PROPOSED TARANAKI DIOCESE.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 August 1917, Page 8

PROPOSED TARANAKI DIOCESE.

DISCOURSE BY REV. F. G. HARVIE. At St. Mary's Church, on Sunday morning, the vicar, the Uev, F. 0, Ifarvie, preached a sermon on the subject of the proposed new diocese of Taranaki. The text was from .loci 11, v. 28—"Your old men shall dream dreams; your young men shall see visions." It must be patent to all who are capable of considering the matter, said Mr. Harvie, that the Bishop of Auckland could not give that attention to the spiritual requirements of Taranaki which the church needed. \\ith a large diocese, stretching from the North Cape to south of Stratford, it was utterly impossible physically to visit every portion of the country, and the result was unsatisfactory both to him and to the members of the church. Taranaki, especially, was geographically separated from Auckland (the centre of the present diocese), and the only soluiion of the difficulty was the creation of a new diocese, having the centre in Taranaki Itself. The general synod had defined the boundaries of the proposed diocese, which, roughly speaking, reached from the western shore of l.ake Taupo to Kawhia on the coast, round the mountain as far south as Wavcrley, and back to Lake Taupo again, including many important and evergrowing towns. Money was required in order lhat the diocese might be constituted by tiie general synod, and, supposing the annual amount required was £1(10!) (for payment of the bishop's stipend and other necessary expenses), a eon-idrrnblc capital sum would have to be raised. A great deal of interest was being taken in the matter throughout the province of Taranaki, and also m Wellington and Auckland. A cheque for C.> had s'ist arrived from a lady in Auckland, to be followed by two other similar amounts, in memory of church people who had passed away, and no doubt oilier amount.-; would follow as soon as the fund was officially started. A council was to be formed this month at a representative meeting to be held at Havera, and this would be the permanent body, with power to inaugurate the financial scheme, and to cany it out, until a sufficient endowment was created. It was necessary that the church people of Taranaki should (!) see visions—look forward to the censmnmation of all their hopes in the formation of the new din. ccse, realise all it means, anticipate its great, advantages to (he life of the church here: (2| think imperially—put away all small local considerations. It was natural that they should like New ■Plymouth, with its old church, and its great traditions, to be the cathedral city. Hut they must rise above local considerations and leave the decision to the general synod, which would decide the quest ion. (3) They must pray. A special form of pravev would be drawn up, to be used at all the sevc»»:.< of the church, and the people must make a point of praying for the fulfilment of all their hopes. If this, were done, then people's hearts would be opened, and the means provided for the expenses of the diocese, So that at the next meeting of the general synod, in 1010, the new dioco-e would be created, and the work of the church receive a new inspiration and impetus.