SYNOD

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume XVIII, Issue 5, 1 November 1927, Page 5

SYNOD

We cannot remember a more helpful and' inspiring Synod. ' All through the proceedings it never fell below the high level set by Canon Strong at the Quiet Day. His beautiful addresses were given on those petitions m the Lord's Prayer where we pray that as m heaven so on earth God's Name may be hallowed, His Kingdom come, and His will be done. The services m the Cathedral were an inspiration m themselves, but we were sorry to miss from the service on Sunday evening some of our country clergy who were preaching m neighbouring churches. It is seldom they get an opportunity of assisting at a service so -beautifully rendered, and we consider that as far as possible all the clergy should assist at these yearly services. AH through Synod the daily services were well attended by both clergy and laity.. We believe that people generally take; a considerabe interest m the proceedings of Synod, and that many a prayer from all over the Diocese ascends to the Father of Lights for the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit during this time. We ourselves feel that the Gazette should have published at least a month before Synod a suitable prayer for the use of our readers. It seems to us that such scattered prayers are answered • m- the services day by day at Synod time m the drawing down as it were of the pure white light of the Spirit upon our deliberations. In the mysterious hush of the early Communion, and m the peace and solemnity of evensong, there could be felt the sense of tremendous values. After the President's Charge, when often the proceedings of Synod slip to a lower level, one of the finest speeches we have ever heard m any Synod l , delivered >by Canon Maclean on Social Purity, sustained Synod on that high spiritual level which wag so evident all through its deliberations. We are fortunate m being able to publish m this issue a good deal of the speech as actually deliveredj but of course it loses a great deal of the power it drew from the sympathetic response of synod; A most difficult subject has been treated with the fullest knowledge, an exquisite delicacy, and a true understanding. Tho Bible m State Schools called forth a magnificent speech from Mr Speight, Avho spoke from many years experience as a School Teacher. "I was sitting on the fence," said Canon Rice, "but Mr Speight has pulled! me over!" An amazingly clever speech by Archdeacon Chatterton, carried his motion m favour of the Bible m State Schools without a dissenting voice.

A motion brought forward by Dean Mayne, and which is to be submitted to General Synod, that the first Bishop of the Maoris should be a Pakeha, and that be should be assisted by a Suffragan Maori Bishop, may have farreaching consequences. The Maoris themselves asked for and received from the President permission to abstain from voting on this motion } as they felt themselves already pledged', to the suggestion that the Archbishop should be Bishop of Aotearoa, assisted by a Maori Suffragan. In the event of. this not being carried m General Synod the Maoris are willing to accept Dean Mayne' s motion as an alternative. On the motion of the Rev. J. N. Thompson a committee was set up to report to Synod on the working of the Duplex Envelope System m the Diocese. The report was most encouraging and gave rise to a good deal of helpful discussion, and to the recommandation of the system to those . parishes which have not already adopted it. A motion brought forward by the Itev. W. S. G. Cameron, supported by the clerical association of the Archdeaconry of Waiapu, is to bring about the payment of all clerical stipends from the Diocesan Office. This however can hardly be carried out before the beginning; of the next financial year;- as the' 'Standing ' Committee-" W ill have to inquire into the working of the three dioceses m the North Island which have already adopted! it before drawing up a scheme of its own. The great services which Mr Turner Williams has rendered to the diocese as Secretary of the General Diocesan Fund were ably referred to by the Rev. R. T. Hall m a speech which we pubish as fully as possible. In a maiden speech of some promise the Rev. O. Hyde advocated the formation of Bible Classes which should bo affiliated, with the Bible Class Union. The mover was authorized to form a diocesan committee m Napiei. The report of the special committee on the financial position of the Gazette was most encouraging. The great importance of the Gazette to the diocese was so ably stressed by Canon Maclean that we postpone its consideration until our next issue. The splendid work cf Canon Butterfield as editor for over ten years was gratefully referred to by Mr Gardiner, his tribute to Canon Butterfield being loudly applauded by Synod. The editor was reappointed for the present year. A pleasing feature of Synod was the supplyi?ig of afternoon tea by some of the neighbouring parishes. The thanks of Synod were gracefully rendered by the Rev. P. Tamauoi'J.