DIOCESAN SYNOD, AUCKLAND.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2692, 12 October 1889, Page 2

DIOCESAN SYNOD, AUCKLAND.

A XAHKKii feature in the meeting of the riynod now being held in Auckland is the manifest awakeniijg of churehuun to a triß'i , -on--:. >il their d:iii .■■ and r«s|;on»ibili'.ie.;. Refoui.-i;,' to the subject of dioees.in ordains ilioi, Mr Swarljriek, one of the repißseiitat.ives of the Waikato, .•Miuke as f 'Hows : — lie. onniiieiiced by demanding that this question should be uoii-iderod without imp.iitmg any mere personal or loc il feeling, but simply how tho work of the. Church could bo most elli-eu-ntly carried on. At tin; pns'iit time certain ;j.iris .'f the di iw-o li.ivo been made inU> properly defined parishes but nisny uf the counl ry districts have no delined boundaries but are lufl either to clergymen, who in practice if n.t in name, : . ri! uppuintcd to congregations, and to iiinerant preachers. TiiU system is c in iliy bid in piiueiplo and in practice. Fir*t i , , involves a great waste of nviiiry ami energy. Fur example a clergyui-m is seat all the way from Auckland to aUend to a place 10 miles from Hamilton, whilst I lie Hamilton parson is suit right out of his district t>o miles to ani-thur pars >n's district. P.ot the system not only squanders tho Home Mission funds on uselc.-s journeys, Inn also nipples the country districts by rubbing them ot Hie contributions of places which the local clergy and laity would gladly sive. Again, it is impossible for a clergyman who visits a distiict at rare intervals to do any real church work, lleligiim is a matter for seven daysin the week, and it is a perfect farce to merely hold services without properly organised parish work, Such parish work can only be done by a clergyman permanently in charge-, with a band of organised lay workers to help him. But the worst evil of this practice of appointing clergymen to mere congregation!! is thai it creates and fosteis a spirit of selfish congregationuli.-iin, instead of tho (irand catholic teaching of the Church of England. They had all been shocked that day to hear a clergyman demand, " Why should wo attend to people who subscribe nothing to our funds?" But that is tho logical outcome of a system which degrades the clergy to the mere servants of the congregations that employ them, and teaches clie laity to look on the Church as a plan for providing them with weekly religious services, and enabling them to save their own " miserable little souls." He maintained that the Church in this diocese is bound to care for and look after every man, woman and child in the diucese, and that this could only be done by dividing out tho entire diocese into clearly defined districts, each in charge of a clergyman responsible for the same. He would now endeavour to answer some of the objections that, had been urged against his proposals. First : At a reuent meeting in the Waikato it had been said "Your plans are right enough in principle, but what are you to do if a clergyman won'tcarrythem out." Such a speech, coming from an Archdeacon, a man appointed to assist in maintaining discipline, had astonished him. Ho would answer it by another. What does any mau do when his servant refuses t) do his proper wish ? Aud the clergy aro. the servants of the Church. The fact is too much attention is paid to the miserable little fancies and prejudices of particular men in localities, and the broad interests of the Church are lost sight of.' Again, it is urged that many places aro remote, that no parson in the district could visit them. But if a man living in the district can not get to them, how can a man come all the way froii) Auckland and (hen go on u> them S instance, Raglan is about thirty miles from any other centre, therefore a man is brought all the way from Auckland past hcilf-a-dozen parsons in the Waikato, and then goes on from the Waikate to Raglan, Now ii; would jiolp ouy of tlie W:ulca.to ' t !is. trictstibu alUwwl tlie work and'receive, the Raglan collections and a small grant from the Home Mission, but the present system wasten home mission money on railway fares in order to lako VVailcato collections . out of the district, it is mm , pio;:u;cd to suncl auutlicr clergyjiuin i;> the Yvaikiito. although the di-.tiiot cannot pay the tinea tl|ey already have v auu. the proseut clergy, and laity would gladly do the work of the wholo district. In conclusion, he said ho had mentioned curtain places merely to illustrate principles which applied equally to the whole iJiocfsc, Inftfoatl of more parsons, what \yaa was boiter organisation, bolter paid par. sons, and properly organised >ay help. Mr Swarbrick afterwards moved, "That in order to utilise the. funds of the Homo Mi.-.-ion to the 1-c.jt iidvaniago, it is necesvwy to (jivi(L tlie enure djuce.-.o into tielined disiriots, each in ch:irgo of a resident elergym.n, tho available funds being devoted to making grants iu aid of thinlypopulated districts," which was earned by a largo majority.