ANGLICAN MAORI SYNOD DECISIONS

Grey River Argus, 13 April 1948, Page 7

ANGLICAN MAORI SYNOD DECISIONS

GISBORNE, April 12. The Waiapu Maori Diocesan Svnod passed resolutions expressing the need for a strong revival of the missionary spirit in church work because of the complicated problems of modern life for young Maoris moving to the cities. Svnod also recommended that the church set up an organisation to handle the problems. It was pointed out between 300 and 400 Maoris had gone to Auckland from the East Coast and the conference was concerned as to whether any minstration was provided in Auckland to cater for Maoris transferred there. After discussing a suggestion that Svnod should approve of the taking of a referendum on the liquor question the conference agreed that advocacy for a special plebiscite of Maori electors could be handled more appropriately by the Returned Services’ Association. TRAINING CLERGY The advisability of deciding a policy to govern the training of clergy for the Maori pastorate was emphasised by Sir Apirana Ngata. He . said that training was now on exclusively European lines, and the chuich had to decide whether such conditions could continue. The church authoiities had to decide whether to proceed in the expectation that the Maori language would be lost, or whetherthe church had to provide for its use to reach the hearts and minds .ox Maoris. He expressed the opinion that there should be no absolute merging of the Maori and European pastorates.