Accra, Nov. 17, GNA - The Reverend Dr Robert Aboagye-Mensah, Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church-Ghana, on Wednesday urged all Ghanaians to work towards a peaceful election to ensure sustained national development.

He said what the electorate needed were messages dealing with development issues and politicians should go out into the communities with their messages instead of trading abuses and name-calling. The Presiding Bishop was answering questions from Journalists during the official launch of the 170th anniversary celebrations of Methodism in Ghana, under the theme: "Making Disciples Of All Nations." Rev Aboagye-Mensah said the choice of the theme was in keeping with the original calling of the Church to go out into the communities to win souls.

He said it was time for the church to wake up to its responsibilities of reconciling the nation.

Rev. Aboagye-Mensah mentioned some successes chalked by the Methodist Church in health delivery, education and the provision of other socio-economic services and the partnerships built with the State over the years.

On the issue of handing back mission schools to religious bodies, he said what the Church was seeking was partnership in the education sector.

The Church is expected to make an input into an education bill in the offing during the first quarter of next year.

The Rev. Kow Egyir, Administrative Bishop of the Methodist Church, announced that the church had outdoored new school uniforms for its schools, following an agreement with government that unit schools should re-introduce uniforms that identified groups.