DIOCESE OF TARANAKI.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 October 1920, Page 6

DIOCESE OF TARANAKI.

EARLY CONSTITUTION URGED. CAMPAIGN TO RAISE FUNDS. The question of the constitution of a Diocese of Taranaki was discussed by the Synod at Auckland this week. The Rev. F. G. Harvie, of New Plymouth, said the appointment of a bishop would greatly relieve the work done by the Bishops of Auckland and Wellington. The fund for the endowment of the proposed Taranaki Bishopric now amounted to £1270. The General Synod, in 1010, stipulated that the fund must provide £IOOO a year and a house for the bishop. This meant that a capital sum of approximately £20,00(1 must be found before the new bishopric could be formed. General Synod had appointed a commission, representing the present Dioceses of Auckland and Wellington, to investigate the apportionment of their endowments. Until the report of this commission was available the Taranaki people presumed that under the terms of the General Church Trust the new diocese would be entitled to a proportion of the revenue derived from the properties under the control of the trustees. At a conference of the Auckland city and suburban clergy, held in. July, it had been unanimously resolved to support the formation of the new diocese ir. every possible way. The treasurers of the fund emphasised The fact that while the movement primarily concerned Taranaki, it was actually a provincial movement, and as such "the whole of the Church should participate in it. The endowment fund had not grown as it should because it had no organiser. There was also a natural tendency for Taranaki Church people to withhold contributions until tliev know how much support wag granted' by tlie northern Churchmen. The speaker then placed before the Synod several proposals, of which notice had been given. The president, Archdeacon G. .AlacMurray, said/ the proposals had his hearty sympathy. The work undertaken by the Bishop of Auckland was ton much for the physical powers of any ordinary man, and the fact that Bishop Averiil had executed his manifold duties for so long proved that he was no ordinary man. The diocese was 305 miles in length, and the lack of travelling facilities entailed great physical fatigue. It was wrong in principle to have such large districts, and it would be better to revert to the early Church system and make the Bishop, the spiritual father in a smaller area. The scheme, although urgent, was not large enough, and there should be five dioceses in the North Island. He hoped the day was not far distant when Hamilton would be the seat for a Waikato diocese. Only the Church of God could be the agent' for preserving civilisation, and the Church would fail disastrously unless she was efficient. This movement mude for elliciene.v. The Synod unanimously passed the following resolutions:—That this Synod considers that for tin; welfare and progress of the Church it is essential that the formation of a diocese in Taranaki should be undertaken without further delay; that an Auckland diocesan committee be appointed to rate funds for this object from the people of Auckland IJiocese, with power to appoint an organiser, whose salary and other incidental expenses shall be paid out of the money raised; that the monev so raised be paid over by the committee i.o the trustees of the bishopric fund; that the committee consist of Archdeacon 'Macllurray, Archdeacon Evans, the Kevs. O. IT. (Jrant Cowen and Harvie, and Messrs A. B. Robertson and' A. B. Stanley, with power to add l> their number and (lit vacancies the Rev. C. H. Grant Cowen to be convener.