The Methodist Church of Ghana has positioned itself to partner the government in the promotion and execution of its one district, one factory policy initiative as it falls in line with the church’s development agenda.
The Bishop of the Kumasi Diocese of the Methodist Church, Rt Rev. Christopher Nyarko Andam, who disclosed this, said the church was ready to support the government to enable it to roll out the programme across the country.
He said the policy, if well executed, would create jobs for thousands of unemployed youth and contribute to enhancing food production in the country.
Rev. Andam was speaking to the Daily Graphic in Kumasi on the sidelines of the inauguration of a manse for the Trinity Society Methodist Church at Oforikrom.
The manse was constructed at a cost of GH¢400,000 through contributions from members of the congregation. It has four bedrooms, two offices, a 50-seater conference room, a 250-seater children’s hall, 10 washrooms and a clinic.
Holistic development
Rt Rev. Andam said the church had for a very long time been involved in various agricultural businesses across the country as a means of creating jobs for the youth and empowering them to be economically independent.
He stated that as part of a development initiative of the church, it organised skills training for its members, particularly women groups, so they could become economically independent and contribute to the development of the country.
Collaboration
He said the church was in a collaborative venture with the Rural Enterprise projects in many districts across the country to provide its members with employable skills that would make them capable of fending for themselves.
He said the church had established a metal fabrication factory at Offinso in the Ashanti Region to train people to manufacture various agricultural implements. The move, he said, was to promote agriculture development in the country, especially across the middle belt.
Fighting corruption
Rev. Andam hinted that the church had resolved to use its meetings to educate members on the need to stay away from bribery and corruption since it was a very bad practice in the presence of God and against the laws of the country.
He was upbeat that using the pulpit to preach against bribery and corruption was the right thing to do, since members of the church comprised people from various professions, ethnic and social backgrounds who could spread the message they received fast.
The Minister in charge of the Trinity Methodist Church, Rev. Isaac Osei Karikari, commended the congregation for their support and contribution towards the construction of the manse, saying it had brought great relief with regard to accommodation for the clergy.
He assured the congregation that the leadership of the church would continue to work very hard to contribute to the social and spiritual development of members of the church and the entire nation.
Rev. Karikari urged members of the church to pray for the leadership of the nation to enable them to steer the nation to prosperity.
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