CHURCH UNION

Hokitika Guardian, 19 June 1933, Page 7

CHURCH UNION

PROSPECTS IN AUSTRALIA

OPTIMISTIC PREDICTION

SYDNEY, May 30

The prospects of Church unity in Australia are still being freely discussed from time to time, although the authorities do not appear to have made much progress. Interest in the subject has'been renewed as the result of a striking sermon by the Bishop of Bendigo, Victoria, who prophesied the eventful unity of the Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian and Lutheran Churches. There have been examples in both Sydney and Melbourne of modified unity, particularly in the direction of combined services on Good Friday.

A combined service in the Chief Congregational Church in Sydney last Good Friday was attended by the representatives of practically all the churches outside the Roman Catholic Church. Later, on a special occasion, the Congregationalists showed their earnestness by paying courtesy visits to all the other Churches in the city, and received a friendly reception at each. The Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr. Head, said that efforts were being made in various directions to achieve unity among the Churches that had been named in the Bendigo sermon, and those efforts would continue. The President of the Methodist Conference, the Rev. H. W. Frederick, said that unity would come eventually through a formula setting out the broad common comprehension of the principles of Christanity, rather than by common adhesion to a system of rigid uniformity, , Various other clergy in Australia do not hesitate to say that there is a distinct tendency toward one great Australian Protestant Church. The chairman-elect of the Congregational Union of Victoria, the Rev. A. Penry Evans, said that the whole question of unity depended upon one matter : Whether Episcopacy 'was a necessity to the Christian Church. If Episcopalian ordination was to be an inflex-.' ible rule, the Congregationalists would not make much further advance. They were in favour of unity, but if the price to be paid for unity was that all Congregational ministers must submit to re-ordination—well, they simply could not go that far. Other great obstacles had been overcome, and there was time for a solution <>f the problem.

The Bishop of Bendigo predicted unity within five years. It is felt that he was unduly optimistic.