Dzodze, Aug 17, GNA - Mr Henry Ford Kamel, Volta Regional Minister, has expressed worry over what he termed a 'growing degeneration of moral values in the Ghanaian society' urging the Church to urgently tackle it.

'The Church must help bring back the status quo of the moral value system by winning more souls to Christ or else our country is doomed,' he stated.

Mr Kamel was addressing the opening of the Fourth General Assembly Meeting of the Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Church, Ghana on Thursday at Dzodze in the Ketu-North District.

It was on the theme: 'Strategic Evangelism for Sustainable Growth and Development'.

The five-day meeting would witness the election of a new Presbytery Executive, ordination of priests and present awards to some deserving members of the Church.

Formed in 1847, the Church now has 10 presbyteries, 858 congregations and about 152,000 members.

Mr Kamel noted that if allowed to persist, the raging moral degeneration could eat deep into every facet of society including the church itself, the media, the governance system to affect the caliber of leadership and also the ability of the people to select the right leaders.

Reflecting on the theme for the meeting, Mr Kamel commended the Church for viewing evangelism as a major tool in national development.

He urged the churches to purge the system of charlatans who might be making the Bible look meaningless.

Mr Kamel, who together with the church leadership paid growing tribute to the late President of Ghana Professor John Evans Atta Mills, said his death should enhance the preaching of moral values in the churches.

He commended the EP Church for its contribution to the development of the country in the areas of education, agriculture, health and youth training and urged it not to relent on its efforts as the job was unfinished.

Right Reverend Francis Amenu, Moderator of the General Assembly of the EP Church, reiterated the church's preparedness to contribute its quota to development and moral molding of society.

The Moderator gave hints of plans by the church to establish two new teacher training colleges, one in the Volta Region and another in the Ashanti Region.

He said under the churches plan to build a stronger church through the expansion of evangelism, a pastor on probation would henceforth be confirmed only after he or she established two congregations.

Rt. Rev. Amenu said the church would deepen its internal conflict resolution machinery in order to iron out differences that might come up adding the past events that resulted in a schism should not recur.

He appealed to politicians to serve only the interest of the society and also urged all to reflect peace as the country prepared for the general elections.

GNA