ANGLICAN SYNOD.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 864, 9 July 1910, Page 10

ANGLICAN SYNOD.

AN INDECISIVE DISCUSSION. Tho Anglican Synod resumed yesterday at . 4 p.m., the Bishop of Wellington (Dr. Wallis) presiding. 1 raetically the wholo of tho afternoon session was devoted to a debate arising Irani' the . following" resolution proposed by Archdeacon. Jacob: —"That this Synod respectlullv recommends to tho Bishop that tho Synod of the diocese should -begin its session on 'Wednesday, instead of Tuesday, so that the Tuesday may be observed as a quiet day for the clergy." To this Mr. G. Wheeler moved as an amendment: "That the clerical memwm- Synod be invited ,to come to \\ ollmgton on Thursday and hold a quiet day on Friday; and that the •Synod be summoned on Monday." A first division on the question of admitting,, tho amendment resulted in its affirmation by a majority of both orders. Tho voting was: Clergy: ayes. 28; Noes, 23. .Laity: Ayes, 21; Noes, 13. A second division on tho amendment- iiow presented as a resolution,, nnclod in its rejection, the voting on this occasion being: Clergy: Ayes, 10Noes, 39. ■ Laity : Ayes, 13; Noes, 17.' An hour and'a quarter had bv this time been expended, and the, Bishop remarked that the Synod was no nearer a definite result than at the beginning of the debate. They had done nothing at all. THE MAORI CHURCH. ti-m' 10 Cr ' 0- Williams moved: That his Lordship tho Bishop bo respectfully requested to call au informal meeting of the Maori Church Board." Mr. Williams stated that a Maori Church meeting was held in- Hawke's Bay every year, and another in Gisborne, for, the. discussion of matters of vital interest to tho Maoris, and to forward recommendations to .the Synod! This it was desired tc do in the Wellington diocese. He had hitherto found it impossible to get- a meeting of the Maori ■ Church, >' and tho procedure he proposed was the only one- by which a representative gathering could bo secured. One of the questions he desired to lay before the proposed meeting was that touching tho support of tho Maori clergy. The question of marriages was ono of great difficulty. He desired to havo .it laid before tho Maoris that no marriages would bo recognised unless performed by an accredited churchman. The position in regard to Maori lay readers gave ground for dissatisfaction. At present lay readers were appointed casually, and- without, inquiry. This was wrong. They should be appointed as wero the English lay readers, only after being approved by the Bishop. It was to, discuss these and other matters that he desired to call- a representative Maori Church meeting.. Mr. Manima-u said he did not thiiik the'_ meeting "would produce the effect anticipated by tho mover. ■ Tho motion was carried. MAORI . MISSION. ' Tho Synod dealt at some length, with the question of placing tlio Maori Mission work of the diocese upon a sounder and more efficient footing. The position was first broadly outlined by the Rev. A. M. Johnson, spokesman for a select committee oil tho Mission. Ho declared that the provision now made was absolutely inadequate,' and that unless the parishes of the, diocese, gave, increased support, the Maoris would drift into the hands of the tohunga and the Mo'r-.

ion, savo'in districts where other debminations were prepared to take up ho work. The Maori clergy- now emiloycd had to eke out their stipends

by engaging in secular work, which interfered seriously with their evangelical and pastoral activities. Crippled as the Mission now is, Mr. Johnson contends that it can readily he restored to a condition of health if tho task be approached in a proper spirit. The Synod adopted a series of resolutions providing, lirst of all, that a commission, appointed 'by the Bishop and Synod, shall at an early date confer at. Otaki, with a representative gathering of Maoris. The idea is to disabuse the Maori mind of sundry doubts aw.l misunderstandings that hinder the development of the Mission. In addition it is proposed to establish a guild, with branch'es in as many parishes as possible throughout- the diocese, in order to stir up interest in the Maori Mission. Tho Rev. A. 0. Williams, Superintendent of Maori Missions, described the difficulties and discouragements under which he and his suborbinate clergy labour. His district extends from Taranaki to Wellington, and lie has hitherto spent his time in continual travelling, and the endeavour to retain vitality in a Mission starved to a well-nigh desperate degfee. The Maori clergy, according to the superintendent's account, live in hopeless poverty. He has himself been compelled at times to relievo their necessities at his private expense. That the Maoris have been slow to contribute towards tho support of their clergy Mr. Williams does not'deny, but ho contends that this does not relievo European Church members of their responsibility. The members of the Synod regard the difficulties of tho Maori Mission with evident sympathy, and no doubt a strenuous effort will be made to Improve its position aud prospects. SITES AND BUILDING FUND. The Von. Archdeacon Harper moved: "That the Synod respectfully' the Bishop to favourably consider the suggestion that the balance of the present church sites fund and of the selfdenial offerings be placed to the credit of a new fund to bo called the sites and building fund; and that he bo also asked to bring the ; needs of the new fund before the church• people of the dioceso and to invite Lenten self-denial offerings to bo given annually fjo the same fund." ■ ■ , The Rev. A. 51. Johnson moved as an amendment: —"That the-question of establishing a fund for church building be referred to tho ■ Standing Committee." ■ Archdeacon Harper accepted the amendment and the motion as amended was carried'on the voices. BOARD OF NOMINATORS. Archdeacon Fancourt was appointed to fill the vacancy on the Board of Nominators caused by the resignation of Archdeacon Twogood.'

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