Twifo Praso (C/R), May 19, GNA - Mr Abraham Odoom, the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, has appealed to Christians to discard the notion that it was wrong for them to get involved in government, law or politics.

He said if such perceptions continued, Christians would be contributing to the already collapsing moral and cultural values of the society.

Mr Odoom was addressing the closing session of a three-day "Prayer and Evangelism Conference" for about 200 pastors and other church leaders in the Twifo-Hemang-lower-Denkyira District.

Mr Odoom recounted contributions made by the church in moral education and character formation in schools in the pre-independence era when clergymen headed most of the institutions of higher learning. He expressed regret that the situation was reversed before independence when government took over schools, resulting in the lowering of standards, while the church made little or no effort to resist.

The Deputy Minister told the conference that Christians' involvement in the political life of the nation should be seen as a means of serving God.

"Those who divorce their faith from any cultural actions have no standing to complain about the deteriorating moral fabric of Ghanaian culture with its attendant hydra-headed social canker of corruption" he said.

Mr Odoom also expressed concern about the lifestyles and negative attitude to work by some public officials and politicians.

He appealed to religious leaders on the continent to participate in efforts to accelerate socio-economic development of the continent. Rev Philip Tutu, the national director of 'Gospel Recordings', urged the country's leadership to pray for God's guidance and for Him to take control of the nation since their policies alone cannot solve the numerous problems facing the country.