Kumasi, Sept. 6, GNA - Mr. Kofi Opoku-Manu, the Ashanti Regional Minister, has praised the church for complementing the efforts of government in raising the standard of living of the people through development projects and initiatives. He said the church's instrumental role in the fight against poverty through job creation, construction of schools, roads and hospitals as well as recreational centres and orphanages had been very helpful to meeting Ghana's development agenda.

Mr. Opoku-Manu said this in a speech read on his behalf at a thanks giving service to climax the 25th anniversary celebration of the Maranatha Evangelistic Ministries in Kumasi. It was on the theme "Celebrating the Goodness of the Lord and 25 Years of Healing Ministry".

Activities that marked the anniversary included free health screening and clean up exercises and donations to some hospitals and orphanages. He said in the wake of the growing indiscipline, immorality and social vices in the country, the nation looked up to Christians as agents of change to be more effective in dealing with the menace. The Rev Joseph Gyimah Asante, General Overseer of the Church, said in the last 25 years the church had worked assiduously in reaching out to unbelievers with the gospel. He said plans were far advanced for the church to establish a university to give access to higher education to the youth of the church and nation in general.