ELECTION OF A BISHOP.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1070, 8 March 1911, Page 4

ELECTION OF A BISHOP.

ANGLICAN SYNOD MEETS TO-DAY. METHODS OF PROCEDURE. Tho Anglican Synod of tho Diocese ot Wellington will meet 10-day for the purpose of electing a uueessor to Bishop Wallis who, at the beginning of the year, announced his intention of resigning. There will bo early celebrations of Hie Holy Communion in all churches in liio cily and the Synod will be opened undur the presidency of the Bishop's Commissary (Arcliilwicon I'ancourl} at 3.30 p.m.

In its broad outlines tho method of election is prescribed by the law of the Church of tno Province of New Zealand, but this leaves a good deal to tho discretion of ilie Synod as regards the details ot procedure and other matters. The law declares that the person lo be elected niusL be nominated by a. clergyman aiid :>econdcd by a layman, and must receive a majority of Hie votes uf both order* (clergy and laity) voting separately, lh» Commissary voting as one of the clergy, in Auckland the names of persons coiiidered suitable for the office of Bishop were; brought forward ill camera, and the mind ot tnc Synod was ascertained by a series of private ballots. a majority of each order was announced iu favour of one man (Archdeacon Crossley) he was formally proposed and seconded ill open Synod and then declared duly elected. \\ hetlier the Wellington Syuoa will follow si similar procedure in all its details is a matter for the Kynod itwir to decide. There appear to be several different courses open to the Synod a.s regards the preliminary matters which lead up to the formal election. 0) The Synod may decide to delegate its powers of selection to some person or persons in England or elsewhere, and practically commit itself beforehand to the election of the mini so chosen. This method w;irf common in the early days of the j\pw Zealand Church, and Bishop Cowio (Auckland), Nevill (Duucdin), 'Wai. lis (Wellington), and others were appointed in this way. One of the drawbacks of this procedure fpems to be that as it would bo imnijacticablo to set up different commissions in different parts of the Anglican world, the duty of selection would almost inevitably be delegntcd to wellknown churchmen in England, which would confine the area of choice to tho United Kingdom. This would prevent the .Synod from considering the claims of distinguished churchmen in New Zealand, Australia, or 'other branches of the Anglican Communion. Moreover, it is fell: by some Hint English Bishops are not always sufficiently in touch with the conditions of colonial life to ensuretho selection of an entirely suitable man. There are many Englishmen who, however excellent in other ways, never seem to be able completely to understand find adapt themselves to tho methods of life ••tnil mental standpoint of the average New Zealandcr. There is perhaps a tendency to exaggerate this difficulty, but experience has shown that it really exists. (2) The Synod may resolve to exercise its direct power of election, and forthwith make its choice. This, however, does not appear to be likely, as most of the Kyncdsmen will probably come to tho mating with entirely open minds r.nd will naturally w.nnt to know jomelhing ahout all the suitable men available before coming to.a decision. (3) The Synod at tn-day's meeting mny merely settle (he preliminaries as regards the method of procedure, and set up a committee—perhaps tho Standing .Committee—to collect information as to thn best men available for tho position, and who would be likely to accept tho office if it were offered to them. The Synod would then adjourn for two or threo months. This is the method tho Auckland Synod eventually adopted in electing Bishop Keligan's successor, after the offer of tho position had been declined by (he l!ev. J. P. Jlaud, of Bristol. One difficulty in the way of adopting this course lies in the fact that the, present Syiiod ends in April, and a new Synod will thus have to bo

elected. (I) If the last-mentioned course of action. (No. 3) should he decided upon the' committee would make inquiries by correspondence mid otherwise regarding suitable men in the other New Zealand dioceses, in tho United Kingdom, Australia, and other parts of the Anglican Communion. This would not, of course, mean the exclusion of any local man, for tho clergy of (ho Wellington Diocesa would .."aturally bo known to the Synod, and special inquiry would not bo needed in their case. Still, the advisability, or otherwise, of appointing a local man caa hardly fail to come up for discussion ill somo form. Somo people contend that piefcrence should bo given to a clergyman of the diocese, while others hold that it is generally speaking better to choose a man from some other diocese irt New Zealand or elsewhere. This question played a prominent part in the recent Auckland election where the choice in (he last resort, so if is understood, lay between Archdeacon Crossley and a well-known Auckland vicar.

(5) There is a feeling among many churchmen that before a man is nominated some steps should be taken to ascertain whether he would accept the position. This is a difficult and delicate matter, for tho best men will sometimes decline to consent to nomination for a contested election, but on tho other hand it is hardly fnir to spring the offer upon n. man by surprise (as was done in the case of the Rev. J. l>. Maud) and place him in the unpleasant position of liaving to decline, thus making another election necessary. Before the Auckland Synod mot on tho second occasion indirect inquiries had been made which nlmo.st eliminated the possibility of n second refusal. This matter will, no doubt, receive the careful consideration of Wellington Synodsmen.

In the Auckland. Synod there is a rather sharp division between the High mid Low Churchmen, but fortunately there is very little party spirit in the Wellington Synod. It is not likely, however, that an extreme, nun on cither sido will be chosen. 'Die choice is more likely to f;all on a man whose sympathies would be Mimcienlly broad and liberal (o embrace tho best features of all parties: and who, if asked to label himself, might reply in (he \vord« of a former Dean of Manchester that he was a High, Low, Evangelical Broad Churchman. After the new Bishop of Wellington has been chosen, a successor will have to bo found for the present Bishop of Melanesia, and at (ho last Geiiprnl Synod tho Primate of New Zealand (Bishop Nevill, of Duiiedin) also foreshadowed his anproaching retirement owing to his advanced ape. It is now rumoured that still another New Zp.-il.-ikl Bishop will announce his resignation at an early date.