MAORI SYNOD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22172, 27 July 1935, Page 16

MAORI SYNOD

CHURCH BOARD SOUGHT TRAINING'OF NATIVE CLERGY CONFERENCE AT ROTORUA [by telegraph—own correspondent] ROTOHTJA, Friday As the outcome of a strong desire ' on the part of the Maori people for 1 some method of unification of the work of the Anglican Mission, the first con--1 ferenc-e of the Maori portion of the Church of England in the form of a Maori synod was held in Rotorua this week, and after three days' sitting eoneluded its session late last night. The conference was attended by 36 ' Maori clergy and 28 lay representatives from practically even- Maori pastorate in the North Island. Bishop Bennett presided, and the discussions which look place were entirely in the Maori language. One of thte main topics was the presI ent position of the Aotearoa bishopric. ; This matter was keenlv discussed, I and the following resolution rewired ! the support of the delegates:— j "This meeting respectfully asks the i bishops and standing committees of the I four dioceses of the North Island to ! give effect to the bill passed by the j general synod in 1934 for the setting j up of the Aotea-roa Church Board, j This meeting believes that the creation !of this board will unify the work of j the Church among the Maori people and give to the Bishop of Aotea-roa j the assistance of a board which would [ have the powers of a standing com- ! mittee." J The training of students for the ! Maori ministry was another subject |on which considerable discussion took | place, and the advisability of taking ! immediate steps in the provision of an ; institution for the training of Maori | youths was contained in the following resolution: —"This conference believes ! that the time has now arrived when ! something definite should be done to j establish an institution for the traini i;ng of the Maori clergy. It believes ! that Rotorua would be the most suit- | able place for such an institution. On account of the difficulties of raising finance, this meeting suggests beginning with a small residential building, lie cost of which should be met by an assessment over every Maori pastorate. As the first Christian mission irtation was established at Te Koutu, in lie Rotorua district, in 1835, this conference suggests the commemoration of the centenary this year by purchasing the old site and beginning part of lie building as a centenary memorial." The conference also decided that, in view of the very satisfactory results obtained from missions conducted by the bishop recently a definite dates should be fixed for similar missions in other parts of the North Island, and that an effort be made to hold the next conference during 1937, the delegates of th« Ngapuhi district. North Auckland, requesting that it be held in their district during March.