NEW ARCHBISHOP

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 139, 15 June 1939, Page 11

NEW ARCHBISHOP

: .ELECTIOK

CHURCH DEMOCRACY

(Special to the "Evening Post.") : AUCKLAND, This Day. The approaching election of a Priict« eisu Archbishop of New Zealand to succeed Archbishop Averill upon his retirement* next year is arousing much interest among members of the Anglican Church throughout the Dominion. ' -The democratic principles embodied j -'-■' in the constitution and canons of the j j^New Zealand Church require that all three orders, bishops, clergy, and laity, shall-share in the choice of bishops and of the Primate. This contrasts with the practice in England, where bishops ' of the Established Church are appointed by the Crown —in effect, by the *■ Government of the day—and the two Primacies ar*. filled by direct appbinthnents to the Sees of Canterbury and York. Other churches of the Anglican Communion, .however, are not established and the Crown is not concerned* with their choice of archbishops and bishops. ELECTION PROCEDURE. Next year's election will xbe carried out at-the triennial session of, the General Synod, to be held at Nelson The procedure is rather complicated. Upon a motion requesting them to do so, the bishops meet in camera under the chairmanship of the bishop who is senior by date of consecration and ballot for the selection of one of their number, whose name is then communicated to the clerical and lay sections of the Synod,. sitting separately. . . Each, .section deliberates upon the 'nomination' and takes a ballot. If the ; nominee' receives a majority of the votes of ? each order he is declared . elected. If ; npt, the bishops arr request -ed to subhait, another name, and the process is'repeated. Should the final ""'result be "a deadlock the senior bishop v Automatically becomes^Primate. . t;^f $e|«qrity OF BISHOPS. X. - * ,The- precedence of bishops is determined'by date of consecration, and not by; .length of episcopal service in the -~New Zealand Province. The present s, .-'senior bishop is.Dr.'C. West-Watson, who was consecrated in 1909 as Bishop .-Suffragan pf Barrow-in-Furness and - * .translated to Christchurch in March, -1926.' .Tlie others in order are Bishops .Xt. S.\Kempthofne (Polynesia), 1923. " Xxphose diocese was added to the Provirice in 1925: C. A; Cherrington (Wai kato),, 1926; W." H. Baddeley (Mela nesia). 1922; W. A. R. Fitchett (Dun edin). 1934; W G. Hilliard (Nelson) 1934; H. St B. Holland (Wellington) 1936; G. V. Gerard (Waiapu), 1938 The Bishop of Aotearoa. the Rt Rev 'F. A. -Bennett,-is technically an assistant to 'the ' Bishop of Waiapu and is not eligible for election to the Primacy. * For practical reason? '.he Bishops of "Melanesia and Polynes< -re. regarded as iii the same position.