Accra, April 18, GNA-Professor Joseph Atsu Ayee, Dean of the Faculty of Social Studies of the University of Ghana, Legon, has observed that the time had come for political parties to select women as Vice Presidential candidates.

Opening the 34th Presbytery Conference of the Accra Presbytery of the Global Evangelical Church in Accra on Friday, he noted that political parties should select a woman running mate since females are in the majority.

Prof. Atsu Ayee asked Ghanaians to use this year's election as a test case to demonstrate their maturity for other countries to emulate. He called on religious bodies to unite to achieve their aims, adding that, unity promoted peace, stability and progress. This is the reason why we must not live as a divided congregation or presbytery, Prof. Atsu Ayee stated.

He said the theme for the one-day conference; "Keeping the Unity of the faith in Holiness", was interesting and intriguing particularly in the present situation, adding, "these are bad times for unity and Holiness in our churches, especially when material issues rather than spiritual ones have dominated most of the churches."

Prof. Atsu Ayee explained that unity was created by a sense of common purpose and competent leadership and said the Bible itself hailed unity as the highest form of Christian relations.

"Even though in the church there is diversity, we are all one body in Christ", he said adding, "the presence of the Holy Spirit in the church will bring unity and peace."

This, notwithstanding, unity does not mean we must all agree since we are told that the body has many parts not just one part. The Reverend Felix Mensah Agbo, Acting Chairman of the Accra Presbytery of the Church said the current report put the population of the presbytery at 26,235 indicating 14.13 percent drop from 27,648.

He said taking cognizance of the fact that in 2006 the theme for the church was; "Taking the whole city for Christ" and the focus was planting a church in every community one would have expected a positive growth rate adding that "this drop must shake us from our slumber". Rev. Agbo stressed the need to step up efforts in evangelism and "church planting" and said experience had shown that the few church planting that took place was not as a result of reaching out to lost souls but old members relocating and coming together to start new congregations.