CHURCH AND SOLDIERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 107, 2 November 1939, Page 11

CHURCH AND SOLDIERS

ANGLICAN APPEAL

PASTORAL TO BE READ

Additional financial support for'the' work of the Church of, England amongst New Zealand troops is to be. sought in a special, appeal by the military affairs committee of , the Church. The following pastoral, issued by the i Archbishop and Bishops, is to be read in every Anglican church in the Dominion early this month:

"During the last war, the Church of England in New Zealand, .through its military affairs committee, raised £50,000 to provide huts, with their equipment," staffing, and maintenance. Further, all Church of England chaplains, in camp, on troopships, in hospitals, or at the front, were supplied with the necessary equipment to carry out their spiritual duties, all ranks were supplied wtih hymn books, prayer books, Bibles, and other amenities. "It is the intention of the military affairs committee again to establish huts in all the main camps and in many of the smaller ones. Permanent huts, costing £2500 each, will be required for the larger centres. Already marquees have been erected at Ngaruawahia, Burnham, Hobsonville;-Air Base, and the R.N.Z.A. depot, Narrow Neck, and will shortly be erected at Trentham. These centres;are under the management' of the Church Army, as it is the intention of the military affairs committee to take advantage of the wide experience of the Church Army gained during the last war for its present work. ' ' .*•.••* "The huts will act as 'bases' for the chaplain's work, where he will hold services and meet the men. They will also be centres for reading, writing, and fellowship. Entertainments will be arranged, and light refreshments distributed. All these ministrations will be provided entirely free of charge of any kind. .

"A large proportion of the forces belong to the Church of England.-,. It is '~ right and proper, therefore, that we, as a Church, should bean the forefront in-supply ing the spiritual needs of these men. The value of the work already being done may be gauged by the fact that at a Holy Communion service held on-a recent Sunday in one of the huts already established, 200 men were present.

"The military affairs committee, which is the body constituted- by General Synod for the purpose, urgently appeals to all Church of England people throughout New Zealand to provide the necessary funds toi carry on this essential work in the name of the Church among the New Zealand forces, wherever they may be.

"This fund will be raised by the Church, and spent by the Church, as it comes within the. exemptions allowed by the Government regulations."

The committee consists of the Bishops of the Church in New Zealand together with representative clergy and'laity, and the secretary is the Rev. Cation D.B. Malcolm, Military Affairs Committee, No. 327- D.LC. Buildings, Wellington,; Cl f - . .