ANGLICAN SYNOD

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1533, 18 July 1901, Page 36

ANGLICAN SYNOD

The annual ‘ session of the Anglican Synod was opened in the Diocesan Library on the 10th. The Bishop of Wellington (Dr Wallis) presided, and , the following members were present: Clergy.—Ven Archdeacon Fancourt, Ven Archdeacon Towgood, Revs H-. Anson, A. Eh Aston, W. Ballachey, E. P. W. Bond, J. R. Cassell, H. P. Cowx, A. W. H. Compton, J. L. Dove, P. C. W. Earee, O. Fitz Gerald, P. T. Fortune, Arona Te Hana. A. L. Hansell, C. C. Harper, R. Hermon, A. S. Innes-Jones, D. H. Jenkins, A. M. Johnson, J. Jones, H. S. Leach, E. J. McConnel, J. A. McNiokle, C. T. Pargiter, J. H. Sykes, J. Walker and R. Young. The Rev F. T. 'Sherriff was also present. Laity.—Messrs E. Anderson, W. D. Anderson, G. H. Bethune, T. Blennerhassett, H. J. H. Blow, F. Bradey, H. Caplen, G. Cox, S. P. Curtis, T. W. .Downes, J. T. Fowler, Alf. Fraser, EL Gaby, El. S. McKellar, T. W. Pilcher, junr., W. H. Quick, W. H. Simcox, G. E. Tolhurst, F. V. Waters, R. Wilber* foss and G. Wyett. Several members wer© either excused from attendance or given leave of absence. The president said they were sorry some of those who were with them last session were not with them on this occasion. With reference to the late Mr G. W. Collins, he said he was one whom they all loved for his simplicity of faith and energy of action in God’s service. He was one who had left his mark upon the town of Wanganui, where he lived. He was president of the branch of St. Andrew’s Brotherhood there. He gave valuable help as a member of Synod, and h e was one of the members of th« last General Synod but one. 5 It was resolved that the Finance Committee consist of Archdeacon Fancourt and Messrs E. Anderson, F. Bradey, C. P. Powles, G. Wheeler, G. Wyett and H. J. H. Blow. It was resolved that the Reports Committee consist of the Revs H. Anson, A. S. Innes-Jones, H. P. Cowx, Messrs H. Caplen, J. G. Cox, J. W. Baker and R. Wilberfoss. A letter from the Diocesan auditor with reference to the Pension Fund, and especially in regard to burial fees, was read. A Bill to amend standing order No. 36, given notice of by Mr G. Wheeler, was read a first time. A Bill to amend th e Diocesan Pension Fund Act was read a first time on the motion of the R e v P. T. Fortune. Another amending Bill, brought in by the Rev T. B. Maclean, was also read a first time. An amending Bill to provide for parishes and parochial districts contributing to th® secretarial expenses of the dicr cese was read a first time at the instance of Mr William F. Jacob. The Synod adjourned till next day at 4 p.m. THE BISHOP’S PASTORAL STAFF. INTERESTING PRESENTATION. At the meeting " of the Anglican Synod on Wednesday, the 10th instant, staff, to replace that formerly in use, was presented by the members to Dr Wallis, Bishop of Wellington, for th© use of himself and his successors in’ office. The staff is of the shape of a shepherd’s crook. It is made of handsomely-marked New Zealand wood, and has a silver head. There are four pieces in the staff, and there are silver bands at the three joinings. The crook is ornamental, and is set with valuable stones, including pieces of greenstone and a stone obtained in the demolition of the tomb of St. Albans. The arms of the Wellington diocese are engraved upon the staff. The motto was chosen by Bishop Abraham, the first Bishop of Wellington,, and is the Latin rendering of Revelation xiv., 4: “Follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.” Mr William Booth, of Carterton, gave the wood for the staff, and the 'pieces of greenstone were ground in Wellington. Messrs Wippell and Co., of London, made the staff, under the superintendence of the Rev. F. H. Hunt formerly Vicar of Palmerston North. It is a beautiful piece of workmanship. A motion .was brought forward by the " Rev. Wyndham Earee at the meeting of the Anglican Synod last Thursday that the new pastoral staff presented to the Bishop should be exhibited for a few days at some place in the city where it could be seen by churchpeople generally. The Bishop said h© would fall in with the views of the Synod in the matter. An objection to the proposal was raised by the Ven Archdeacon Towgood, who said he thought it would not be dignified to have the staff placed in a shop window. “Like a piece of racing plate,” interjected another member. Mr Earee said that some members of the Church had been disappointed because they did not know that the presentation was to be made. His motion, he explained, was partly the outcome of a remark made to him by the chancellor (Mr W. H. Quick). As a matter of fact, the staff had already been exhibited in a shop window. Strangely enough, he had received a letter from a friend Stating that the staff was seen at Messrs Wippell and Co.’s window in London, with a card announcing that it had been made for Wellington, New Zealand.

then been presented. “No,” retorted Mr Earee, “but it had been paid for.” As th© Synod was not unanimous on the question, the motion, at the Bishop’s suggestion, was withdrawn. In a letter to the Rev. F. H. Hunt, written from Bakewell Vicarage on the 4th March, Bishop Abraham, who is now in his eighty-seventh year, says : —‘l feel the honour and the kindness that you and the Bishop and your clerical brethren show me in asking me to share the privilege of some connection with the pastoral staff you are presenting to the Bishop and his successors. There are two thoughts belonging to a pastoral staff that I should hold to he imperative on me to express—first, of course, to remind the Bishop and the clergy of the Pastor Pastorum ; secondly, as suo©essors of George Augustus Selwyn, to commemorate the language of the Maoris about him, and his work and demeanour —namely, the Bishop never said (whe n there was something hard to he done) ‘Haere Koutou’ (Go you, and do it), but ( Ka haere tatou’ (We will go, you and I, and do it). Therefore, I can only meet these two requirements by selecting the words from the Apocalpyse xiv., 4,-which speak of the pastoral character 'of the Lamb; and also let the Bishop call on his clergy to join him in going wherever he goes. This legend therefore would he, ‘Sequamur Agnum, quocunque ierit.’ ”

The Ven. Archdeacon Fancourt made the presentation on behalf of the members of the Synod. He said that all of them who had been .here for any number of years had a great regard for the pastoral staff, which had held its place for so many years in the Cathedral of the diocese. At the same time they felt that with the progress of the Church here in many ways that staff was hardly in keeping with their present circumstances. They therefore asked the Bishop to be good enough to accept the one now presented. A pastoral staff had its lessons alike for Bishop, clergy and laity. It brought before them by a very beautiful symbol the duty of a Bishop and of the clergy under him. It put before them the thought of the Bishop as the pastor of the flock committed to his charge, and it represented the office of the pastor in all its aspects of love blended with authoritv, of tender care of the sheep, and of self-sacri-fice for their sake, and there was in it both tfi e thought of encouragement and of urging on, and also that of restraining. There was represented to them the zeal which should belong to pastor and flock alike, and also the necessity which existed on the part of them all, however afire they might be, to take care that their zeal waa tempered with a due regard for the faith and for God’s will regarding them. The Bishop, in accepting the staff, said he was very grateful indeed to the members of the Synod for the generosity which lay below the gift, and for the care and thought that had been spent in making it so truly representative of th© work of a New Zealand Bishop. The st«ne from the Abbey of St. Albans would connect the office held by himself and his successors with one held in England centuries ago. The wood of the staff was a reminder of the hush districts, where the sheep were scattered, and th© greenstone of the Maoris, for whom everyone of them was bound to care. The motto chosen by their first Bishop, telling them.that they should “follow the Lamb whithersoever He went,” taught them a lesson of humility and patience, and something more. As he looked back upon the more than six years that had passed since he unwillingly came to the colony h© never regretted that h© hacL mad© his horn© here, for New Zealand people were very kind, very forgiving, and very little disposed to condemn. Whatever feelings there had been because of his blunders, his own sins had brought him hardly any suffering worth the name. It might be that in years to come suffering might come to them for doing their duty truthfully—because they had tried to follow the Lamb—but nothing better could come to any one of them than suffering for tho sake of following Him. The Bishop, holding the new staff, then pronounced the blessing. The session of the Anglican Diocesan Synod was continued on Thursday, under the presidency of the Bishop of Wellington. In addition to the members mentioned yesterday, there were present the Revs J. G. S. Bartlett, J. D. Russell, T. H.. Sprott, J. McWilliam and T. B. MoLean Hon F. Arkwright, Messrs T. F. Martin, G. Wheeler, W. T. Grundy, W. A. Fitzherbert, K. Wilson, Geo. Flux, J. W. Davis, W. B. Allen and J. F. H e ckler. The report of the Standing Committee stated that negotiations were entered into with the Church Missionary Association in Sydney in the early part of the year with a view to obtaining a trained Chinese catechist for the diooese; but no intimation had been received that, a suitable man had been obtained for training. The parish of Christ Church, Wanganui, had undertaken to supply a sum of £25 per annum towards the support of a Maori_ clergyman to minister on th e Wanganui river; but no such clergyman was available for th® work at the present time. The R©r Arona Te Aana had ceased for some time to reside in th© district assigned to him, under the Rev A. O. Williams, and the Standing Committea resolved

that th© grant from the Maori Mission Fund to him should be withheld, until they determined otherwise. Th© grant had not been paid for the past four quarters. Miss Blakiston nad been appointed a missionary, under the guidance and supervision of the Bishop, to the Maoris in and around Grey town. The diocese was indebted to the Church Missionary Association for generously supplying her stipend. The contributions received towards the stipend of the chaplain to the public institutions in Wellington had proved insufficient. The Standing Committe e had suggested that, with th© assistance of tho Wellington clergy, a committee should be formed, to help the chaplain in his work, and to assist in raising the necessary funds for his stipend. The Executive Committee appointed to deal with th© effort towards liquidation of the debt of £1775 remaining upon Bishopscourt reported that there were promised subscriptions, etc., to the extent c ,f £467 Is 2d. The cash received amounted to £359 13s 2d, and debentures had been reduced to the extent of £350, resulting in an annual saving of £27 for interest. The committee specially thanked Mr J. T. Fowler, by whose efforts the sum of £SB was collected in the Wairarapa district; also the representatives of the diocese in the General Synod, who were successful in obtaining a grant ©f £75 from the General Church Trust. The sub committee on the insurance of church property referred to the scheme in operation in the Christchurch diocese and to the organisation of the Methodist Church authorities, and continued, “ The premium income in this diocese would probably b e less than in either of the instances mentioned above, but not so much less as to lead to the conclusion that we should probably fail where others have succeeded. The committee therefore recommend that the matter be remitted to the Diocesan Synod for favourable consideration.” The report of the sub-committee appointed to inquire whether there is need for further church accommodation in the city of Wellington and its immediate neighbourhood concluded as follows : —“ That in the opinion of this sub-committee it* is desirable —(1) That a church site should he secured at Kelburne as a nucleus of a possible new district of Kelburne and Northland; (2) that the room at Berhampor e should be secured to the Church; (3) that a site should be secured near Taranaki street, and a mission room at Mitchelltown; (4) that a site should be secured in a suitable locality at Creswick; (5) that a site should be secured at Day’s Bay or Muritai. That the sub-commit-tee have- no suggestion to offer as to serviceg at Muritai or Day’s Bay at present.” The accumulated funds of the Papawai and Kaikokirikiri Trusts were reported to amount to £6331 Os lOd on the 31st March, 1901. The Porirua College Trustees reported that notice of appeal to the Privy Council from the judgment of the Court of Appeal had been given by the trustees. The accumulated funds at the 31st March, 1901, amounted to £8145, and those of the Harrington Trust to £1761 10s 2d. The Pension Fund Trustees presented the annual statement of receipts and expenditure, and a statement of th© capital of fhe fund, which had been increased during the year by a transfer from general account of £SOO, making the total sum now £11,050. In the report of th© Diocesan Board of Trustees, it was "stated that at the last session of the General Synod they obtained leave to sell th© piece of land in Bolton street, Wellington, on which the sexton’s cottage stands ; also to sell, if necessary, part of town acre 963, Wellington, th© site of St. Thomas’s Church and school, if it should be ‘necessary in view of the City Council's taking part of the same section for street widening. -The Wanganui Collegiate School Trustees reported that the financial position of the trust had considerably improved, and was now in a highly satisfactory state. During the year th© balance of th© mortgage to th© Wellington Trust, Loan and Investment Company, amounting to £lsl 13s 4d, was repaid in full, and repayment was also made of the sum of £B4 due to Mr Empson. Notice had been given to the Harvey Estate that the mortgage to them of £SOO would he repaid on the Bth August, at which date the trustees were hopeful of being entirely free of debt, A large number of the leases which fell in during the past year had been re-let, either for long or short terms, as considered advisable by the trustees. The headmaster of the Wanganui Collegiate School reported that Mrs Atkinson, a lady of very considerable experience in education, had temporarily undertaken the major portion of the French teaching in the school with good results. This was a new departure in secondary school education, and the experiment seemed to be entirely successful. The sum of £IOO given by Mr W. F. Levin to the headmaster to be used at his discretion for any purpose connected with the school, had been devoted to supplying th© material for a new classroom and drying-room. A new east window was shortly to be pat up in the chapel to the memory of old boys who had died in the war—L. S. Melville. W. D. Armstrong and C. Par-

kinson. Th© total number of old boy® who either had been or still were on military service in South Africa was sixty* The Diocesan treasurer for the Melanesian mission reported that the funds had again suffered through bad weather on the Sunday set apart for collecting the annual special offertory. He had heard of only one instance of a supplementary offertory or other use having been made for the authorising resolution of Synod (1900). The report of the Diocesan Secretary upon parochial accounts stated: —Th® total receipts for the year, excluding balances brought forward, have been £18,302 11s 7d, as compared with £19,273 9s lid for the preceding year. This is not the falling off that it appears to be at first sight. In the previous year the loans and overdrafts amounted to £2718 15s 6d, whereas in the past year they amounted only to £1367, or £1351 less. Out of the total receipts £7793 19s Bd, as compared with £7197 19s 3d, were contributed to the General Church Fund. The increase is due almost entirely to the assessment of St. Peter’s parish. The total expenditure, including that to the General Church Fund, ha s been £18,060 13s, as compared with £18,608 15s 2d. The sums borrowed amount to £1367, as stated above, while the loans paid off amount to £1222 19s 2d. The parish of St. Paul has raised by its School Society £415, and £2OO has been paid off the Sydney street buildings. The parish of St. Peter shows donations £2OB 10s, and loan paid off £2OO. St. Thomas’s, Newtown, is to he congratulated upon the happy result which has attended its efforts to place its finances on a satisfactory footing. It started the year with a debit balance of £96, in addition to an overdraft of £SOO and ended the year with an overdraft reduced to £230, and a : credit balance on current accounts of £57. Petone has increased its new Church Building Fund by £llß. Carter--ton has raised by a bazaar £lO6, by means of which it has paid for a choir ve s try, previously erected, and cleared itself of other liabilities. Masterton has erected a room attached to the church, to serve as choir vestry and class room, at a cost of £BB. It has raised £2OO by special means. Levin has erected a par® sonage on which it has expended £351, most of which has been advanced by the bank. Foxton has enlarged its church, at a cost of £169, without incurring any debt. Palmerston North has raised £135 for a new church room, out of which it has exepnded £SO on a new site. At Kimbolton (Ongo-Apiti) £149 has been expended on the purchase of a site and th© erection of a small parsonage, £IOO being borrowed for this purpose. Christ Church, Wanganui, has erected, by means of a loan, a new parsonage at a cost of £777. Waitotara has purchased a parsonage for £2BO. It is all but free of debt. Hawera hag raised £350 towards the building of a new church. At Te Roti (Eltham district) £204 has been expended on a church. No liability is shown. On the motion of the Rev C. C. Harper a select committee was appointed to consider and report on the best method of providing for the spiritual oversight cf the Pohangina parochial district. Leave was given to the Rev A. W. H. Compton to bring in a Bill to provide for the constitution of native paro*cliial districts and native church boards in the diocese. The Rev P. C. W. Earee moved, “That this Synod instruct the > Diocesan Trustees to refund to the vestry of St. Mat® thew’s Church, Masterton, the sum of £1 charged by the trustees for the inspection of plans for a choir vestry.” He explained that the motion was a test one. It was held by the vestry that the trustees had not the power to make the charge in question. After discussion the motion was lost. A motion by Mr T. W. Downes for the appointment of a select committee to consider the spiritual needs of the Bulls and Sandon distriots was, after discussion, withdrawn. The Rev T. B. Maclean moved the second reading of a Bill to amend the Diocesan Pension Fund Act, by making provison for a clergyman’s retaining his interest in the fund on leaving the diocese after having been a subscriber for not less than ten year’s. A select committee was appointed to consider the proposed new clause. The Rev P. T. For£un© moved the second reading of a Bill to amend the Diocesan Pension Fund Act by making provision for a clergyman’s ante-dating his claim upon the fund by paying. loaded subscriptions for the back years of his term of service. On a division the motion was lost. The voting was as follows : —For the second reading, 11 clergymen and 7 laymen; against the second reading, 23 clergymen and 17 laymen. A select committee was appointed to inquire into the necessity or otherwise of alterations in the boundaries of mar riage registration districts. In the discussion reference was made by Mr Downes to the Bulls district, and by the Rev A. S. Innes-Jones to the Colyton district. The Synod adjourned tilL 4 p.m. next day,. The session of the Anglican Synod was continued in the Diocesan Library on Friday. On the motion of Mr G. E. Tolhurst, the question of appointing a bursar who should discharge the office and

other .work of the various trusts was re_ ferred to the Reports Committee. Th£ Rev C. C. Harper moved to the effect that the Standing Committee be elected by ballot. Th© motion was carried on the voices. It was also resolved, “That the maximum number of the committee shall be seven clergymen and nine laymen,” •' • A new method of recording the votes at divisions was adopted on the motion of Mr G. Wheeler. The president, in reply to a question asked for J the Rev' P. C. W Earee, read the following statement by the Chancellor in regard to the Offertories Act: —“It appears to me that the ex- '. pression ‘licensed place of worship’ where used in section 2 of Act No. 12 of the Diocesan Synod has no signification at present in this diocese, inasmuch as you have not yet licensed a place of worship other than a church. I assume that what is contemplated is a place intended for public worship but not yet consecrated. Such buildings exist in the diocese, and are used regularly for public worship, and mighty of course, be licensed by you as an ad interim step, if you thought fit, thus giving them some kind of status as being different from merely secular buildings, though r.ot having the sacred character which is given by consecration.” The Synod adjourned till 4 p.m. on Monday. The session of the Anglican Synod was continued in the Diocesan Library on Monday, under the presidency of the Bishop of Wellington. The Select Committee appointed to consider the question of the spiritual oversight of the Pohangina district reported as fellows:—“ 1. That they consider the district is unable to maintain itself as a separate district. 2. That ther© is no means of increasing the size of the district. And consequently they recommend that the district be placed under the charge of the vicar of Palmerston North, v ho shall have a second assistant curate. Towards the stipend of this assistant curate the committee recommend that Ashurst shall be assessed at £3O a year, Bunnythorp e at £25 a year and Pohangina at .£25 a year, which amount, together with £lO from Miss Ashurst, makes £9O a year The oommittee recommend that the same grant in aid as last year, namely, £6O, be made by Synod.” The report was referred to the Finance Committee. The Select Committee on alterations in marriage registration districts reported as follows : —“ Your committee, having found that alterations in the marriage registration districts are necessary at Bulls and Colyton, interviewed the Registrar-General, and obtained his promise to promptly consider our repre_ sentations and give effect thereto so far as it is possible.” A letter was received from Government House stating that Lady Ranfurly, in consequence of an attack cu influenza, regretted that the tea for members of the Synod would hav e to be given up. On the motion of Mr H. S. MoKellar, the first reading was agreed to of a Bill to amend the Offertories Act. The mover said the object of the Bill was to remove doubts that had arisen as to the meaning of certain words in the Act, and to provide machinery for carrying on certain portions of it. It was also intended to take advantage of the fact that an amendment of the Act was necessary, to embody in it certain re strictions of a permanent character which it was considered desirable should be in statute form. On the motion of the Rev C. C. Harper, standing order No. 2 was amended so as to provide that the Synod should meet, unless otherwise ordered, daily, except * n Saturday and Sunday. Th© hour of meeting was fixed for 3 p.m. ©n the first day; and it was decided that oil each succeeding day Synod should meet from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m., and at 7.30 p.m., unless otherwise ordered. Captain Hewitt moved, “That it is desirable that two Sundays after Trinity be set apart for church teaching and consideration of th© works of God as revealed to us in the present day.” He admitted that it would rest entirely with th© Bishop whether effect were given to the motion or not. The Yen. Archdeacon Towgood pointed to the ■difficulties of the proposal, which was * also adversely criticised by Dr J. R. Purdy. The mc,tion was lost on the

A Bill introduced by_Mr W. F. Jacob, to provide that the Synod should determine what sum proportionate of the cost of management of the General Church Fund each parish and parochial district should be required to contribute to the fund, was read a second time and passed through committee. The Rev T. B. Maclean’s Bill to amend the Diocesan Pension Fund Act was considered in committee. The Bill makes provision for a clergyman’s retaining his interest in the fund, on certain conditions, after leaving the diocese. It was passed through committee with amendments. The Synod adjourned till Tuesday afternoon. 3