Accra, Sept. 20, GNA - Vice President John Mahama on Sunday underscored the importance of the church and the state working as partners to prosecute a common agenda that will result in accelerated national development.

He said the government sees thriving religious organizations such as the Methodist Church as partners in governance, owing largely to the creditable role the Church continues to play in fulfilling the social and economic needs of the people.

Addressing members of the Church at the commemoration of the 170th anniversary of its Accra Diocese at the Independence Square, Vice President Mahama called for an even greater collaboration between the State and the Church for the total development of society. "Whilst the church handles the spiritual aspect of man's development, government addresses the social, economic and political needs of society", said the Vice President, singling out the Methodist church as among a few church organizations that have successfully combined the two roles.

The Vice President expressed the hope that the productive relationship between the two sides would continue to flourish for the benefit of the people.

"We should not allow anything to hinder our progress towards the achievement of our noble objective of development", he affirmed. Vice President Mahama also asked Ghanaians to move beyond post-election politicking and support programmes that will help turn around the economic situation of the people.

He said: "There were surely disagreements during the campaign period but elections are over, and now is the time to put disagreements behind us and prosecute a common agenda for accelerated national development". The Accra Diocese of the Methodist church was founded in 1838 by an expatriate missionary, Thomas Birch Freeman, but has since blossomed beyond Accra, and its efforts have led to the creation of two other dioceses at Tema and Somanya.

Delivering a homily on the theme, 'Methodism in the Accra Diocese - Pioneering role of Freeman', the Right Reverend Kow B. Egyir, Administrative Bishop of the Methodist Conference, said although the Church has made some significant strides, daunting challenges remained. "For instance, there are some communities within the diocese which do not have educational facilities, and I wonder why this should be so in the twenty-first century," he stated.

Rev Egyir said in view of the fact that "healthy faith is healing", the Church should apply itself diligently to resolving the educational and health challenges that confront the people. The Bishop of Accra, the Right Reverend Abraham Tagoe, urged members to forge ahead with greater zeal and commitment in their service to the Lord and to humanity.

He said the diocese should be able within the next 170 years to make a more positive and significant contribution to the society. 20 Sept. 09