MELANESIAN MISSION

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 103, 3 May 1919, Page 9

MELANESIAN MISSION

BISHOP WOOD RETIRES.,

The Wellington Church Chronicle for May publishes an extract from the Southern Cross Log, which throws further' light upon the resignation of the Bishop : "It will doubtless come as a surprise to most of oui1 friends and supporters that Bishop Wood has sent in his resignation. During the greater part of the six and a-half years of Ms episcopate he has been in but poor health, and has had difficulty in keeping the work going. When he joined tho Mission he agreed to live in the .Islands, and make his headquarters there; but he has not seen his way to carry this out. It was hoped that, like his predecessors," besides his episcopal duties, he would take a leading part in the ordinary work of the Mission in the Islands, and give the teachers the encouragement they need, but, as a matter of fact, duties elsewhere have largely claimed his attention,' and the Island work has suffered. This matter was brought to his notice earlier in the year, in the hope that different arrangements might be made, and things put on a better footing. This year, instead of going on to the Solomon Islands the first voyage, to take numerous Confirmations and fulfil other engagements, the Bishop decided to spend several-months on a small heathen islet of the Santa Cruz Group. When he returned from there in October, and arrived at Maravovo for a conference, to 'which he had summoned the staff, a motion was brought forward, and carried unanimously, expressing dissatisfaction at his non-residence in the Islands, and his inability to adapt himself to the needs of the Mission. In answer to this the Bishop decided to hand in his resignation, to take effect from 31st December. In accordance with the constitution of the' Mission, an Administrator, to carry on the oversight of the work, was forthwith elected, in the person of the Rev. P. R. Wilson, Senior Missionary of Bunana."