Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur on Thursday urged the leadership of religious bodies to use the pulpit to propagate the message of peace and unity as the nation marches towards the December elections.

He said, rather than the contrived and real disagreements and disputes that characterize an election year, the Church could be counted upon to help the nation to hold successful elections.

“ We trust that we can count on the Church to help us hold successful elections and to have a peaceful country in which we can all bring our diverse gifts together for the benefit of all,” Vice President Amissah-Arthur said in Tema on Thursday, when he addressed the seventh biennial Methodist Conference.

He reminded the conference, being held on the theme, “The World our Parish: Harnessing our Diverse Gifts of Mission”, that it was an expected duty of the Church and other religious groups to educate the public that politics is about service and insults do not serve to advance the cause of the nation.

The Vice President said the use of abusive and intemperate language during political discussions on the airwaves was not helpful for the future development of the nation and stressed the need to maintain the oneness and peace demonstrated by the nation during the funeral of President John Atta Mills.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur commended the Methodist Church for its role in the national quest for peace by allowing its President to serve as the Chairman of the National Peace Council.

He called for prayers by the religious community for peace during the election and said it was important to use the various God given talents, gifts and abilities to express love for God and man no matter where one is.