CHURCH NOMINATIONS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 277, 2 June 1875, Page 2

CHURCH NOMINATIONS.

The following, taken from the May No. of the New Zealand Church News, will be of interest to many of our readers. The Rev. E. Williams alluded to is the gentleman recently nominated to the Gisborne Parish :—

Waikouaiti and Palmerston. — The Bev. E. H. Granger, formerly incumbent of All Saints, Dunedin, but, since his return from England, charged, if we are not mistaken, with the new cure recently formed in the City of Wellington, has been appointed by the Board of Nominators to the incumbency of Waikouaiti and Palmerston, lately vacated by the resignation of the Rev. A. Dasent. But the appointment has been made under circumstances, which are likely to make Mr. Granger’s position, if he has finally accepted the cure, exceedingly unpleasant for some time to come. The circumstances we refer to have also subjected our whole tystem of nomination- of pastors to vacant cures to a severe strain, but have tended to show, we cannot but think, the importance of maintaining that system in its essential features. On the principles involved in this business, however, we may perhaps speak more at length in our next issue; what we have to do at present is to acquaint our readers with the facts. When Mr. Dasent’s intention to resign the cure became known, it was soon understood that several clergymen, belonging to different dioceses, were desirous of occupying his place. One of these, the Rev. E. Williams, who came from England some twelve or fifteen months ago, and was appointed by the Bishop of Dunedin to the cure of Naseby, was invited, as we understand, by some of the parishioners, to visit them personally and minister in St. John’s church Waikouaiti. He did so, and the result was that he made such a favourable impression on the congregation, by the style of his preaching more especially, that they determined, if possible, to secure him as Mr. Dasent’s successor. An informal meeting of parishioners was held on the 17111 March, John Orbell Esq. being in the chair, the ostensible purpose of the meeting being to give an expression of opinion on the appointment ©f a successor to the Rev. A. Dasent, and the advertisement convening it was signed by three of the. vestrymen. On the-

morning of the day on which the .meeting was to be held, however, the Bisbop arrived at Waikouaiti, and on seeing the advertisement wrote to the three vestrymen, explaining to them that the meeting must be regarded as an entirely informal one, and stating that, in his opinion, the course of “calling a public meeting for the discussion of a subject of such delicacy, and upon which, as judging between the several candidates already mentioned or who may come forward, the parish io neers in general can have so little opportunity of knowledge, is quite foreign to the principles of our Church legislation, and would tend most seriously to the overthrow of the freedom of the officers in whose hands the responsible duty of nomination is lawfully placed. The “ Synod,” the Bishop proceeds to say, “ provides a channel for the parochial element to be represented, in the right to elect nominators for each parish, but these once appointed cannot, in such a matter, be too freely trusted, or too little disturbed by popular excitement.” His Lordship also requested that this communication should be read to the meeting, “ should it seem to you desirable to proceed therewith.” The meeting took place, however, and was largely attended, and agreed unanimously to draw up and sign a requisition conveying their “ recommendation as to the appointment of a successor to the Rev. Mr. Dasent, for the guidanceandeonsideration of the Local Nominators and the Board of Nominators in Dunedin.” The following requisition was then drawn up and signed by every member of the Church of England in the room : —“We, the undersigned parishioners of St. John’s Church, Waikouaiti, having in view the spiritual welfare of the parish and success of the Church, respectfully and earnestly recommend the appointment of the Rev. Edward Williams, of Naseby, to the curacy vacant by the resignation of tbe Rev. A. Dasent.” The feeling and views of the meeting may be gathered from the following extract from the report of one of the speeches, the speaker evidently carrying the meeting with him : —“ He considered that, as it was from the members of the Church that the curate’s stipend was made up, they should have some say in the matter as a guide to the nominators, who would no doubt to some extent be glad to have the responsibility taken off their own shoulders. In fact it was the general impression amongst the Church attenders that the nominators ought to have consulted the people interested, and abided by the wishes of the majority. (Hear, hear.) As this hadnot been done, the plan adopted was the only one by which the feelings of the congregation could be arrived at. After all, the question resolved itself into one of ways and means, and if the necessary funds were not forthcoming, the clergyman, if appointed against the wishes of the parishioners, would not be able to live.” Another gentleman who followed spoke in equally plain terms, saying that, “if a clergyman were appointed contrary to the wishes of the parishioners, from whom the contributions were made up, there would be. a difficulty in getting in the money, and he would be starved out.” On the following evening a meeting of the parishioners of St. Mary’s Palmerston, was held at that place for a similar purpose. The meeting was a very enthusiastic one, and considerable warmth of feeling manifested itself on the question. The opinion as expressed was all . but unanimous in favor of the Rev. E. Williams, and a resolution was drawn up and forwarded to the Board of Nominators in Dunedin embodying the wishes of the parishioners on the subject. The requisitions were forwarded to the Ven. Archdeacon Edwards, Chairman of the Diocesan Nominators, and the result was, that the following resolution was adopted unanimously by the combined Board : —“ That the petition presented to the Board of Nominators by certain persons residing in Waikouaiti and Palmerston seeking to influence the decision of the board in favour of one of the candidates for the vacant cure of Waikouaiti and Palmerston be forwarded to his lordship, with the request that he will be pleased to lay those documents before the Diocesan Synod, with the view of obtaining the opinion and direction of that body with reference to the precedent thus sought to be established, bnt which this Board, in the present instance, has ignored.” The Board also nominated the Rev. E. Granger to fill the vacancy.