ANGLICAN CHURCH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22708, 22 October 1935, Page 14

ANGLICAN CHURCH

DIOCESAN SYNOD * OPENING MEETING ADDRESS BY BISHOP FITCHETT The second session of the twenty-third synod of the Diocese of Dunedin was opened in St. Paul’s Schoolroom yesterday, Bishop Fitchett presiding as chief administrator of the diocese. After roll call and devotional exercises, the presidential address was delivered by the bishop. PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS Bishop Fitchett at the outset referred to the loss of membership by death during the year. He askej members to stand in tribute to the memory of the following;—William Henry Roberts, priest; Geoffrey Fynes-Clihtou, priest, canon of St. Paul’s; David Jamieson, priest; John Geoffrey Sherry Bartlett, priest; Horace Packe, priest, canon of Waiapu; John Henry Rogers, priest: Robert Bauchop, layman; Sidney Alfred Hedges Robb, layman. POLICY Continuing, the bishop said: —“I think it is known generally that it was after much hesitation and with great reluctance that I accepted the invitation of the Diocesan Synod to become the chief pastor and administrator of the diocese; but having accepted that invitation, I entered upon office with the determination to spend myself in an effort to consolidate and strengthen the work already begun by my predecessors. I realise quite fully the need, of church extension and the need of more clergy, particularly in the country districts, in many of which one parish priest has the responsibility of work that .might well occupy the time and attention of two or three priests; but though it was necessary for my predecessors to establish outlying posts—-and I appreciate with admiration their self-sacrificing devotion in doing so—l believe the time has arrived when it is sound policy to consolidate the positions held, before attempting to establish new positions. BISHOP RICHARDS The resignation of my immediate predecessor, who had served this diocese with devotion for many years, first as warden of Sehvyn College, then as parish priest, and ultimately as bishop, took from our midst one who had made a home for himself in the hearts of a great multitude, but it is a joy to all who had learnt to love him to know that since his retirement the relief from the strain of office has had a remarkably beneficial effect upon his health. A fortnight ago to-day he and Mrs Richards celebrated their golden wedding, and I telegraphed congratulations on behalf of myself and of the diocese. THE REV. CANON STATHAM The resignation of Canon Statham was almost simultaneous with that of Bishop Richards, so the diocese had to face the difficult situation created by the advent of a new bishop and a new diocesan registrar almost at the same time. To Canon Statham the diocese owes a great debt of gratitude for his able and devoted conduct of the business of the diocese, during his long term of office. In the early days of the. diocese, Mr Statham, then a layman, wag a zealous lay reader and Sunday school worker, and a member of the Diocesan Synod. He has also represented the diocese in the General Synod as a layman. Somewhat late in life he was ordained. He became a canon, of St. Paul’s Cathedral in 1929, and was appointed vicar-general in the same year. In spite of ill-health he continued his work as diocesan registrar with zeal and ability until hie ninetieth year, and it is pleasant to know that now, in his ninetyfirst year, his mind is fresh and vigorous qnd his zeal for the Church unabated. OTHER. CHANGES During my term of office the Rev. J. N. Thompson has been licensed to the parochial district of Anderson’s Bay, in which is included the Peninsula; the Rev. J. A. G. Simpson has been licensed to the parochial district of Tuapeka; the Rev. W. A. Curzon-Siggers has been instituted to the parish of St. Martin, North-East Valley; the Rev. G. E. Lomas has been licensed as assistant curate to the Veu. J. A. Lush; the Rev. C. M. Newton has been licensed as vicar of the parochial district of Waitaki; the Rev. W. Hardy Johnson having resigned to proceed to England, the Yen. L. G. Whitehead was nominated to be vicar of All Saints’ Parish, Dunedin, and has been duly instituted; the Rev. F. C. Lawrence has been licensed to the parochial district oh Wyndham; the Rev. F. J. Ferry has been licensed to the parochial district of Maniototo; the Rev. W. W. Ewart has been transferred from the Bluff to Mosgiel; and the Rev. C. J. G. Samuda has left the diocese to accept an appointment in the Wellington Diocese. In addition to these changes that have already taken place, the Rev. 0. W. Foreman has resigned the parochial district of Waikouaiti and Palmerston, ns from November 30, to proceed to England, and the Ven. A. C. H. Button, who has resigned the parish of Caversham, has been appointed to Waikouaiti and Palmerston as from December 1. The Rev. A. B. Pywell has been nominated to be vicar of the parish of Caversham, and wifi bo instituted about December 18; the Rev. C. N. Luker has been appointed to the Bluff parochial district, and will take charge on November 1; the Rev. E. G. Wilson has been appointed vicar of the parochial district of Port Chalmers, and will be licensed as from January 1, and the Rev. F. L. Irwin has been appointed vicar of the parochial district of Riverton, and is expected to arrive from Rockhampton at the end of November. REARRANGEMENT OF CURES Since August 31 Leith Valley district has been attached to the parish of NorthEast Valley. Stewart Island has been placed under the care of the Vicar of Bluff. Warrington has been transferred to the care of the Vicar of Port Chalmers, as from January 1 next, and Ravensbourne takes its place as a college district. The Fortrose district has been returned to the care of the Vicar of Wyndham. Upon Archdeacon Whitehead accepting nomination to be vicar of All Saints’ parish, I arranged with Sehvyn College Board and the All Saints’ Vestry that lie should remain warden of Sehvyn College, and have the assistance of a subwarden who should also bo a senior assistant curate, and from the beginning of 193(5 the further assistance of a junior assistant curate. The Rev. R. Newcombe has just been licensed to the former position. A change has been made in the organisation of the work of the Orphanages Committee, by which a considerable saving of overhead expenditure has been effected. The secretarial, and much of the collecting work, formerly done by a travelling superintendent is now undertaken by the diocesan office: the Rev. J. N. Thompson has been appointed chaplain superintendent: and, as occasion may require. the manager of the orphanages will visit the various parts of the diocese. This arrangement also benefits the parishes and parochial districts, as the contribution made by the Orphanages Committee to the diocesan office, has helped to reduce the charge upon the Assessment Fund. THE DIOCESAN OFFICE I feel confident the members of synod approve the action of the Standing Committee and the Dunedin Diocesan Trust Board in renting new offices, which provide an excellent board room, and private rooms for the registrar and the bishop. The diocesan office has been evolved out of a mere department in the office of C. H. Statham, accountant and auditor As the diocesan business grew, the accountancy and auditing were gradually dropped, and eventually the diocese bought the office furniture, and took over the office altogether, and Canon Statham became a full-time diocesan registrar, with a staff of a clerk and a junior. Until 1927 the positions of diocesan registrar, secretary of the Dunedin Diocesan Trust Board Incorporated, and the secretaryships of the various diocesan funds were all separate and distinct

offices, and though Canon Statham hap pened to occupy them all, he drew a separ ate salary from each.

In 1927 this was altered by legislation (hat provided that all the offices should be held by the diocesan registrar, and one salary paid. This necessitated the creation of a body to which the registrar should be responsible, and which should have control of the office, ami the legislation piovidcd that that body should consist of a joint meeting of the Standing Committee and the Dunedin Diocesan Trust Board. As a controlling body, such a joint meeting has been found cumbersome and practically unworkable, so at this session legislation will ho introduced to provide for a diocesan office hoard. The need for this board will he put before you fully when the Bill for its creation is before synod. CLERGY PENSION FUND It is satisfactory to find, he continued, from the report of the Pension Board, that the capital of this fund continues to increase, but it is important to remember § that the claims on the fund arc also increasing. The pensions the fund provides tor retiring clergy are much smaller than is desirable —for instance, a clergyman retiring with 20 years’ membership receives a pension of £BS a year —yet from an actuarial point of view, the pension is higher than is warranted by the amount of premium paid. This is so because it is assumed that the fund will receive benefactions, and I take this opportunity of suggesting that in making testamentary provision for the distribution of their estates, churchmen may well boar in mind the example of the late Ernest Price, and provide that the Clergy Pension Fund shall benefit. As Mr Price was a member of the Pension Board, lie understood the needs of the fund, and provided accordingly. GENERAL CHURCH FUND In theory, a four-fifths portion of flic income of this fund is used in making grants to supplement the stipends of the clergy whose stipends arc below £3OO a year; and a one-fifth portion is used for other diocesan purposes; but as bequests of capital have been made to the fourfifths portion, in practice, more than a four-fifths portion goes in grants and less than a one-fifth portion is available for other purposes. A few years ago, at the request of the Standing Committee, l made a report on this fund, in which 1 suggested that the capital should be divided into two funds with distinctive names, and I think that in the near future synod should consider the desirability of that course. Part of the income of this fund is from assessments, levied upon the parishes and parochial districts, and a Bill is to be introduced this session which proposes to alter the basis upon which the assessments are fixed. BISHpPRIC ENDOWMENT FUND As this is the fund from which the stipend and allowance for expenses of office for the bishop are provided, it is natural that I should speak of it with considerable diffidence. Some of the income is derived from capital invested, and some comes from the rent of the property. It is known to the members of synod that some time before my predecessor resigned, the revenue from these sources had so shrunk, that it was necessary to reduce the bishop’s stipend, and allowance for the expenses of office, by £3OO. That position continues, and as the capital is invested in Government securities, and the property is leased for five years, there is no possibility of the revenue improving for some years. .The special session of synod for the election of a bishop, recognised that there was urgent need for some new source of revenue, and the following resolution was passed:—“That the Standing Committee be asked to appoint a committee to endeavour forthwith to raise a sum of £IO,OOO on which a first charge shall be a money gift to the retiring bishop: the balance to be capitalised; the interest therefrom to be devoted —first, to increasing the pension of the retiring bishop; secondly, to increasing the stipend of the bishop, the amounts of increase to be decided at the next session of synod; thirdly, for such purposes as the Standing Committee may from time to time decide.” A committee was appointed, and it was decided that the raising of money for the bishop’s retirement might suffer if it were connected with the raising of money for other purposes, and that it would he well to malce a gift to the retiring bishop of the whole amount raised, rather than retain a portion of it to provide an increased pension. This was carried out, and the parting gift was presented to the retiring bishop. With regard to the other purposes mentioned in the resolution the committee decided, on my suggestion, that no effort should be made to increase the capital of the Bishopric Endowment Fund, but that efforts should be made to raise a new fund, to be called the Diocesan Endowment Fund. The first charge upon the income of this fund would be the annual payment to the income of the Bishopric Endowment Fund of sufficient to enable that fund to pay what stipend and allowance synod decided should be paid to the bishop. Of the balance of the income a proportion to be fixed, from time to time, by the synod, but not exceeding one-half, would be used toward the salaries and expenses of the Diocesan Office, to ease the taxation of the parishes and parochial districts, and to assist the Trust Board to reduce its rate of charges; and the remainder of the income would be at the disposal of the Standing Committee for any diocesan purposes. It was estimated that to fulfil these purposes a capital sum of £25,000 was required, and the committee was strongly of opinion that it would bo disastrous to make a general appeal for that amount, until some generous churchman could be found to open the fund with a very substantial contribution. The committee has made efforts to have the fund opened in this way, but so far without success. ASSESSMENT FUND This is purely an income fund, raised each year, by direct taxation of the parishes and parochial districts, for meeting the cost of synod and various other general expenses of the diocese. For some time past I have realised that this taxation lias become so high as to lie exceedingly burdensome, so I have devoted much attention to devising means of bringing about a reduction. I fancy the clergy and church officers jvill not be displeased at the result of my efforts. By deciding not to hold a session of synod last October, but to allow the special session to stand as the session required by the canon, the Assessment Fund was saved approximately £IOO, and this year the registrar’s estimate of the amount required from the parishes and parochial districts is £BOO, as against £IOOO in 1933. This is in spite of the fact that we have rented better offices, at a higher rental. DIOCESAN TRUST BOARD The diocese is indebted to the competent and experienced business men who give their services as members of the Diocesan Trust Board. Besides the diocesan capital funds such as I have mentioned, the Trust Board has numerous other trust funds “in its care, as may he seen by reference to the board's report. There are still other trust funds in the diocese, in the care of private trustees, and it is highly desirable that ail these should be transferred to the Diocesan Trust Board. Private trustees die, or they may go to distant parts, and often a good deal of trouble and expense results. It is even possible, owing to changes in the trustees, and in church officers, that trust funds held by private trustees may be lost sight of altogether, or may be misapplied unintentionally, especially as there is no record of them with the diocesan authorities. At my suggestion, certain small trust funds, previously hold by private trustees, are being transferred.to the Diocesan Trust Board, and I appeal to parishes and parochial districts, in whose interests trust funds are held by private trustees, to have them transferred to the Diocesan Trust Board. I know that it is objected that the charges of the Trust, Board are high, but it is well worth while to pay the charges, for the sake of safety, for securing that proper records are kept, and for having the sei'viccs of experienced men of business to invest the funds to the best advantage. Moreover, the charges of the Trust Board can bo reduced only by increasing the volume of the funds in its care. DIOCESE AND EPISCOPAL VISITATIONS In the work of consolidation I believe it to he most important to strengthen the links between the outlying districts and the centre of the diocese. That there are iinks to strengthen is due to the selfsacrificing efforts of my predecessors in office, but I am satisfied that much may now be done to make the clergy and church' officers feci that their connection with the diocesan authorities is not merely a matter of paying diocesan assessments, Pension Fund payments, General Church Fund assessments, and missionary

quotas. These things must bo paid, or the diocese could not continue to exist, but I have found in parishes and districts, and even in some of the clergy, a great deal of misunderstanding as to their necessity. What is needed is personal touch between the centre and the rest of the diocese, and this can be supplied only by the bishop. I regard this matter as so important that, beginning in July last year, 1 have now toured three of the archdeaconries four times, and the Archdeaconry of Central Otago 1 am to tour for the fourth time next month. In these visitations I have taken 71 confirmations, at which I have confirmed 910 candidates. But confirmation is an official act, and does not supply the personal touch I feel is so desirable; so besides insisting upon speaking to the candidates personally after the service, and besides meeting many church people at social functions that have been arranged, I have as far as possible met vestries, and I have called at the homes of many church people in the country. I have found church officers quite interested to learn about, and to understand,- diocesan affairs, and I am satisfied that these contacts will remove much, of the feeling that the diocese is mainly concerned with collecting taxes. DIOCESAN INSTITUTIONS Having occupied so much of your time, I must confine myself to mentioning, without comment, the following institutions and organisations that are so valuable to our church life, and from some of which you will have reports placed before you: — The Cathedral and the Cathedral Chapter and Vestry: Sclwyn College; St. Hilda's Collegiate School, concerning which the principal asks an opportunity of addressing you; St. John's Girls’ School,_ Invercargill; the orphanages; the men’s mis sion; the Sunday Teachers’ Association; the Mothers* Union; the Bible Class Unions; the Girls’ Friendly Society; the Servers’ Guild; and, though possessing no organisation, I must mention (lie layreaders of the diocese. CONCLUSION “ In conclusion, I wish to acknowledge gratefully the hospitality and gracious kindness'that lias been extended to Mrs Fitchett and myself in all parts of the diocese, and to thank the clergy who have taken me to see many of their parishioners. Having been nearly 32 years in the diocese at die time of my consecration, and knowing that a prophet hath no honour in his own country, I have been surprised beyond measure at the kindly and helpful manner in which I have lieen accepted as bishop of the diocese. It is evidence to me of the great faith in, and respect for, the sacred office, whoever may be the occupant. 1 now invite your attention to the business of the session, trusting and believing that however divergent may he our views concerning the subjects we shall have to consider, we shall all bo inspired with the desire that synod will bo guided to final decisions in harmony with the Divine will.” A vote of appreciation of the bishop’s address was carried unanimously. FORMAL BUSINESS Formal business fixing the hours of synod at from 3 p.m. to 5 and 7.30 to 10 daily, except Monday, was disposed of, and nominations were received for committees -and synod offices, together with bills, papers, and reports, and the synod adjourned until the evening. SERVICE IN ST. PAUL’S

The annual synod service was held in St. Paul’s Cathedral in the evening, when the Rev. W. A. Hamblett delivered a sermon on the functions of the Church, which he described first as a Divine institution founded among men, whose doctrines were designed to permeate all society and to cause all men to live under the benign influence of Christian teaching. The purp_oee of the Church was to spread and embrace all manner and races of men. The speaker then dealt with the position to which the founders of the Church of the province of New Zealand committed its members when by its fundamental provisions it provided a modus vivendi for “the ordering of the affairs, the management of the property, the promotion of the discipline of members, and for the inculcation and maintenance of sound doctrine and true religion throughout the colony to the glory of God and the. edification and increase of the Church of Christ. In their perplexities men to-day were looking to the Church for guidance, he continued, believing, vaguely perhaps, that the solution of their many problems was beyond the wit of man, but yet was simple in the sight of God. They were looking to the Church which claimed to be the custodian of the oracles of God and to have Divine guidance to indicate the way. Two major problems had been thrust forward by the pressing necessities of the times. One was the solution of the unemployment problem. The other was the question of the abolition of war. Both were prime subjects for the consideration of the Church, and it was to be hoped that both would receive the attention they merited in the session of synod now open. The causes of unemployment, he said, were doubtless many, but the issue was largely a moral one, and therefore within their province. It used to be said that it would become necessary to limit population because the earth could not provide sustenance for its increase. The destruction in recent years of large quantities of food and the deliberate limitation of land areas for the growth of cereals in order that high prices may be maintained gave abundant proof that the cause of want lay not in the improvidence of God. It was the selfisheness of man that was the underlying. cause, and it was a true utterance that the destruction and limitation of food production was an offence against God and man. It was the love of money that was the root of the present evil. To those who were rich in this world’s goods he would say that their wealth was a trust from God. Many to-day resented the unemployment taxation which the Government had imposed. but it was nohe other than the application of Christian teaching that “ the strong ought to support the weak.” He did not want to advocate philanthropy in the shape of charity as a solution. What men demanded to-day, and rightly, was the right to earn a livelihood by their labour. There was not a world shortage of the necessities and amenities of life but an uneven distribution. If necessary industry and trade must be willing to accept lower profits. None arc justified in adding wealth to wealth while many are lacking the common requirements of life. Speaking of war the preacher said that men often asked if God be a God of love why did He not stop war? This was to charge God with folly or neglect. He believed God hated war much more than the most ardent pacifists. But by the gift of free-will to man God called man to learn by the sufferings caused by his own follies and inordinate ambitions to love the way of peace; to work out his own salvation.