AOTEAROAD CHURCH BOARD.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 27, Issue 5, 1 May 1937, Page 1

AOTEAROAD CHURCH BOARD.

Report of Select Committee of Synod "appointed to give further consideration to the question of the .Aotearoa Church. Board and to ail matters affecting the further work and stipend of the Bishop of Aotearoa, and to report to the present Synod." Members of committee: The Bishop of Dunedin (chairman), Archdeacons Gavin, Hawkins, and Simkin, Mr Huggins, Mr Loten, Mr Pilson. The committee reports as follows: — The committee has devoted considerable time to this order of reference and has conferred with each of the Diocesan Bishops m the North Island individually and' with the Bishop of Aotearoa, and has also twice met the four Diocesan Bishops together. The committee has considered the constitution of the Board proposed to be set up by the Canon and is convinced that the setting up of a boar! so constituted at the present time is impracticable. The committee is unanimous m the opinion that the responsibility, for the organisation of the work"

amongst the Maoris m each Diocese must rest upon the Doicesan authorities m each Diocese. At the sam.e time, it is desirable that there should be co-operation between the Dioceses *m the North Island m order that the work of the Bishop ot: Aotearoa may be facilitated and applied when and where most needed. The committee also formed the definite opinion that the four Bishops of the North Island should act as a temporary board and, having approached them, is happy to report that the Bishops have agreed so to act. The committee has given careful consideration to the question of finance and has recommended to tne Bishops a scheme of assessment which it has asked the Bishops to submit to the authorities m their respective dioceses: If this scheme be accepted— and the committee has reason to believe that it will be — the stipend of the Bishop will be placed' on, a satisfactory basis. After meeting several times and spending many hours m exploring the whole position, the committee as unanimous and definite m the opinion that the procedure provided for m this report will best make for efficiency. It is essential that there should be the fullest and closest cooperation between the Diocesan Bishops and the Bishop of Aotearoa. and it is clear to the committee that the course suggested will best serve that end. The committee is fully seized of the importance of making the work of the Bishop of Aotearoa as effective as possible and of extending his influence amongst the Maori people.