, J. F. Mayo, P. W. Clarkson. Laity: Messrs. C. P. Powles, E. Anderson, C. H. Chatwin, T. Bland, F. V. Waters, J. G. Cox, W. Downard, W. N. Stace, W. H. Simcox, P. Taipua, K. Wilson, H. Smart, A. G. Meyrick, G. Wheeler, W. F. Jacob, W. J. Birch, J. Martin, E. C. Middleton, R. Maruinaru, Captain Hewitt, Dr. Kington Fyffe. THE LATE KING. His Lordship the Bishop moved : — "That this Synod record its thankfulness for the blessings vouchsafed to the British Empire by means of the wise and beneficient rulo of our late Sovereign, King Edward the Seventh, and for his endeavours for the peace of the whole world ; its respectful sympathy with her Majesty the Queen Mother in this her hour of sorrow ; and its earnest prayer that God will grant His most gracious Majesty our Sovereign Lord King George a long and prosperous reign."

This was seconded by Yen Archdeacon Harper, and carried, the members of the Synod standing. The resolution is to 1 be forwarded to His Excellency the Governor, with a request that it be sent on to the proper authorities. WELCOME TO THE GOVERNOR. On the motion of Yen Archdeacon Fancourt, seconded by Yen Archdeacon Harper, the following resolution was rarried : — "The Bishop, Clergy, and Laity of the Diocese of Wellington, in Synod assembled, extend to His Majesty ihe King's representative in this country newly arrived, his Excellency Lord Islington, a loyal and ■ hearty welcome to New Zealand. They pray that the Divine blessing may rest upon him in the exercise of the high otiice to which he has been called ; and they trust that he and Lady Islington and their daughter may enjoy health and happiness and experience much pleasure during the years that are passed by them in New Zealand. They also desire to assure his Excellency of the loyal devotion of themselves, and of that portion of the Church which they represent td the Throne of England." The president was requested to forward the resolution to his Excellency. THE SECRETARY. The position of secretary to Synod was resigned by Archdeacon Harper, and Rev. A. H. Gompton was appointed in his* stead. Bishop Wallis expressed his appreciation of the businesslike way in which Archdeacon Harper had carried out his duties, which was endorsed by members. COMMITTEES. The Finance Committee was' set up as follows : — Ven Archdeacon Fancourt, and Messrs. J. Martin, J: Kebbell, li. A. Nevins, G. Shirtcliffe, F. R. Rnssell, W. F. Jacob, G. Wheeler, and E. Anderson.' The following committee was set up to investigate the position of Maori missions : Revs. A. M. Johnson, V. H. Kitcat, Messrs. J. Kebbell, G. W!i°eler, R. Marumaru, and Yen Archdeat Jacob. REPORTS. The president reported that the committee ' appointed to consider the advisability of purchasing sections in Mul-grace-street for the purposes of a site for* a -cathedral, chapter house, and other diocesan offices, met only once, and the divergence of opinion amongst its members was found to be so great that it was considered inadvisable to continue the discussion of the matters submitted to them. The committee had vno recommendation to make. The Rev. G. Y. WoodAvard presented the report of the committee appointed to consider the establishment of a Brotherhood, devoted to voluntary service for the diocese. The committee thought that a branch house of the community of the Resurrection might be set up in New Zealand. The committee also recommended that it be continued in office for another year, for the purpose of conferring with some of the missioneTs of the coming General Mission, with power to take such steps as may be necessary in establishing the Brotherhood. In regard to the formation of a Home Mission Society for the diocese the committee reported that in its opinion the operations of a Home Mission Priest (to work in parts not accessible to tho regular' ministrations of the church) would be a source of much help both to the people and the chuTch. The committeerecommended that two missionary priests be- appointed for special Home Mission work m the diocese at a stipend of £150, and horse and travelling expenses. The scheme to b© referred to the Standing Committee which shall be responsible for the stipends ; the latter to be raised by offertories and collections. The reports were received. LOANS FOR BUILDINGS. A motion by the Rev. G. W. Dent, the effect of which was that a fund should be established from which loans may be granted to parishes and parochial • districts for building purposes, and setting out a proposed assessment to form a nucleus of the fund, was withdrawn Ln. favour of an amendment by Archdeacon Harper that the following committee : — ArchdVacon of Waitotara, Rev. G. W. Dent, Messrs. E. Anderson, J. W. Henderson, R. Wilberfoss, E. H. Dean and the mover — be set up to tak« what steps may be thought well, to receive any contributions which may be given and to report to .the present synod. In the discussion which ensued on the original motion, it was stated that the greatest difficulty country churches had to face was the obtaining of suitable buildings. In some places the work was paralysed, because there was no fund from which money could be obtained for ■erecting necessary buildings. Xo one would oppose the principle of the scheme, but the details required serious- consideration. The establishment of such a fund was of the utmost importance. The synod meets again at 4 o'clock today.