APPOINTMENT OF CLERGY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1678, 19 February 1913, Page 9

APPOINTMENT OF CLERGY.

•■• The Eov. W. Beatty, vicir of Sl. : Mark's, Eemuera,'in-a letterto. the Auckland "Herald" states:—Your issue of February 6 contains a useful summary of n canon recently adopted, by tho Anglican General Synod, which 'alters the mode of appointing clergy to parishes and parochial districts., 'i'lie summary is, however, in some respects inaccurate and misleading. It states ■ that the ■ clerical, and lay' members of the board of nomination are to be elected.:,-, annually. - As'"a matter of faol .. they, aro . to bo .' elected 'at the first annual session ."of- diocesan synod, after,, each general . election. of synods'men,, i.e., triennially. We' are also informed that "the bishops have given up their right of patronage: in the parochial districts for :the. sake of uniformity, and havc k vested it in the board." This gives tho. impression that the change was effected by the bishops acting alone. The truth is that it.'was effected by the act of the. whole synod, of which tho bishops are but.a component part. A furthor needful arid.important provision has not been mentioned, which is that "tho license of a vicar of a parochial district, whether appointed by the said board of nomination or; not, shall not ./b6 revoked by tho bishop without tho consent in writing of at least one other member, of the board." Up to tho present the great majority of tho clergy in this and other dioceses have been subject to doprival of their cures at the sale and absolute discretion of tho bishop. Most.people'will agreo that in this respect the now legislation is a distinct gain to clergy and people alike.