CHURCH GOSSIPS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 19155, 11 April 1932, Page 2

CHURCH GOSSIPS

AN OUTSPOKEN MINISTER. CONGREGATION ATTACKED. SYDNEY, February 18. The parish gossip received no quarter from the Rev. E. H. Fernie, vicar of All Saints’ Church, East St. Kilda, Melbourne, in his annual review of the church year prepared for the benefit of his parishioners. His vigorous attack on scandal-mongers caused a sensation mainly because of its outspoken character. “The year,” he said, “has been to alarge extent marred by a current of illfeeling, disloyalty, bitterness, and malice, combined with much evil speaking, gossip and slander, which has been prevalent throughout the parish. The parish is sick with the disease which the Psalmist calls “the strife of tongues.” Of course, people never admit that they gossip themselves; it is always other people who are guilty of it; but actually most people gossip more or less, and it is very hard to avoid it. But there is a big difference between harmless gossip and evil speaking, and we do need to root out this evil from amongst us. “Quite frankly, it has not been a happy year for me, just because of this ill will and disloyalty which has been very easy to feel underneath the surface. I know that I have my faults, and have probably hurt people by lack of tact and discretion, but I am really giving of my best for the good of the church in this place. I have been 26 years in the ministry, but honestly 1 have never known a year before so full of the poisons of evil speaking. We have also among us that lowest of all venomous creatures, the anonymous letter writer, and others besides myself have suffered in this way. lam old-fashioned enough to believe in the I personal devil, and I know from experience that whenever there are signs of progress in the parish the devil always gets particularly busy. “I frequently hear people say that they keep out of church affairs because of the back-biting and jealousy that goes on. This, obviously, is all wrong. The right attitude is to take your pait in all that goes on, and by your influence and example stop the thing you abhor. Of course, lots of idle talk is only foolish, and though at times annoying is not harmful. Such, for instance, are the wonderful fairy tales about the people I am supposed to be engaged to or about to marry. After having lived all these years as a bachelor, why I should.be supposed to get married directly I come to St. Kilda I do not rfnow. I promise that if ever I should have any news of that sort I will publish it on the front page of the parish magazine—so you need not believe it until you see it there.” Mi* Fernie went to St. Kilda from South Australia in 1929.