Accra, Dec. 15, GNA - The Presbyterian Church of Ghana on Monday inaugurated a project that aims at promoting understanding among people of different religious background to ensure that people live in peace with one another.

The project dubbed: "Presbyterian Interfaith Research and Resource Centre" will have as it primary activity the task of researching to know what people of other religious faith think of Christianity and how to promote peaceful dialogue among such groups of people in society. The project which is the first of its kind in Ghana and perhaps West Africa also aims at finding intelligent ways of witnessing about Christ to people of other religious faith.

The Rt. Reverend Dr. Yaw Frimpong-Manso, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana pointed out that the country had a rich experience and advantage of people co-existing particularly between Christians and Moslems.

The inauguration brought together people from the Moslem community, traditionalists as well as some chiefs from the local community.

Rt. Rev. Dr. Frimpong-Manso said the project would enable Christians effectively relate with people of other faith and explained that the centre is intended to be Christian in nature, ecumenical and interfaith in outlook.

He pledged the Church's full support for the project, calling on members to support the centre financially and further urged other people of different religious faith who want to promote peaceful co-existence to also invest in the project.

"The Centre will help all Ghanaians and religious groups to continue co-existing in peace," he added.

Rev. Professor Elom Dovlo, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ghana who spoke on the topic: "Contemporary Challenges to Christian Witness in a Pluralist Society," agreed that Ghana was a pluralist country in terms of religion, ethnic groups, politics etc but said there could also be common areas of mutual understanding. He said dialogue among different religious groups should promote better understanding of each others faith urging the centre to research into how people of other faith were transforming and what others thought of Christianity.

He further urged the centre to use the media for effective witnessing. Rev. Dr Solomon Sule Saah, Director of the Centre said it was unproductive for people to hold unto stereotypes of people of people of other religious faith. Using himself as an example, he said he had a Moslem background, his mother still being a Moslem yet he is able to dialogue with his family members who are Moslems and had successfully dispelled the fear of people of other faith.

Rev. Dr Saah said for him, the key words were living in peace and unity no matter the religious faith and expressed confidence that the centre could deliver on its mission. 15 Dec. 08