Regional News of Monday, 26 December 2005

Source: GNA

Christians asked to embrace peace for development

Christians have been asked to embrace peace as the only tool that could help reform the world for human beings to coexist peacefully. This was contained in separate Christmas Day Messages of the head pastors of the Global Evangelical Church and the First Ghana Baptist Church in the Tamale Metropolis in Tamale on Christmas Day. The pastors, who both preached on Peace said Christians were the sources of peace in the world and that, if they devoted their time and energies to ensure that peace prevailed, there would be development both in human life and their communities.

The Reverend Manfred Mawuena Kofi Fiakpui, Tamale Metro pastor of the Global Evangelical Church, addressing a large congregation said, "While we want peace to prevail in the country, we should also seek reconciliation with others so that we can live happily". Rev. Fiakpui said Christ came with the intention of bringing peace and change to the world and that the change would not materialize, if Christians did not love each other.

He said if there were love, understanding and forgiveness, there would not be political confusion in the country, since all politicians were seeking the interest and the growth of the nation. The Rev. Isaac Wuni, Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Tamale asked Christians to prepare their hearts for the New Year, since God would be choosing them at random and use them as agents of change. He said good relationship between man and man, and man and God was key to the social upliftment of society and stressed the importance of being righteous in the world.

He said Jesus Christ represented peace and that it was importance for Christians to be peace loving for a reunion between man and God.