Minister decries power struggle among religious leaders

Sunyani (B/A) June 2, GNA- Nana Kwadwo Seinti, Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, on Thursday decried the alarming rate at which leaders of some religious bodies struggled for power, which could divide members. He also expressed disappointment that some of the leaders were engaged in drug trafficking, wife snatching, visa racketeering, ritual murders and dissipation of church funds.

Nana Seinti was addressing the opening of a three-day Book Conference for about 100 pastors and their wives in and around Sunyani. The conference was jointly organised by the Sunyani Local Council of Churches and African Enterprise, an inter-denominational organization under the theme: "The Christian Minister and the Ministry". Nana Seinti urged pastors to preach peace and unity among all people to reform society and said the high rate of indiscipline and massive moral degeneration, especially among the youth, could partly be attributed to the church.

He said: "The church has compromised its sanctity as moulder of spiritual discipline and moral uprightness of members and replaced it with greed, power, money and other anti-social virtues". Nana Seinti appealed to religious leaders to use the pulpit to address problems that divided the people and prevented the country from achieving its developmental goals.

He said: "Today as a nation we stand at the threshold of success and failure, of prosperity, peace and war depending on what we do or fail to do with God's given destiny".

Nana Seinti said the government was committed to improving the well being of Ghanaians as manifested in the President's Special Incentives for cassava, oil palm, salt, textiles and garments. He stressed that such measures were aimed at diversifying the economy to create employment, reduce poverty and create wealth. Nana Seinti urged religious bodies to educate their members on the significance of the National Health Insurance Scheme adding that, the scheme would tremendously help to improve the health conditions of ordinary Ghanaians.

On HIV/AIDS, the Regional Minister expressed regret that the region ranked third in the country, and appealed to all Ghanaians to join the crusade to prevent its spread.

The Right Reverend Kwame Omane-Achamfour, Methodist Bishop of the Sunyani Diocese, appealed to Christians to be holy and faithful in order to allow God to use them for His intended purpose. Rev Dr Nii Amoo Darku, Director of African Enterprise, said the workshop was designed to equip pastors with the requisite skills to enable them to lead their members.

He said the participants would be taken through leadership, family life, evangelism and ministry. 2 June 06