Kumasi, Aug 06, GNA - Reverend Dr Festus Yeboah-Asuamah, a lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has urged churches to be deeply involved in explaining government policies and programmes to the people to enable them understand them well.

He noted that policies like the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), impact of growing debt and government deregulation on the current economic crisis, increasing utility bills, fuel prices and others, should be fully explained to the masses for them to respond positively to them.

Rev Yeboah-Asuamah was speaking at the 25th Silver Jubilee anniversary celebration of the Association of Anglican Choirs, Ghana, in Kumasi on Saturday.

The celebration under the theme, "Great is Thy Faithfulness", is being attended by 350 delegates all over the country. The occasion was dedicated to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, for his immense contributions towards the development of the association and the church.

He said culture was the way and life of the people, made up of ideas values, beliefs, knowledge and expressions transmitted from generation within a social group.

Rev Yeboah-Asuamah, who was speaking on the topic, "Our Cultural Heritage for Christian Worship", decried of many problems including HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and trafficking, teenage pregnancies and others and said such problems, had impeded the development of the country. He, therefore, appealed to the choristers to adopt positive cultural practices in composing music and songs and dramatise to people to know the negative impact of such vices to help reduce them. The lecturer also stressed the need for the association to intensify their evangelisation programmes by singing hymns and songs to glorify God and win more souls for Christ.

Mr Emmanuel Asamoah Owusu-Ansah, Ashanti Regional Minister, commended the association for its 25 years of existence and urged the members to let their light shine to reflect their attitudes and characters.

Right Reverend Daniel Yinkah Sarfo, Anglican Bishop of Kumasi, on his part called on the association to use the period to take stock of its programmes and activities to adopt effective measures to improve on its deliberation.

Dr Steve Sobotie, Principal of the University College of Education Winneba (Kumasi Campus), who presided, advised Ghanaians to do away with foreign cultural practices and adopt positive Ghanaian culture to enhance the nation's cultural heritage.