Diocesan News.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume I, Issue 5, 1 November 1910, Page 6

Diocesan News.

Appointments. The following appointments have been made hy the Bishop of Waiapu ! — Commissary— T\\a Venerable Archdeacon Williams, M.A. Archdeacon of Tauranya — The Venerable Archdeacon Tisdall, M.A. Examining Chaplains — The Yen. Archdeacon Williams, M.A., and the Yen. Archdeacon Ruddock, B.A. Chaplains to the Bishop — The Yen. Archdeacon Williams, M. A., the Rev. Canon Mayne, M.A., the Re V. Canon Tuke,

Mission Chaplains — The Yen. Archdeacon Ruddock, M.A.j the Rev. F. A. Bennett. Bishop's Commissaries m Etlgland — The Rev. Canon Hassard, M.A., Sub-dean of Truro Cathedral, the Rev. Prebendary H. V. Stuart, M.A., Stoke-on- Trent, Staffordshire. Church Advocate — Mr Hubert Burnett, Barrister-at-Law. Editor of " The Waiapu Church Gazette"- — The Rev. Allen Gardiner, Havelock North.

The Bishop has received the resignation of the Eev. A. H. Coles, Vicar of Patutahi, who has decided to return to his old parish m the Diocese of Bombay. Mr and Mrs Coles will be much missed from the parish, and the whole Diocese will regret the departure of the Vicar of Patutahi and congratulate the Diocese of Bombay on his response to the "call of the East." Mr Coles has found the conditions of Colonial life and especially of clerical life somewhat trying after a long residence m India. Mr and Mrs Coles will be leaving New Zealand towards the end of November. We wish them bon voyage and every happiness m their work m India. The departure of the Rev. C. Gordon Biddle from Hastings, and the Eev. H. 11. Eobjohns from Havelock North, has further reduced our already too small staff of clergy. Mr and Mrs G-ordon Biddle have left for England, and Mr Eobjohns is hoping to find that the Auckland climate will suit him better than Havelock and Clive. Mr Gordon Biddle came to the Diocese to act as assistant-priest under the Rev. J. Hobbs, and when the resignation of Mr Hobbs took place, Mr Biddle was offered a living m the Diocese by the Bishop, which, however, he did hot see his way to accept, as he had decided to return to the Old Country. Both Mr and Mrs Biddle had made many friends at Hastings who were genuinely sorry to part with them. The cause of Mr Eobjohns' departure is one which all will deeply regret, viz., the unsatisfactory state of his health. As assistant curate at Havelock he has done very loyal and faithful work, and Olive especially will miss him very much. We can only hope that his anticipations of the Auckland climate will be realised* Consecration of New Brick Church, Waerenga-a-hika. The new Parish Church at Wae-renga-a-hika was built to replace that destroyed by fire m February last.

Though not large it is very well and substantially built of brick, the walls being closely buttressed m such a way as to give the building an appearance of solidity. The nave measures 35ft. by 22£ ft., and the chancel 13ft. x 9ft. At the entrance there is a porch, and a small temporary wooden vestry, to be replaced m. due course by a tower, completes the edifice. The interior, is of beautiful design and construction. The arches and lining of the roof are of beautifully figured oiled rimu, and the walls are finished m pure white plaster. The windows, of which there are eleven, are of coloured cathedral glass m lead, the designing and execution being admirable. The altar, prayer-desk, and lectern are handsome specimens of workmanship, and are well m keeping with the building itself. Seating accommodation is provided for about 150, though the building is capable of seating more. The organ is a "Bell Cathedral," and is well suited to the size of the church. " A beautiful church," said the Bishop m his sermon at the dedication. "An ornament not only to the district, but to the Diocese, and I congratulate the Vicar, church officers, and people of this district for raising to the honour and glory of God such a house as this. The fact that it is built of permanent material is a witness of your permanence m the Christian faith." The dedication service took place on Sunday, October 9th. The Bishop was attended by the Yen. Archdeacon Williams. as chaplain, and the following clergy also took part m the service ; — The Vicar (Rev. E. Ward), and the Revs. M. W. Butterfield, F. W. Ohatterton, and W. H. Roberts. After the dedication service, morning prayer was read by the Rev. M. W. Butterfield. The Bishop's sermon was from Psalm 137, 4th verse: "How shall we sing the Lord's song m a strange land ?" and was of such power as to inspire the hope that many of those who listened will never forget the exalted thoughts and fervid exhortation that fell from the lips of the preacher. Dealing first with the neg« lect of God that brought about the captivity of Israel, he went on to show how adversity is God's means to bring His erring ones back to Him. In prosperity men are apt to forget God. When the hour of adversity comes there is often that same awakening that came to Israel m Babylon. Referring to the loss by fire of the pre« vious church, the Bishop said : "It may be that some of you never realised until you lost your church what that church really meant, and a church

m ouv midst really means to Christian people. When that church goes we reel our necessity of a place to meet together for united worship and prayer. Do not blame God. Let us try to learn the lesson taught us by the loss of your church, that God wanted us to feel our need, and also that he required of us something better than we had given him m the past." Some valuable thoughts were next given expression to as to the need of getting a right atmosphere m ourChnrch : that religious atmosphere that can only be got m a house set apart for the worship of God. Let people pray at home or anywhere else they chose, but let them, following the example of our Lord, be regular m their attendance m their worship m God's house. The Bishop's concluding words wove: "I am sure you can say this morning, ' I was glad when they said unto me, let us go up into the house of the Lord.* May many souls be trained m this house for a life of greater service and greater love m the home of heaven. May you sing the Lord's song m this homeland and not m a strange land, and may your hearts be always m tune with the words you sing. We do thank God to-day for His blessing m allowing us to offer Him this house, which is to be used for the honour, glory, praise, and worship of God." There was a crowded congregation, every corner of space being utilised for seating purposes. The congregation was not less when the Bishop administered the rite of Confirmation at 2.30 p.m. to twenty candidates. The Bishop's address was on i. Cor., 3rd chapter 16th verse, and was such as to exactly meet the needs of young people just attaining to full merabershipajb the Chui*ch of God. "Ye are the temple of God," were the words commended to them by their chief pastor as a motto, and he told them that as long as they kept that thought m their minds they would be preserved from doing anything that would defile them. The Eev. F. W. Chatterton was the preacher at the evening service, when there was again a good congregation, and a memorable day was brought to a' fitting close. Mr Ellis presided at the organ at all the services, and the singing was heartily rendered. Consecration Service. Church of S. Michael and All Angels, Piiketapu. Friday, October 2.lst, was a Red Letter Day m the Church life of Puketapu, when the Church of S.

Michael and All Angels was consecrated by the Bishop of the Diocese. The Church was full, many Taradale parishioners as well as Church members from Napier being present m addition to most of the people of Puketapu. The Bishop and his chaplain, the Yen. Archdeacon Ruddock, were met at the west door by the Vicar, Rev. A. P. Clarke; the Curate, Rev. G. W. Davidson; Messrs. 0. McCutcheon, Church warden ; and Joseph Bicknell. The petition for Consecration having been handed to the Bishop and read by the Archdeacon, the former declared his consent to the Consecration. Psalm 24 was then read as the Procession advanced towards the east end of the Church, where the Bishop read the Consecration Prayers, and having been assured that the Deed of Conveyance was ready, declared the Church duly consecrated for all purposes pertaining to Public Worship. Shortened evening service was then proceeded with, the Rev. G. W. Davidson reading the Prayers, and the Vicar the Lessons. The Bishop preached a most striking sermon on Genesis xxviii, 1!. He urged the necessity of seeking after higher ideals and a higher sense of duty, higher ideals being arrived at by higher ideas of God. Devotion to duty has helped to make the British Nation, the decay of duty would mean the decay of the Nation. To live true lives we must look above us, this the new Church would help us to do. The vision of the Angels passing up and down the ladder pictured a life m touch with God for holy service. The Angels veiled their faces, let that teach revei-ence m the house of God The Bishop exhorted to regular and earnest worship, and to always keeping the Church perfectly clean, remembering that it was God's house. He trusted that the Church would indeed serve its true purpose, namely, that of helping to prepare many lives for service on Earth, and afterwards for the higher service of Heaven. The Bishop congratulated the architect and the builder on their most satisfactory work, also the Vicar, Curate, and people upon the success that had crowned their efforts, expressing special pleasure that the Church was being opened free of debt, and that so many private gifts of furniture had been presented. Mr Levin of Napier kindly motored the Bishop out from Napier. A complete list of furniture, window &c, will be forwarded for the next issue of the Gazette,