Hwidiem (B/A), May 5, GNA - The 26th annual synod of the Sunyani Methodist Church has ended at Hwidiem in the Asutifi district with a call on Ghanaians to work hard, respect the law and do away with ethnicity to help accelerate the country's development.

The four-day synod was on the theme: "The Unfinished Task" and attended by 98 delegates from all the 15 circuits of the church. The Right-Reverend Kwame Omane Achamfour, outgoing diocesan Bishop, said the church achieved remarkable success in the areas of education, youth training, church administration, social responsibility and rural development within the past six years.

He said since women were the most vulnerable, the church had appointed a full time co-ordinator to take care of issues relating to their economic empowerment in the diocese.

The Rt-Rev. Achamfour said as part of measures to reduce poverty among the people, the church set up a revolving fund from which soft loans are advanced to members to undertake micro scale economic activities.

They have also been training the unemployed in batik, tie and dye. The Diocesan Bishop also spoke of efforts the church was making through education to help fight the spread of the HIV/AIDS infection in the area. Already, they have trained 70 counsellors to advice the youth and counsel identified HIV positive persons.