POLYNESIAN DIOCESE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19027, 26 May 1925, Page 10

POLYNESIAN DIOCESE.

HISTORIC CHURCH EPISODE. CONSTITUTION OF SYNOD. ARCHBISHOP PARTICIPATES. SPIRITUAL WORK IN ISLANDS. An historic episode in the life of the Anglican Church in the South Pacific was enacted at Suva last week, when tho Synod of tho Diocese of Polynesia was duly constituted and the foundation laid for a well-directed spiritual campaign over tho wido expanse of ( island-dotted ocean embraced by the diocese. Formerly the diocese was under tho control of the Bishop of London and was administered by tho Bishop of Polynesia, but at the last General Synod of the Church of the Province of New Zealand tho Pacific area was made an integral part of the Provinco and by an act of real self-abnega-tion Bishop Kempthorne has now transferred the administration of his territory to a synod with headquarters at Suva. Additional interest was lent to the proceedings at Suva last week by the presence of Archbishop Averill, who, with the Rev. P. Gcargo Coats, vicar of the Church of tho Epiphany, made a special trip to Fiji to be present at, tho inaugural meetings. It was at first intended that tho synod should be held at Levuka, the old capital of Fiji, where clergy and members of the laity were to gather, but the prevalence of the typhoid epidemic made inter-island travelling unwise and the meetings were held in Suva. In eonscquenco many who had intended to be present were not able to make tho trip. However, tho Rev. 11. A. Fa veil, of Labnsa, on tho island of Yaniia Lovu, was among those present and the longan Group, one of the outlying portions of the diocese, was represented by the Rev. Sang Mark, the Chinese missionary. Archbishop Averill had also intended visiting some of tho centres on Yanua Lovu, where many of the oldest residents of the group are adherents of the Church, but this was also rendered impossible by tho epidemic restrictions. Reception of Archbishop.

Prior to landing at Suva on May 16 the Archbishop and Mr. Coats wore inoculated against the disease and were allowed to land, but the Aorangi was compelled to lay in the stream and none of the through passengers were permitted to go ashore. The Archbishop was received by Bishop Kempthorne on Sunday morning at a celebration of Holy Communion, after which tho Archbishop gave the Primatial Blessing. The council of the Diocese of Polynesia met in the afternoon at the Polynesian Church of St. .John, when the bishop declared the council a synod of the diocese and in the course of his address extended a hearty welcome to the Archbishop and the accompanying visitors. Much work providing for the control of the synod, including the preparation of standing orders and bills dealing with trusts and financial _ provision, had been done by tho council and these were finally entrusted to special committees. The sessions of the synod were closed on Monday afternoon. At future meetings of the General Synod in Now Zealand, held every three years, the Diocese of Polynesia will be represented by tho bishop and two representatives of the clergy and two representative!; of the laity of the diocese. The Visitors Entertained. During tho remainder of their stay the visitors were hospitably entertained by the Governor of Fiji, Sir Eyre Ilutson, and the citizens of Suva. A dinner was given by His Excellency on Tuesday evening and a reception, attended by the leading citizens, was given by the Bishop of Polynesia on Wednesday afternoon. During" the evening the Solomon Island natives resident in Suva gave an impressive melee in the Polynesian Church, theso men being members of the Anglican Church.

The Archbishop and Mr. Coals rctnnierl to Auckland by (ho Niagara yesterday. Tliey stated that they were impressed with the apparent life of the Church in Suva, which they believed to be largely due to the efforts and leadership of the new vicar of Holy Trinity, the Rev. W. J. Hands, formerly of Khandallah, Wellington. They were also very hopeful for the. future of the work of the Church throughout the Fiji Group and in the diocese generally. A clergyman was now stationed at Labasa and the bishop had made an appeal for more men. Now that the finances of the diocese were to be placed on a sound basis he would be in a position to attract and make provision for men of the right type and thus get results denied to some of his predecessors, who were compelled to work under serious handicaps. The visitors had an opportunity of visiting Nansori and other outlying districts and were amazed at the fertility of the riccfields and the excellent crops of sugar-cane.