The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 1910. THE NEW BISHOP.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2757, 11 March 1910, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 1910. THE NEW BISHOP.

The dominant note in the address delivered by the Right Rev. A. W. Averill at the Garrison Hall last evening was the obvious sincerity of the speaker. The new Bishop has the happy knack of gaining the sympathy of his audience, not by reason of any oratorical embellishments, but by the frankness of his utterance. After listening to him it is not diflieult to understand the great success of his work in the South and the confidence of those »who have appointed him to his present responsibly charge.. His Lordship is a man of strong convictions, and ho expresses them simply and forcibly. He evident, ly realises that success in an important undertaking is only achieved by the goodwill and co-operation of those with whom he comes in contact, and at last night’s gathering he made it clear to everyone that his Christianity is of the type that delights not in authority but in service. The personal touch introduced when mentioning the sense oi loneliness consequent upon leaving his old parish was fully appreciated, and few of the largo audience in the hail but involuntarily responded t-o the appeal for their frienusliip and sympathy towards the stranger who had come amongst them. There were one or two points in His Lordship’s address which deserve special mention. He pointed out that at the present time ton much difference is made between what is respectively termed religious and secular work. In his view a man who is doing anything because of a keen sense of duty to help his fellow men is performing a great religious work. Such an expression is worthy of the speaker, and proves him entirely free from the narrow prejudices and dwarfed outlook which frequently mar the usefulness of those engaged . in Christian work. ‘My religion is of a broad nature, and covers a deal of ground,” said the Bishop, and he proceeded to justify the assertion by mak_ ing a straight-out declaration in favor of military training. Having shown that there is nothing of the namby-pam'>y spirit about his religious views, The speaker promptly administered a scathing and well deserved indictment against the national evil of gambling. "Warmly be urged the need of thi.-. young country for great soulod men to fill public positions, and commended to all the civic ideal of the ancient Greeks, amongst whom '.it was an axiom that the individual existed for the State, not the State for the individual. A pleasant feature of last- night’s gathering was the unanimity with which the representatives of all the local denominations came forward and heartily welcomed the - distinguished churchman who was the guest- of the evening. "We are glad to join with those who extended to Plis Lordship a cordial welcome to this portion of his new diocese. As he rightly said, he feels some diffidence in following in the footsteps ol “the noble and saintly men” who have preceded him in his high office. At the same time there is no need lor undue trepidation on tlie part of one who realises, as the Bishop evidently does, the serious responsibilities of his position. There is a great work to be done in the diocese. For many reasons it is full of difficulties, and the manner in which the task is handled is of great moment to the whole of the community irrespective of sect or belief. The new Bishop of Waiapu is of the- best type of Anglicans; the type which is fully alive fo the special conditions of modern times and which infuses sufficient vigor into the Church to enable it to still occupy, as it has done for centuries, a very important place in the life of tlie Anglo-Saxon community. With his character and liis strong personality the new Bishop, had he been a private citizen, could not have failed to make a deep impress upon any community in which he happened to be placed. “With the exceptional opportunities provided in this district, he should achieve great tilings, and no look forward with pleasurable anticipation to his future career as Bishop ol "Waiapu.