Diocesan News.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume I, Issue 1, 1 July 1910, Page 2

Diocesan News.

The Bishop of Auckland being too unwell to take the Trinity Sunday Ordination, Bishop Williams kindly undertook the journey to Auckland and ordained three Priests and a Deacon. It must surely have been an experience quite unique for a Bishop to ordain an Englishman, a Maori, and a Chinaman to the Priesthood at the same Ordination. The Deacon ordained was a son of the Venerable Archdeacon Calder. The Rev. P. C. Long, Vicar of Waipiro, has resigned his "Cure," having been accepted by the New Zealand Church Missionary Association as one of its Missionaries. The Home Committee of the C.M.S. has decided to send him to India, but where, or m what capacity, is not at present definitely settled Mr. Long has done good and faithful service m his large district, probably one of the biggest parishes m New Zealand, and will be much missed. Many prayers will follow him to his new sphere of labour. The New Zealand Church Missionary Association has already two Missionaries at work m India, both ladies. —Miss Florence Smith at Ellore, and Miss N. B. Giffard at Girgaou, — but Mr. Long is the first Clergyman to be sent out by it. It is hoped that the whole of the funds requisite to send Mr. Long out to India may be raised by means of a " Link " scheme, whereby different branches of the Gleaners' Union, Sunday Schools, or individuals undertake to give, year by year, one or more "Links" of £1 value to help make up the " Chain " which will stretch from New Zealand to India. A number of links have already been taken up m the Diocese ; why should not the whole amount be raised by us ? The Rev. G. Digby Wilson has resigned the district of Te Puke, and has accepted the parish to be vacated by Mr. Long. Mr. Wilson has done good work m a somewhat difficult parish, and will find ample scope for his energies m the district to which he is going. The Rev. G. W. Davidson, of Puketapu, Curate of Taradale, has been offered the charge of Tolaga Bay Parochial District and has accepted it. A new Vicarage is shortly to be erected m the district, and Mr. Davidson will probably start work m the spring. We regret to announce that the Rev. William Robinson, the former Vicar of the district, is still too unwell to undertake parochial work. We regret very much that the Rev. J. Hobbs, after twenty years earnest and faithful work m the parish of Hastings, has felt it necessary to resign his " Cure," feeling that the parish, which has grown so wonderfully m the last few years, needs as its Vicar, a younger man. We pray that Mr. Hobbs may long be enabled to continue his good work for the Church and m this Diocese. Canon Jordan, Vicar of Tauranga, has sufficiently recovered from his serious illness to be able to go away to Auckland for change. The Rev. Davies is acting a* locum tenens.

The death of of Mr. A. Kempthorne, Churchwarden of Te Karaka, has removed from the Church Militant a keen and zealous worker, and an old and highly respected Church officer. We offer to Mrs. Kempthorne our sincere sympathy. The Rev. Nirai Runga, who died at Moteo on the 12th June, had been 26 years m the ministry of the Anglican Church, being stationed for the greater part of that time at Moteo. Deceased, who was 70 years of age, was a personal friend of the late Archdeacon Samuel Williams, and also of Bishop W. L. Williams, who conducted the burial service. Finance.— As the 30th June is the close of the financial year it is necessary that all special offertories, donations, and subscriptions for the Church Society, Maori Mission, Melanesian Mission, Bishopric Endowment Fund, and other Trust Funds, and also all assessments should be sent to the Diocesan Treasurer, Mr. J. B. Fielder, before that date to enable him to close his accounts. Many such moneys have not already been forwarded, will those responsible kiijdly send them m at once. Licenses. — Permission to officiate m the Diocese has been granted to the Rev. H. S. Davies, who is relieving Canon Jordan at Tauranga. Mr. Davies has also been appointed Surrogate for that parish. Letters of orders as Deacons have been issued to Robert George Coates and to Herbert Collier, and as Priest to Herbert Harold Robjohns, B.Sc. (London), who were ordained by the Bishop m the Cathedral on Trinity Sunday, 22nd May, 1910. Licenses as Assistant Curates have been issued to Rev. R. G. Coates to Napier Parish, Rev. Herbert Collier to Waipawa Parish, and Rev. H. H. Robjohns to Havelock Parish. Mr. Wm. James Hicks has been licensed as a Lay Reader for the District of Te Karaka, to work at the East Coast railway works. Lay Representatives on the Diocesan Synod.— At the Synod of 1907, it was decided that each Parish or Parochial District should elect Lay Representatives to the Synod on the following basis : — Parishes with Church Numberof Population of : Synodsmen. 1000 or under . . . . one 1000-2000 .. .. two Above 2000 .. .'. three —(The Cathedral Parish being allotted one extra Representative). Under the provisions of Diocesan Canon 111., there will be an election of Lay Representatives to the Diocesan Synod at the Parish Meetings to be held this month or next. The following are the number of Representatives for each Electoral District : — Napier Parish, 4 members ; Hastings and Gisborne Parishes, Dannevirke District, 3 each ; Waipawa, Waipukurau, and Tarudale Parishes, Port Ahuriri with Petane, S. Augustine's Napier, Ormondville with Makotuku, Woodville, Wairoa, Opotiki, and Rotorua Districts, 2 each ; Havelock, Porangahau, and Tauranga Parishes, Te Puke, Waipiro, Tolaga Bay, Waerenga-a--hika, Patutahi, Te Karaka, and Weber Districts, Heretaunga, Turanga, and Tauranga N. Ch. Board Districts, 1 each. Total, 46 members.