The Polynesian Anglicans
p. 51 · Read in the full issue
[?] lebrating Their Golden Jubilee
[?]He Trials And Triumphs Of
• The Anglican diocese of Polynesia, whose headquarters is in Suva, s year celebrates its Golden Jubilee. Official celebrations will taken place ween May 28 and June 4.
HE Anglican church was estab lished in Fiji, in 1870, but the position, so far as the creation a separate diocese was concerned, s regularised only in 1908 —and the years immediately after, It ised through many vicissitudes, t is remarable, that in the 50 ,rs of its existence the diocese ; had only two Bishops, Bishop C. Twichell, who was consecrated 1908 and resigned in 1921; and present Bishop, the Rt. Rev.
S. Kempthorne, who has served ynesia since 1923. tost of the diocese early troubles e financial and of this the flee issue of the Church Gazette this to say: rhe appointment of the Rev.
C. Twitchell, Rector of All lows’, Poplar, as Bishop in 1908 ned to solve these, but he was t out with totally insufficient port, and after surviving the culties caused by the 1914-18 and having used up much df private capital, he resigned in ust, 1921. his appointment he was )lved in a complex legal action nt the Campbell Bequest, an te which had been bequeathed
3r the will of the Hon. John ipbell for the establishment of ishopric of Fiji of the Church Sngland. This estate produced annual income of never more i £230, and it fell as low as He knew little of New Zealand oistralia, and only towards the of his term as Bishop did he n to receive support from iralia.” shop Kempthorne is a New ander but had worked in ria and Malaya before being ecrated at Lambeth Palace pel as Bishop in Polynesia.
The financial troubles of the church in Polynesia have not been missing during Bishop Kemp thorne’s term of office either —but they have been considerably less acute. In the post-war period there has been erected in Suva the very handsome Cathedral —monument to
the support of local Anglicans and to the energy and enterprise of the Bishop and his clergy.
Polynesia is, of course, a mission ary diocese which includes work amongst the Fiji-Indians and the descendants of the Solomon Islanders who were brought in as indentured labour. From Suva also, work in Tonga and Western Samoa is conducted.
But alone amongst missionary diocese of the Pacific, the Anglican church in Polynesia has managed to bring with it—probably because of the men who belong to it—much of the atmosphere of the English parish, and much less of the proselytising that can be expected from most branches of the Christian church in the Pacific.