THE NEW BISHOP OF WAIAPU

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2714, 20 January 1910, Page 3

THE NEW BISHOP OF WAIAPU

ADDRESS OF WELCOME. A meeting of the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Waiapu was held on Monday afternoon, when the following address of welcome was presented to Bishop Averilf : “This being your first official meeting with the Standing Committee of the diocese, it is right that its members should extend to your Lordship a welcome on behalf of your Synod and, the diocese as a whole, and assure you of out* loyalty and desire to support you in carrying out the duties of your high office. The diocese to which you have been called has an extent of 15,000 square miles and a European Church population of over 30,000, in, addition to whom there arc about 10,000 Maoris who arc either members of or in the care of the Church. These are ministered to by -13 priests .and 10 deacons. The mere statistics would make this diocese the fourth in the province; but, owing to its physical condition and the difficulties of communication a very heavy burden is laid upon the Bishop in the way of travelling, which is accentuated by the fact that he is called upon to minister to two races. It is hoped that the means of communication will be improved before, long; hut, on the other hand; the development of the diocese, is hound to ,be very great in the near future. The north-east part of the diocese contains some, of the best land in New Zealand as yet undeveloped, and this is now being opened up very rapidly. This means a great accession to the population of the diocese, and

will lay upon the Church the .burden of supplying the spiritual needs of a large and scattered community. The direction of this supply -must be -a matter of great anxiety to the ’Bishop of the diocese, and the superintendence of the work will entail upon him additional physical strain. We have assured your Lordship of our cordial support in these matters, but we realise that the Bishop must attack the majority of the problems which the diocese -presents dn reliance mainly upon his own judgment. The greatest jhe-lp, therefore, that we can afford w-iil be our -sincere and continued prayers that God may supply you with the strength and the wisdom which your work will demand.”