Churches were put to a severe test by the Second World War and the Anglican Church was no exception. Its ablest young men were in uniform, and many of its women were thrust into roles more responsible than they had in peacetime. The bishops did not enjoy good relationships, and pacifists asked difficult questions of their Church. Tension grew between Maori and Pakeha Anglicans, and everyone wrestled with the theological issues surrounding death, reconciliation, the Holocaust and the atomic bomb. In this, the first study of World War II's impact on the life of a Church in New Zealand, MARCHING AS TO WAR? connects what the Church was saying and doing with what was happening in the society beyond its pews. Author, Archdeacon Dr Geoff Haworth, has anchored his research in interviews with men and women with personal memories of the war, as well as gathering together letters, reports, drawings, sermons, radio broadcasts, and magazine articles from archives and private collections. He has also included numerous photos, most previously unpublished that give a fascinating insight into the people behind the institution. MARCHING AS TO WAR? is more than just the history of a Church, it is also a social record of the interaction between New Zealand society and its largest Church. Although Anglican leaders tried to offer the nation 'business as usual', the dynamics of wartime change were reshaping the Church's role and identity. While the bishops and Mothers' Union wished to keep the lid on change, wartime pushed at their institution's boundaries and beliefs.