Religion of Saturday, 26 April 2014

Source: GNA

Clergy urged to reach more people with the gospel

The Primate and Archbishop of the Anglican Internal Province of Ghana, the Most Reverend Professor Daniel Yinkah-Sarfo, have urged his colleague priests to work hard to reach more people with the gospel, to bring peace and restore hope to the society.

He said it should not be business as usual and that they would have to find new ways of doing things, adding that they would have to go to people, identify with them, share in their pain and support them to overcome their challenges.

He was speaking at the opening of a five-day conference of the Ghana Anglican Clergy Association at Ofoase- Kokoben Pope John Paul II Formative and Retreat Centre in the Bekwai Municipality.

Over 400 priests, Deans, Archdeacons, Canons, Deacons and members of the Provincial Synod are attending.

“The Anglican Priests in the 21st century, Challenges and prospects," is the theme for the conference.

They would deliberate among other issues, the welfare of the clergy, pension policy, the strategic plans of all the 10 dioceses of the church, and reflect on the education policy and partnership with the government.

Archbishop Yinkah-Sarfo said it was important for priests to be innovative to make the church attractive, particularly to the youth.

The Right Reverend Prof Osei Sarfo-Kantanka, the Methodist Bishop of Kumasi, said they should focus on the growth of the church and that there was the need for liturgical churches to eschew complacency and work hard to address the existential problems of members to end losing them to the charismatic churches.

He told them to avoid exclusiveness and go out there to teach and educate the people to understand the work of God.