OXFORD MOVEMENT

Wairarapa Daily Times, 14 October 1933, Page 5

OXFORD MOVEMENT

CRITICISED BY BISHOP. NAPIER, Friday. Criticism of the religious movement knoAvn as the Oxford Group Movement was made by Bishop H. Williams in his opening address at the Synod in Napier yesterday. He thought that there was a real danger lurking in the movement, because its adherents were drawn from all communions and from those who owed no spiritual allegiance. In referring to the origin of the Oxford Group Movement, Bishop Williams said: —“An American revivalist, MiFrank Buekmann, came to England a year or two ago and continued his work there. As his activity centred first at Oxford, it became known as the Oxford Group Movement. Unfortunately we in New Zealand can only obtain secondhand information on the subject. The official publications are few, and, as is natural, the opinions expressed by observers are very divergent. Air Buckmann is, I understand, not a member of the Anglican Communion, and his methods are not of a conventional pattern. But God is not limited by rules, and is pleased to work through many channels, and by a variety of means.” Continuing, the bishop stated: “There can be no doubt that a large and increasing number of people have been roused from spiritual indifference by the meetings held under the Group Movement, and are now making God’s will the guiding principle of their lives. For this we must thank OaA “But there is another side to the medallion. We are living in a time of serious unrest, and one symptom of that restlessness is a distrust of and dissatisfaction with the existing order of government, of society and religion. I think we must ask ourselves whether this movement has anything to give us which the Church docs r.ot offer us. The two outstanding features in the practice of the movement are sharing and guidance, both of which are provided for in our Church system.

“The tendency is to rebel against rules; but, the group is already developing rules which will soon become irksome in their turn.’’ —(P.A.)