"We have been through many turbulent times before and have done well," Anglican Bishop Dr John Holder said on Sunday, while delivering his charge at the opening session of the annual synod at the St Michael's Cathedral.

Holder said there was a wide range of suggestions on how best to cope with these threatening conditions.

"There is no doubt that even if we do not have the power to determine the flow of international trends and forces, we have some power to determine how we can manage, how we can organise and recognise our local conditions to meet the challenges of the time," he said.

The head of the local Anglican Church urged that "we dare not neglect the critical place of faith and religion" when trying to manage the best way to meet these challenges.

However, Holder warned against falling into the trap of "God of the Gap" understanding of religion, where one only saw God as relevant when things were rough "but most irrelevant when things are going well". (TM)