CHURCH UNION IDEAL

Taranaki Daily News, 3 October 1930, Page 3

CHURCH UNION IDEAL

THE ANGLICAN VIEWPOINT. BASIS FOR NEGOTIATION. For some time past the Auckland Ministers’ Association has' been steadily fostering the ideal of Church union, and in particular has been considering the possibility of forming one united Church for the Dominion. During the winter representatives of various Churches have in turn stated what contribution they considered tj'heir Church could make to such a united body. While no definite steps have been officially dealt with by' Church . courts,' it is felt, says the New Zealand Herald, that the desire for such union is steadily growing in strength. Representatives of Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational Churches have already stated their case, and at the monthly meeting of the association in the Pitt Street Methodist Church, Canon W?’Fancourt, vicar of St. Mary’s Cathedral, dealt with the contribution which the Church of England was qualified to make. He recalled the splendid history of the national Church, the saints, scholars and statesmen she had produced throughout ( the centuries, the widespread influence for good she had exercised, her fidelity to reformation doctrine, her comprehensiveness and her catholicity. ' He regretted that she had ever driven from her communion the great Methodist Church, and that there were so many divisions among the disciples .Christ. He believed the Church of England was well adapted to form a centre of reunion to all the Christian denominations. They might find a difficulty in accepting the historic episcopate, but there were many advantages in the episcopal form of Church government, and it was apparently adopted by the Church as early as the second century. The bishop was not the tyrant and despot which many non-Anglicans supposed him to be. The Anglican Church in New Zealand was free and owed no allegiance, save a voluntary one, to Canterbury, and her independence here made it easier for her to negotiate with other Churches for a united Church.

In view of prevalent and aggressive secularism, the reunion z of Christendom was eminently desirable, and all who believed in Jesus Christ should pray and work for it. They were faced with the alternative either of closing up their ranks in unity or of suffering the evils of sectarianism, either of order or of chaos.

A keen discussion followed, and Canon -■ancourt was warmly thanked for his lucid statements and for the gracious and brotherly spirit in which they were made.