THE THRONE OF NELSON

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 70, 25 October 1940, Page 15

THE THRONE OF NELSON

New Bishop In New Zealand's Church City |

O town in New Zealand applies for charter as a city unless it has a population of more than 20,000. Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin have their charters as the Four Centres. Wanganui, Palmerston North, and Invercargill have more recently become cities. Hamiiton’s estimated population last year brought it just over the limit, but there has been no census to establish the claim of ratepayers to vote themselves into city status. Lower Hutt is at present asking for a charter. Last year Nelson’s estimated population was only 14,000. Yet Nelson is a city. Symbol of its claim, granted by charter from Queen Victoria, is the unfinished cathedral on that magnificent site overlooking the main street. Holder of the charter has been the Rt. Reverend W. G. Hilliard. Now this historic document has passed into the keeping of the new Bishop of Nelson,

SUV UVYUCUeCeLee veeey yee EE _ -_ eo the Rev. P. W. Stephenson, M.A., B.D., whose enthronement will be described in a broadcast from 2YN on November 1, at 7.15p.m. He will be the sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Nelson, and the ceremony will take place in the Cathedral Church of Christ Church, Nelson. In the person of the Bishop are vested Nelson’s rights to call itself a city. It may be called a cathedral city, as Christchurch is, but its real claim is not in that building which one day-will rise complete in such perfect setting, but in the fact that it has a bishop. Without the cathedral it would still be a city. Wellington is a city, but as yet has no cathedral. From Tent to Cathedral Anglican churchmen in the city of Nelson first worshipped in a tent, when Bishop Hobhouse held Queen Victoria’s charter. A wooden church was condemned as unsafe, so the cathedral was started. : The form of ceremony on November 1 will interest listeners who plan to follow the broadcast. It is, of course, in keeping with the importance of the occasion as an event in the history of the diocese. For Nelson itself, it is also important, for this is the only place in

"...The said Town of Nelson shall be a City"-Portion of Queen Victoria’s charter by right of which Nelson calls itself a city

New Zealand where civic privileges not vested in the civic authority are held by the Anglican Church. The service opens with a hymn. When it has ended the Members of the Chapter and the Dean will go to the west door to await the coming of the Bishop. The new Bishop will come to the west door preceded by his Chaplain bearing the Pastoral Staff. He will knock three times with the Staff and say: "I, Percival William, by Divine Permission sixth Bishop of this diocese, ask you, Mr. Dean, to admit me to my place as Bishop in this Cathedral Church." The Dean will answer: " Right Reverend Father, we bid you welcome in the name of God." During the singing of a psalm the Bishop and the others making the procession, will take up their positions in the Cathedral. The Dean will then read the Certificate of Consecration and will commend the Bishop to the prayers of the congregation. After the prayer the Dean will assign the Throne or Episcopal Seat to the Bishop, and a representative of the Clerical Members of the Synod of the Diocese will declare the allegiance of the Clergy. The Chancellor will do the same for the Lay Members. The New Bishop’s Career The Rev. P. W. Stephenson came to New Zealand from Sydney. He is an Australian. He was born in Victoria and educated in Melbourne, where he graduated M.A. in 1910. From Ridley College he was ordained in 1912. After two years in a country parish he was sent as a church missionary to the North West Frontier of India (at Peshawar). He later became principal of the Edwardes College there, and while in India took his degree as Bachelor of Divinity of London University. After ten years in India he went to Winnipeg, Canada, as Professor of Exegesis in St. John’s College. Four years later he returned to Australia, first as secretary for the Church Missionary Society and later as headmaster of Trinity Grammar School. In 1938 he became Commonwealth secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society.