ANGLICAN SYNOD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23326, 19 October 1937, Page 6

ANGLICAN SYNOD

THE OPENING SESSIONS INAUGURAL ADDRESS BY BISHOP The annual synod of the Anglican Diocese of Dunedin was opened yesterday afternoon, Bishop Fitchett presiding. After the roll call the Bishop declared the synod duly constituted, and Dean Cruickshank read prayers. PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS The Bishop, in his presidential address, said that the year under review had been one exceptional strain and difficulty, owing to the many changes in the staff of clergy, and to his having to be absent from the diocese in April and again in August. In April he attended the General Synod at Hamilton, and in August, at the request of the Bishop of Christchurch, who was in England, he took nine confirmation services and confirmed approximately 580 persons in the Christchurch Diocese. He desired to acknowledge with gratitude the able works of the dean, who, as vicargeneral, administered the diocese in his absence OBITUARY Since last synod, five former members had passed to their rest. The Rev. Charles Walker Foreman, who resigned the parochial district of Waikouaiti and Palmerston in 1935, died in England. The Rev. Quartus Bacon, who was assistant curate at St. Paul’s from 1886 to 1890, also died in England. The Rev. Alfred Cyril Swainson, who in 1920 was in charge of the parochial district of Wyndham, died in Wellington. The Rev. John Arnold Kemptnorne, vicar of Milton, was suddenly struck down by serious sickness in Holy Week this year. He died during General Synod. Alexander William Martin, formerly a synodsman representing St. Matthew’s parish, died on the sixth of this month. “ I now ask you,” said the bishop, “to stand while we remember before God these former members of synod:— Charles Walker Foreman, priest: Quartus Bacon, priest; Alfred Cyril Swainson, priest: John Arnold Kempthorne, priest; Alexander William Martin, layman.” The widow of the late Archdeacon Woodthorpe—a member of synod for many years—died in Sydney a few months ago. Some clergy would have kindly memories of Mrs Woodthorpe, from having been students at Selwyn College when the archdeacon was warden of the college The speaker also referred to the passing of two sons of the late Joseph West a faithful churchman, well known in former years at Waitahuna, then at Roslyn, and still later at Sawyefs’ Bay. The eldest son, the Rev. George Henry West offered for service in Melanesia and was accepted. After some years of service at his trade, he returned to New Zealand to study for Holy Orders, and was ordained. For years he was stationed on one of the Melanesian Islands, and only rarely saw anyone but the natives. His work involved dangerous sea trips in a small boat, and upon such a trip he nearly perished a few years ago. Early in the year the sad news was received that he had been drowned at sea. Thomas Goulden West was a young man of great promise. He also had the desire to serve, and after much faithful work as a young layman at Port Chalmers and Sawyers’ Ba” he studied for Holy Orders in Christchurch. The Bishop of Christchurch arranged that he should ordain Thomas West for the Diocese of Christchurch in June last, but in May he died after a short illness. CONDOLENCES Certain members of synod had suffered bereavement during the year. The father of the Rev. S. A. G. .Hurd died at Gladstone, and was buried from St. Peter’s, Caversham, where formerly he had been a parishioner for some years. Mrs Digby Wilson, wife of the Rev. G. Digby Wilson, a former member of synod, and mother of the Rev. E. G. Wilson, died -in Christchurch. The mother of the Rev. H. Fallows died in Auckland. Sydney William Samuel Strong, son of Colonel W. J. Strong, died at Greymouth last February. The'Rev. J. N. Thompson had suffered three bereavements within a few months. His brother died at Amberley in January, and shortly after, his son Michael died from infantile paralysis during the epidemic. The father of Mrs Thompson, Mr J. K. Simpson, was very well known as a churchman in Lawrence, and later for a short time in Roslyn He died suddenly in March. Mr Williamson Dawson, the father of Mr J. T. Dawson, was not himself a synodsman, but he served the diocese for some years as a member of the Dunedin Diocesan Trust Board and until failing health made it impossible he was a faithful and regular worshipper at St. John’s, Roslyn. After many years of suffering, which he endured with fortitude, he died in August. NEW MEMBERS To their seats in synod he specially welcomed the following new members:—The Rev. W. Edgar, the Rev. J. M. Templer, the Rev. H. J. B. Bell, the Rev. G. C. H. Phillips, Mr Charles William Pennack (representing the Balclutha parochial district), and Mr John Stewart Garrard (representing the Waimea Plains district) CHANGES They had lost to the diocese of Christchurch the Rev. I. L. Richards and the Rev. F. V. Fisher. The Rev. D. Hillman had gone to England, and the Rev. C. M. Newton had also left the diocese. The Rev. S. A. G. Hurd, formerly Vicar of Dunstan, had been instituted as Vicar of All Saints’, Gladstone, and the following priests had been added to the staff of clergy and licensed as indicated: —The Rev. W. Edgar. Vicar of Waitaki district; the Rev. J. M. Templer, Vicar of Dunstan parish; the Rev. H. J. B. Bell, Vicar of Balclutha; the Rev. G. C. H. Phillips, assistant curate to the Vicar of Gore VACANCIES

The parish of Mornington and the parochial districts of Winton and Milton were vacant, had been vacant for a considerable time, the explanation being chat the Winton vicarage, through the activity of the borer, had become unfit for its purpose; and the amount of stipend available was insufficient, without a vicarage, for any but a young unmarried priest. At his request the M’Kinnon trustees had set aside £IOO to be used to subsidise local contributions towards building a new vicarage. In the meantime, the Archdeacon of Southland, with the assistance of other clergy, and also laymen, was providing what services he found possible He had reason to hope that a suitable young priest would be available for Winton shortly, A priest of considerable ability would be added to the staff of clergy at the beginning of next year, and he was in communication with another priest, so he trusted that the vacancies would be filled before long SUPPLY OF CLERGY ‘ln my address to you last year 1 made some remarks about the difficulty of keeping up a supply of clergy for appointment as vicars of cures, and mentioned the importance of establishing assistant curacies in which to train newly-ordained clergy,” continued the bishop “ I stated that it would be my policy to establish such assistant curacies as opportunities occurred. I have succeeded in establishing an assistant Curacy at Gore However, to supply the required finance, several centres have been attached to Gore, and consequently it has been necessary to appoint a young priest, and not a deacon, but I visualise Gore becoming the centre of a district sufficiently strong financially to be able to have a vicar, a senior assistant curate who would be a priest, and a junior assistant curate who would be a deacon. As the shortage of clergy is not due to a lack of young men offering for holy orders, but to the lack of training grounds for them. I again stress the importance of assistant curacies CLERGY STIPENDS “The matter of clergy stipends 1 also mentioned last year, and early this year I sent to church officers throughout the diocese an appeal for a general all-round increase in stipends, and It is a matter of satisfaction to me to be

able to report that that appeal was not entirely in vain. I have been informed of six parishes and parochial districts that have increased their stipends, one by £ls with the intention of trying to make a further increase next year, two by £2O, two by £SO, and one by £IOO. Two other districts have increased travelling allowances. I trust there may be other increases of which I have not been informed. I thank the church officers who have voted increases and I hope others will be encouraged to follow their example. It should be clear to all thinking laymen that the increased cost of living makes an improvement in stipends a real need.” BUILDING AND ADDITIONS At Balfour a Memorial Hall had been built alongside the church. The whole cost of the building had been provided by Mr John Shaw as a memorial to his wife. He inspected the hall last month and was pleased to note the excellent quality of the building and fittings Though erected only a few months ago, the hall had been found such an excellent asset that it had been decided to enlarge and ’improve it, and upon inquiry as to the likely cost, Mr Shaw informed him that the Church Committee need consider only what would be most useful as he would supply the cost. As a memorial to Michael Thompson, the Rev. J. N. Thompson and Mrs Thompson had provided the whole cost of -‘enlarging the Sanctuary of St. Michael’s Church, Anderson’s Bay, and had erected therein a stained glass window. In St. Martin’s Church, North-East Valley, a pulpit had been erected to the memory of the late Mr E. O. Reilly,' being the gift of the members of his family. In the same cure improvements had been made in the Holy Innocents’ Hall, Leith Valley. At Palmerston a special fund was raised for renovation of the church and the work had been carried out. MISSIONS

" While we may feel encouraged by the fact that the diocese supplied for missions some £4O more than in the previous year, it is" far from satisfactory that the £1448 raised was £l2l less than the quota allotted to this diocese by the Board of Missions. The fixing of diocesan and parochial quotas is of great use, and the desire to supply the full quota for the honour of the diocese or of that of the cure is not an unworthy desire, but I wish to remind you and myself that we should have a much higher motive and inspiration for giving towards the missionary work of the church. We should give because it is God’s will to save the whole world, and because His Son commissioned the Church to carry out that will by preaching the Gospel to every creature. A member of the church, if a member in spirit, and not merely in name, will have the desire mat God’s will should be done, and done by the method appointed by Our Lord. A church membership that is in sincerity and truth will inspire the member to give according to his ability, for the maintenance of the church at home, and also for the propagation of the Gospel abroad. GENERAL SYNOD The General Synod met in April last in Hamilton where a proposal to amend clause 13 of the constitution was defeated, so the Diocesan Synod retained their right to nominate the bishops of their respective dioceses.' The only important alterations that had been made in the method of electing bishops were as follows: —(1) The electing synod might, if it so desired, consult any” or all the bishops. (2) When the synod had decided to nominate a certain clergyman to be bishop, his name must be submitted to the bishops of the province for their approval before sanction was sought from the General Synod, if in session, or the Diocesan Standing Committees if the General Synod be not in session If a majority of the bishops did not approve. a fresh nomination must be made. If approval was given by a majority of the bishops, and General Synod was not in session, the Diocesan Standing Committee were to be convened forthwith to consider the question of sanctioning the nomination. (3) Until the bishops had approved and the sanctioning body had sanctioned, the person nominated would not be informed of his nominatiqn. The General Synod decided to have legislation prepared for introduction in Parliament to amend the Church of England Trusts Act. 1913. so as to empower diocesan synods to delegate to their standing committees power to authorise the sale or mortgage of lands held in trust in the diocese. Such an amendment was most desirable, because having to wait for the annual session of synod had frequently caused great inconvenience, and, in any case, a -body such as the Standing Committee, because it was small in number and could meet frequently, was able to give more careful consideration to such matters than was possible t$ the Diocesan Synod. SESSIONAL COMMITTEES Sessional committees of synod were set up as follows: „ „ Diocesan Institutions. —The Revs. B. O. Plum (convener), W. W. Powell, R. Newcombe. A. W. C Stace, Messrs A. F. Cheyne. D. Harris Hastings. A. H. Allen, and A. G. Mathias. Social Questions. —The Rev. A. B. Pywell (convener), C. E. P. Webb, H. Fallows, and F. J. Ferry, Messrs W. J. Strong, C. W Hannah. J. H. G. Clarke and S. Rice Sunday Schools. —The Revs. L. D. C. Groves (convener), W. A. Hamblett. F C Lawrence. E. G. Wilson, H. T. BoydBell, and T H. Templej, Messrs A. Thorley. A. Bloch. R. R Kofoed. J. Pickard, and Ewan Gerard. Trusts and Sales of Land.--The Dean (convener). Archdeacons Russell Whitehead. Lush, and Button, the Rev. W. A. Curzon-Siggers. Messrs J. T. Dawson G. R, Ritchie, and J. Simpson, Earnshaw. C. R. Wilkinson. Assessment.—The Ven. L. G. Whitehead (convener). Yens. J. D. Russell, J. A. Lush and A. C. H. Button, Messrs W. E. Earnshaw. G. Turner. C. R. Wilkinson. and W. J. Johnson. DATE OF SYNOD

Dean Cruickshank reported on behalf of a commission set up to consider the question of holding the synod earlier than in October, and said it had been agreed that it was inexpedient to alter the date in the meantime. SYNOD SERVICE

The customary synod sex-vice was held in the evening.