The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffor Awuah, has asked for the cooperation of churches in the fight against indiscipline and crime, which are rife in our communities, schools, workplaces and on our highways.

He observed that it is an irony that the perpetrators of these vices belong to one religious denomination or another. "Inspite of the proliferation of churches in the country, we are witnessing a massive upsurge of crimes and vices", he emphasised.

Mr Baffour Awuah was speaking at the opening of the eight Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Presbytery Conference of the E.P. Church under the theme, "Stewardship Revisited" in Sunyani. The regional minister appealed to churches, parents and communities to lead a spiritual and moral crusade in the country to ensure that the modest gains so far made in our governance processes are not eroded by the resurgence of these social vices.

He gave the assurance that the NPP government would remain committed to its programmes of good governance, growth, poverty reduction and wealth creation and the maximization of the human resource potency of the country.

Mr Baffour Awuah pointed out that "government's aim to provide social amenities and the needed infrastructure for the good of the people requires money but inspite of the efforts to improve upon tax collection, many eligible taxpayers, including christians, dodge payment".

He therefore called on gospel ministers to educate their congregations to pay their taxes just as they pay their thites. The minister also asked churches to satisfy both the spiritual and physical needs of their members by assisting them to be gainfully employed.

"This can be done by assisting the needy with small loans, the youth can also be sponsored to technical and vocational schools to learn employable skills", he said. Mr. Baffour Awuah commended the EP Church for its role in the socio-economic development of the country over the past 160 years.

The E.P. Church. has over the years provided schools, vocational training centers, health facilities, water and sanitation facilities and micro credit to its disadvantaged and vulnerable members, especially women and more recently, education of the youth and assistance to People Living With HIV/AIDS.

He appealed to churches to explain government policies and programmes to the people at the grassroots so that all will help in their successful implementation. The Moderator of the EP Church, Rt. Rev. Dr. L.K. Buama, pointed out that the world is for the Lord and that christians are in priveleged positions as stewards.

He cautioned stewards not to see themselves as masters but as servants in the Lord's vineyard.He asked church stewards to do their duties with dilidence and humility.