Dr Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister, has urged the church and other religious bodies to continue working in partnership with the government to speed up the nation’s socio-economic development.

He noted the significant contribution churches have been making to bring progress to the people and said this should be sustained.

Dr Agyemang-Mensah made the call in a speech read for him at a ceremony to mark the elevation of the Adukrom Presbyterian Church into District Status.

The Adukrom Church, now “Macedonia Congregation”, was formed in 1943, the second to be established in Kumasi after the Adum Ramseyer Memorial.

The Regional Minister gave high marks to the church for building schools, health facilities and support towards the promotion of agriculture, among other things.

He urged the congregation to register during the biometric voters registration exercise and also make intercessory prayers for the peaceful conduct of the December general polls.

The Very Reverend Dr Yaw Frimpong-Manso, a former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, called on politicians to move the national debate away from trivialities to crucial matters that affect the greater majority of the people.

“They must deliberate on issues of substance and to show how they will through their manifestos and programmes, bring about equitable distribution of our rich resources.”

He also encouraged the church to intensify its efforts at helping to fight poverty and give some comfort to the poor and the needy in society.

The resident Minister of the Church, the Rev Dr W. Owusu-Boateng, advised the youth, not to allow themselves to be manipulated by politicians to cause confusion during the electioneering campaign.