CHURCH OF ENGLAND

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 245, 4 July 1918, Page 6

CHURCH OF ENGLAND

THE SYNOD POWERS OF THE DIOCESE MEMBERSHIP QUALIFICATION The session of tho Wellington Diocesan hynoil was continued yesterday. Bishop bprott presided.

Dr. Sprott moved: "(1) The Synod of tho Diocese of IVollington hereby resolves that it is desirable Hint the Canons be amended in the following di-rection-fa) To permit the Synod oi< any diocese to oreato a cathedral district comprising any area <iv areas, notwithstanding that, suy such area may (heretofore havo been the wholo or part of a parish or parochial district, and to enable tho Diocesan Synod to make provision for tho appointment of tho clorgy of tlio cathedral district,, and for the conduct, of Divino t-srvice and of other religious and charitable and educational works therein, (b) To permit the Synod of a diocese to crent any district whatever that eucli Synod may deem necessary for tho order and good government of the Church within tho diocese, notwithstanding that any area, in such district may theretofore have been tho whole or part of a parochial district, and to enable the Diocesan Synod to provide for tho conduct of Divine service or of any other religious or any charitable or edmcationa.l work within the district so created. (2) That tho right reverend tho president bo respectfully asked to bring this resolution before the General Synod at its ensuing- session." ■ In moving this proposal, His Lordship said that there was a regulation which said that a diocesan synod must not make a regulation which was repugnant to tho good government of a diocese. But it did not , He«m to occur to anyouo that the General Synid might make a. regulation repugnant to good government. Ho could not understand how it came about that tho General Synod of 1916 made ft certain regulation to which ho referred. Tho reason for bringing the matter up arose in connection ,with the work of {ho Cathedral Committee which was sot up at last Synod. Tho. committee had not carried dut a portion of the instructions given it by last year's Synod because- of a regulation passed by tho General Synod. The instructions not carried out related to the St. Mark's Cathedral proposals, and one reason why that was not done was that the General Synod had already provided by canon the procedure by which a parish church may be used as the cathedral of a diocese. The committee had been given powers which tho Diocesan Synod was not entitled to give them. In Wollington, St. Paul's, which was used as a cathedral, was formerly a parish church. Now they hnd reached a ''stage where they hoped to build a church which would bo used as a parish church, and would be- primarily a cathedral. Hβ had in mind that the cathedral should be governed by one body and' its finauces managed by ono body. 'Jo thought it right that wider powers 6houild be given a diocese—thdt" a diocesan synod should have all power necessary to mako (regulations for the gcod government of ; tho dioccae. This poVer the diocese possessed until 11)16, and he did not know why the power was taken away. Ths Dioceoan Synod ought to 'Ttnow more of the needs of Wellington Diocese ■ than men brought from north, south, east, and west. Therefore, the Diocesan Synod should havo the power to create these districts. Briefly, tho wish was to create a cathedral district which they could govern in such wav ae they deemed best. Also, they wished to go back to tho state of things existing prior to 191fi. There was no other speaker oil the subject, and the motion was carried.

Membership of the Church. Tho liov. A. M. Johnson moved:— "That this Synod, having received the Bill to ameinl Tr.lo B, Canon V, clauses 8 to 14, remitted to it by the General Synod of IiHQ, ajul having, in order the better to ascertain what is the mind of tho Church, submitted tho proposed amendments to the annual meetings of tho parishes and parochial districts of the diocese, is of opinion that tho time is opportune for changes in Title B, Canon V, in tho■ following directions:— (a) That for the form of declaration in clauses 10 and 11 of the Cen.Hi shall bo submitted the following declaration: 1 [ A.s., do hereby declare that I am a communicant member of the Church or ( tho Province of New Zealand, commonly called the Church of England.' Prorided (a) that no one enrolled before the time of the passing of the amending Kill shall have his name removed from tho parishioners' aoll on account of such amendment, (b) That 'communicant member' shall bo interpreted to mean having the status of communicant, (c) That the roll shall bo kept as heretofore by tho churchwardens, and not by the minister, as provided for in the proposed amending Bill, (cl) That tho roll shall be open for inspection by the Bishop, the Archdeacon, or any person authorised by either or by any parishioner or claimant to bo a parishioner; any question relating to the corwetness of tho roll shall bo submitted in writing to the Bishop, or person appointed by him for that purpose, whose deoi'ion shall be final, unless a case be submitted to the Standing Commission. Mr Johnson said he moved in this direction really to get the voice of the Synod. They must hav« either baptismal status or eom.aiu/nication status. At present there was neilhcr.'and yet people minus this status had a vote even ah the question of who would be bishop. In some parishes there wero α-olls stultcd with names of people who never entered a church. Experience of tho nulltiiry camp was that numerous men signet! as Wiotws who did not know tho first thing about the Church. The Rev. 0. 11. Stent seconded. J[r W' J. Birch said that hu was verj much oppoaed to any nanwiag.of Hie franchise, because he thought tIM teats L-euerallv were tad, and his belief was that they should not shut out Iliow, who hnd bora baptised in the Cliuich, but should open their arms to them. He moved as an amendment to the effect (hat the coimnnnica.it' «iuMcation should be erased and the baptismal quail(Lower Hutt) areuetl in favour of the baptismal nualiSon He contended that a child innorne,! into the Church remained a moS of that Church, and he Synod hid no power to deny him the mglils was unfinished when tho Synod rose for Iho 'lay.