CURATES WANTED.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13714, 2 October 1908, Page 3

CURATES WANTED.

CAUSE OF THE .SHORTAGE,

The crying need of the Church of England just now.is not more buildings butmore curateg. I here are vacancies lor from 5000 to 6000 clergymen, and very little pruspect of tilling iheui. A committee appointed by the Arch binhop of Canteibury, has been inquiring into the matter. ihey had eleven iit tings, and have now pivseuted a report of a rather remarkable character. 'i iu< shows that in the provinces of Canterbury and York in 1886 the number of deacon.; ordained was 814, whereas in 190/ the number had fallen to 587. Had the. earlier figures been maintained the total number oi candidates admitted would hav-' been 17,908, whereas the total candidal*.!* ordained during that period numbered 14.784, showing a falling off in twenty-two rears of 5,124. This decrease is moi-e seriouo when i; Li remembered that as a national Church they are bound to consider not only th.needs of their own membeis but th» wholenation and Us spiritual requirements. JLlie growth of the population calls for one hundred more clergymen every year, or a tola! of 22,000 in twenty-two yeais. 'lhii.i ih total shortage is really the large tigm • of 0.324. lb:s dchck.ney is [iiuving <• seriot'rs detriment to the I. hurch. CO CN'TEIJ ATTitACTIUXS.

"It k» no'-," say.-j the report, "difiieul; to account for this decline. lhe HAuut. briefly, are theological, social, and financial. The theological unrest ot the pi,sent day, togtthtr with th- puily i nil; and divieioiii? amongst w>. has no duub' had a deterren: cllect- on many, whi.e-t socially the uumeruiv, openings lor new careers have piov<.d a counter nuiin'liuii Theie cau be no doubt that the heavy outlay which a candidate has to lace, with little or no possibility of self support, •ill alter 'do, proves a i-cuoi*> obuiaei.. to many. There is aleo the further deter tent which influences the judgment of patents and friends, as well as of candidates ili--ji.'oelvee—the ineecunlT of the ctiOsequent tinuncial procpects. The piospeel of a living wage during active ministry w uncertain; Hie prospect of an adequate pension in old age is olill mole uncertain. lhiii> the q taction ot an iucreaised supply oi candidates io intimately associated vim the iiuaucial quiotioi.n ot training, mam leuaiict., and supeTaiinuu.tiou. Any attempt io increase the supply ol men lor the minialiy which otfeio no certain piovisiou m alter hie or in- oid agu is surrounded with giave dilncultito. Tiu evidence is clear that it ih to those- wtid need an assisted education that the church mutst look in the lutuie lor an incitt.fce in the number of ahpiranio. Nor is tins to be regretted. lucre is uo indication that the cupply of candidates able lo bear all their own expenses—the 'independent eauuitiules —ii llkeiv to incrcaoe. It is Iroin this oource that the ranks ot the jacied ministry' hat* been almost uhun\ supplied m leceiit generations, and it its tkcieiure lo the tailing oil ol Ilia aupp... ttiat ilie preoellt dellcieucy io due. As to the advisability, or lhe reverse, of seeking ordinauds from different sonar grades, Ilia committee says : " There can ue no doubt that in the abstract neither liuaucial nor social advantages should be .rccui-u quaiilicaitous lor me munsiiy; nor can it be contended that poverty precludes: Irom mimstenal service, or mat Cod continues lhe creation of priesthood to one rank of the social order. . . It seeins clear that the opening ot a wider accetH lo the Aliuis,ry will produce results beneficial to tin Church and her work, for it will place at her disposal a larger number of volunteers from which to make a choice of fit persons to serve in the ministry.

"The committee urges the necessity for a specific course of professional tia.ii iug. It has to be confessed that at present the essential need of such I raining is very inadequately recognised." Steps should be taken to provide the means of training, maintenance, and superannuation of ministers of the Church.