ANGLICAN SYNOD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20383, 11 October 1929, Page 16

ANGLICAN SYNOD.

THE AUCKLAND DIOCESE.

FIRST WORK OF SESSION. CONTRIBUTIONS TO MISSIONS. The first clay's official business in the first session of tho 26th synod of tho Auckland diocese was done yesterday. Clergy nnd synodsmen assembled nt St. Mary's Cathedral in (he morning for roll call and a short service, and there Archbishop Averill delivered (ho second portion of his charge. In his address, tho Archbishop expressed the pleasure of the diocese at tho restoration to health of the King. The thanksgiving services had been a real expression of gratitude to God for sparing so valuable and useful a lifo to tho Empire and the world. Tho consecration of tho Rov. F. A. Ben nett as suffragan Bishop of Waiapu, under the title of Bishop of Aotoaroa, was an event of great importance, tho Archbishop said. It marked tho beginning of a now era in the work of the Church among tho Maoris.

For tho second successive year tho diocesan assignment of £3240 for tho Board of Missions was not reached. However, thero was a shortage of only £3l, and tho sum contributed was tho largest ever given by tho parishes. A special appeal for an extra £2OOO for tlie Melnnesian Mission was to bo issued this year, but it was important that contributions to tho gener;|! mission fund should not be made to suffer. At the conclusion of the morning service tho Auckland clergy entertained tho visiting clergy at luncheon. A start was made with tho formal business in the afternoon, when a number of reports wero road and adopted and several bills wero passed. Good progress was made with a bill revising the statutes, regulations and standing orders of synod. In tho evening, discussion openod on the report of the Standing Committee. It was pointed out that a number of parishes had not paid their assessments for tho pension fund for somo time, and considerable discussion ensued as to how the arrears could bo wiped out, tho matter eventually being referred to a committee. The report of the Church Gazette Committee recommended the necessity of securing a larger circulation. " Thero is something wrong when, in a diocese the size of Auckland, the circulation of the Gazette is only 2700 a month," the Archbishop said. " Tho figure should be at least 5000. Parishes should support tho Gazette out of loyalty to the diocese, if for no other reason. Recently it has been enlarged and greatly improved." Vestries and church committees aro to make special efforts to increase tho circulation. i The Archbishop referred to tho deaths during the year of tho Revs. W. E. Gillam, Ij. L. Cubitfc and R. I. Kerohoma. Death had also removed a number of prominent church workers, among them Messrs. .7. 11. Upton, H. B. Morton. 11. P. Kissling, and T. Granger, of Auckland, Mr. W. R. J. Moody, of Whangarei. Mr. J. E. D. Kemp, of Waimatc North, and Mrs. Hugh Campbell, of Auckland.