THE GENERAL SYNOD

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 31, Issue 1, 1 March 1940, Page 7

THE GENERAL SYNOD

Message to Province by Retiring Primate CHURCH IN CAMPS. The 28th General Synod took place at Nelson,, when Archbishop Averill, Primate of the Province of New Zealand, presided for the last time prior to his retirement at the end of March. The Waiapu representation was as follows:— Clergy, Archdeacon Hodgson, Rev. O. S. O. Gibson, Rev. S. F. jNV Waymouth; laity, J. G. Appleton, I. S. Gardiner, P. F. Hunter and C. Athol; Williams. The sermon at the opening service was preached by the Most Rev. H. W. K. Mbwll, D.D., Archbishop of Sydney and Metropolitan of New South Wales. , Military affairs occupied the attention of Synod on its opening day, when the Primate urged upon all Churchpeople the duty of backing up the work being done by the Church m the camps, which was being efficiently carried on and giving the "boys" definite assurance of their sympathy, goodwill and real desire for their spiritual and social welfare. Canon Malcolm, secretary of the Military Affairs Committee, stated that the number of Church of England men m camp totalled 57 per cent, of the whole and that the estimated requirements of the committee were £ 10,000 per annum for the duration of the war. He stressed the fact that our duty was not merely with the men while they were m camp m New Zealand, but also overseas. Synod passed a. resolution urging that the immediate objective of the Military Affairs Committee be the provision of huts m the main training centres and that the attention of Churchpeople be drawn to the fact that the need was real and "urgent. THE CHURCH OF THE FUTURE. This being the last session m which lie would preside, His Grace ex-

pressed the following hopes, which will be of interest to and will carry weight with all Churchpeople: "May T be permitted to express the hope that the Church of this Province will continue to work and pray for the organic unity of the Christian Church, which I believe to be essential to the Church's full witness to. the Christ, Who is the only solution of the world's ill and the only foundation of its real peace and happiness? May I also be permitted to express the further hope that the Church will continue to stand firmly and unitedly ' behind the primary importance of missionary work and constantly wit---ness to the only true totalitarianism, viz.: the reign of the Christ of God m every individual and nation and consequently m every phase of social, industrial, national and international life. : : And if I may give expression to a third and last hope, I would like to think that the Church will always pull its weight m the long struggle for the true recognition of God m pur national system of primary education m this country and that due recognition may be given to the spiritual nature of the child." I Worthy Tributes. Of special interest to members of the Waiapu Diocese are the references to the late Bishop Herbert Williams arid Canon Rice. Of the Bishop, the Primate said: "His intimate knowledge of the Maori language, character and ideals has been of the greatest service to the Province and to the Maori race, and his careful revision of the Maori dictionary gained for him the well-earned distinction of Doctor of Literature from ' the ' New Zealand University and a Fellowship of the New Zealand Institute. Like his father, he was a distinguished canonist, and he has. made no small contribution to the canons of the Church of this Province. The Synod and Province are the poorer for his death, but he will be remembered with real gratitude for the manysided work which he was permitted to perform."

The Archbishop referred to the late Canon Rice m the following terms:— "He was an earhest parish priest and a man Of singularly lovable disposition. In spite of increasing illhealth, he courageously carried on his priestly duties well nigh to the end. He was a useful member of the Board of Missions and its executive and was always keenly interested m the missionary work of the Church." ; : '. ■■■"