General Synod.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume IX, Issue 24, 2 June 1919, Page 190

General Synod.

The Triennial session of General Synod, held at Napier during the ] first week of last month, was a most eventful one. ,• We refer, very briefly to the' 'matters of m'qst general interest , dealt with: — ■ Religious Education wife the subject of several resolutiorisV'V The general idea of, members -was thai although, for the Sake Vof scattered, parishes and the system iii general;.* it was "desirable that the Church . should still support the proposals of the Bible m Schools' > League, if it maintained its activities, still the establishment of Church. schools m all centres of population must be vigorously proceeded, with. The iriatter of providing a Central Training College for teachers was discussed, and referred for action to the Standing Committee of General Synod. Steps were taken for making provision for pensions to' Church school teachers 'and paid, Church workers. Melanesia. — The clergy of Melanesia were promised the hearty support and synipatliy of the Synod m ' their efforts to improve the conditions of work m the mission, and m their determination to elect' to the vacant bishopric a man conversant with the needs of the mission. A Central Board of Missions is to be established, to act under General Synod, as a department for organising and administering funds raised m New Zealand for missions, and; to deal generally with missionary questions. The Standing Committee of General Synod ceases to be the Board of Missions; it has so much "other work to do, and its members are not necessarily experts m missionary subjects.' The great amount of work to be done by a Central Mission Board requires a separate department of experts to deal with this subject^exclusively. • Provincial Churcfc Paper.— The Standing Committee was authorised to consider the report of a select commission on the financial aspect of this matter and, if they think it advisable, to issue a monthly paper for the whole Dominion. This will be circulated only as a supplement to existing • Diocesan papers. It will deal with broad questions of Church policy | education, missions, etc.,. and ... will contain news from the various dioceses and of the Church m general. New Lectionary. — The- Bishops were "asked to consider the new Table of Psalms and Lessons and y if they think fit, to authorise, its use through-

but the Church. Th6se who use this - table already are loud, m. their ap-'. proval of it; the laity will doubtless be gratified with the more reasonable selection it* provides both of ; psalms and lessons. The lessons follow the Order of the Church's" year, not that of the .secular calendar, and each Sunday has special psalms appointed appropriate for the day. • , , The Primacy. — A draft Bill wa,s approved, providing for a fixed primacy m Wellington. The Bill will be considered by the various Diocesan Synods and. brought up again at the next, session of General Synod. New Dioceses.— The procedure to be followed m the division of a diocese was discussed and a Bill p.assed dealing with the. subject. Clcrical x Stipends. — The Lay members of Synod, having met separately, brought m a strongly worded report on the underpayment of the clergy. Copies of- the report are to be- sent to Diocesan Synods with suggestions to take action. Copies will be sent also to all vestries. Prayer Book Revision. — In view of the probability that various changes m the Prayer Book will shortly be adopted m England, a Commission was set up to consider these changes and report to next General Synod how far it is advisable to adopt them m New Zealand. Changes m Constitution.— A Commission was appointed to study the question of how far the fundamental clauses of the Constitution are binding and how, if necessary, they can, be revised. Reunion. — The Bishops were asked '• to consider the sending of a representative to the World's Conference ' on Faith and, Order soon to 'be held m the United States. The primate spoke sympathetically of the proposed union of the. Presbyteriaris and Methodists, and incidentally gave, as evidence of a desire for. further steps, his experience as to the number of * Nonconformist ministers seeking the grace of Holy Orders iri the Anglican Church. He appealed Jt for firiancial help to enable these men to be maintained during the . transition period. . A minister cannot suddenly' cease from his Nonconformist ministry and become a : parish priest. He must study for sometime the doctrines and principles of the Church, and must serve m. Deacon's Orders as an assist-" ant curate, perhaps on a small ; stipend, for some time before.:, beings admitted to the priesthood.^ The Theological Curriculum.—Considerable discussion- arose .with regard to the subjects and standard ' of the. of the Board of Theological studies, on which the Bishops .. base their estimate of the educational qualifications of candidates for Holy

Orders.: The tendency to lower the . requirements^unduly iri special cases arid to allow men to qualify without a knowledge of Latiri and Greek was strongly criticised by some and approved by others. The Board of Theological Studies, will find it very difficult to satisfy both , 'parties. .. Social and Indiustrial Problems.—. The report of a Select Committee on this subject will be sent to the Diocesari Synods for discussion and necessary action. Te^-Aute Loan. — The trustees of Te Aute College were granted permission to raise a loan of £20,000 for rebuilding purposes. '" ■■ The Franchise. — The right to vote at all parish meetings, including -those' for the election of vestrymen, churchwardens and~Synodsihen was granted to women on the same' terms as to men. Women who sign the declaration that they are twenty-one years of age, and are members of the Church of the province of New Zea- . land, will now have their names entered on the churchwarden's roll and will be qualified to vote at parish meetings after being on the roll for two months. A resolution -was also passed expressing the opinion of the Synod that women should be allowed, on the same basis as men, to .serve as * ' vestrymen and churchwardens ; but this pious opinion 'does not take practical effect until a Bill has been passed to amend the present canon which restricts these offices to men. We have given but a brief outline ■of the work done. Anyone who wishes for more information can get it by . procuring copies of the .'. ' Hawke's Bay Herald , dates . May Ist to'- 14th. - : ' The Solemn Eucharist at 11 a.m. on May 4th, m the Cathedral during the General Synod, was one never to he forgottenj Bishops, dignitaries, clergy and representative laymen from all over New Zealand assisted. The Primate read, from the Altar the names ; of' all members of General Synod who had entered into 'rest since last session, and these were solemnly commemorated m the Great Intercession. One thing, however, .sadly marred the impressiveness and dignity of the service. A large number of people left the building af intervals instead of waiting till the Eucharistic offering, had been completed. Of course people do this m ignorance and do not mean •■ v any disrespect to the Holy Sacrament., but surely it is ". time 'Churchmen learned how inconsistent it is with a proper conception of the occasion. * when our Lord fulfils the promise of His Presence, to walk out just as the most sacred part of the service begins. There is no reason at all why people should leave the church till

after the blessing unless they are unbaptised or have been; i excommunicated. Why people persist m classing' themselves m these two categories passes comprehension. People would riever think of disturbing baptisms, weddings, confirmations, mattins, evensong or the burial of the deadj by walking out m the middle. of the service. Why should they thus show contempt for the most solemn service of an? \ • ■....;