CHRISTCHURCH DIOCESAN SYNOD

Hokitika Guardian, 20 October 1930, Page 2

CHRISTCHURCH DIOCESAN SYNOD

The fourth session of the twenty-filth Synod of the Diocese of Christchurch ended last week, seven days after its opening. V;' ln, the absence of the Bishop" at the Lambert Conference, the Very Key;.;'"Dean Julius, as VicarGeneral of the Diocese, ’presided. The i Synod - consists of the Bishop, the clei'gyu of the'-Diocese, ■ and one elected lay Synodsman for each parish or parochial district, and is the governing 'body 1 of the A nglican Church in the Diocese of Christchurch. While Synod is not.in session, the “Standing Committee” exercises synodical .authority. This, Committee consists of ten clergy, by the ; clerical members of Synod, and ten lay Synodsmen, elected by the laity. Naturally a large proportion are Christchurch men, who can more conveniently meet monthly during the year, and more frequently for the various sub-committee meetings; five of.the clergy and six of the lay members live in or near Christchurch,, one ;of • each in North Canterbury,' : one layman in Banks Peninsula, one ofeach in South Canterbury/; one of the clergy in MidCanterbury, and this year one of the clergy in/Westland —thus securing eprssentation from all-parts of the Diocese. . , , The first two. or three days of Synod are spent''in. routine business, election of committees,; and the first reading or various Bills. . After this, the Committee stage ;of such Bills as have been read for the' first- time, and the discussion of motions birought forward by private members, livens up debate, and at -times leads -'to heated argument.

Legislation this year dealt first with a Bill to ;I grqvide for the Association of tlm Diocese of with the Provincial,Pension Filfi'd; in order tliat a clergyman , moving out of this - Diocese to; another i within the .- Province should /be protected against any loss of seniority /in.: calculating his rate of pension.- Then « .a.. : Bill, was enacted whereby '.certain .Diocesan bodies were empowered to enter into agreement on behalf of all or any of their employees with:-the Church Property . Trustees in order'.to establish 1 a Diocesan Proyi-

A BilDwas also "’brought forward to provide for an ; increase in the number of layr’Syriodsmen,.in'order that wherein any District there may be two or motP ((Fergy,: there shall in future, bo an ,? eqtirsalerit number of lay Synoclsnieffi* "T ■ * r jjlie'. report, ; of- a Commission appointed by 'the Bishop to consider and Report upon Religious Education in the Diocese/;, and' motions subsequent to this report, led to considerable and, at times, heated discussion; the methods of Diocesan/Primary Schrpols, Sun-,-: day' Schools, and 'Religious .Ih.StrUctidh in State owin'- 1 fervent supporters. 'v - t A motion winch come up too • late to allow of adequate 1 clisoussion “That the General Synod bo asked tV consider the advisability of allowing the use of the Revised Book of Common Prayer, commonly called the Deposited Book of 1928, with the exception of the Holy Communion Office, ’ was eventually withdrawn—not without protest, and after some excellent speeches on either side. And so ed an intrusting and profitable week.