THE ANGLICAN SYNOD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13398, 29 January 1907, Page 6

THE ANGLICAN SYNOD.

MISSION OF HELP TO NEW

ZEALAND.

ARCHBISHOPRIC MOTION DEFEATED.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

Dunedin, Monday. I At the sittings of the Anglican Synod today the Bishop of Wellington moved: "That the Synod is of opinion that general missions conducted by missioners from England on the lines of the mission help to South Africa in 1904 would be of the utmost benefit to the New Zealand Church, and respectfully requests the bishops to make applications, if practicable, for such mission to the proper authorities in England." Dr. Wallis said! the idea had been first approved by the Wellington Synod, and most of the other synods had also endorsed the proposal. There was great need for more life in the work of the Church. All were inclined to lose heart about doing anything, and were getting slack, and they wanted more faith. It was hoped the mission would quicken the life of the Church people, and also help to reach those people who stood apart from the Church altogether. The mission to South Africa had done a great work, and it was to be hoped that similar work would be done in New Zealand. He did not mean that Church life in New Zealand was in a hopeless state. A most hopeful sign was that they were impatient with the present state of things, and felt that they ought to do better. If they accepted this mission it meant a large expenditure, but most of all the continual prayer that God will make the mission fruitful in the salvation of souls. He would sooner see the resolution thrown out if they were not going to work and pray for the mission.

Several speakers referred to the great re- j sponsibility in connection with the proposal. The Bishop of Christchurch expressed sympathy with the motion. They had (he said) quite enough organisation, but lacked spiritual power, "and they would never have that power unless they sought it in some such way as this. The .Rev. W. Beatty said that in New Zealand and all over Christendom there was a great deal of religion and very little godliness. One reason was material prosperity, and another the general lessenings of belief, and in some cases the clergy, by injudicious changes in the ritual, had driven away the faithful and godly people, and their places were not taken by the young people. They were denying- the validity of their orders when they said they had not power to convert men, and found it necessary to bring men from over. the sea to do it. They really wanted an extension of the permanent workers, and of the pastoral work of the Church. The Dean of Dunedin (Dr. Fitchett) objected to tho assertion that there was no spirituality or earnestness among them ; the evidence was all the other way. In the broad field of ethics the standard was higher than ever before. It was folly to tafk as if this were a heathen country. It was mischievous to send a statement abroad from the Synod that the Church was going to the bad. . The Rev. J. 11. Rogers pointed out the need for a preparatory mission to the clergy. After further discussion the motion was carried unanimously. The motion by the. Dean of Dunedin. to amend the canon so as to give the Primate the title of Archbishop of New Zealand, was lost, the voting being: Ayes—Bishop, 1; clergy, 9; laity, 13. Bishops, 6; clergy, 6; laity. 1. The Synod, on the motion of the Bishop of Christchurch. adopted a resolution au- ! thorising the Maori Mission Board to ini crease, if possible, the grants to dioceses wherein the Maori clergy are at work, in order that the stipends of £60 per annum, now paid to the Maori clergy, may be raised to a suitable amount. A resolution was also adopted authorising the. board to expend a sum not exceeding £100 per annum on the organisation of its work. The Bishop of Auckland has received a promise of £100 from a Dunedin layman towards the fund for erecting the new building at St. John's College, Auckland.