National Methodist Caretaker appeals to Boko Haram

Madam Lilian Juliana Arthur, National Caretaker of the Methodist Church, has appealed to Boko Haram to heed to the World wide call to release unconditionally hundreds of innocent people including school children taken captive in Nigeria.

This, she said, would enable parents, relatives and the captives to have a peace of mind and freedom to continue their businesses and their children to go back to school.

Addressing the 50th Anniversary of the Methodist Church Girls Fellowship at Akim Oda on Friday, Madam Arthur also urged the security agencies to be on red alert both internally and at the country’s borders, to smoke out any suspected member of the terrorist group and others.

The theme for the conference is, “50 years of upholding the spirit of self-giving for church and nation building: the Methodist girl in perspective."

Madam Arthur said the theme should inspire them to be imbued with the virtue of selflessness so that they would always place the interest of the Church and the nation above pecuniary gains.

In a Keynote address read on his behalf, the Most Reverend Emmanuel K. Asante, Presiding Bishop of the Winneba Diocese, said since the growth of the church and the nation depended largely on the youth, every effort should be made to encourage girls to aspire to greater heights so that they do not become liabilities to the church and the nation.

Bishop Asante said while celebrating the Golden Jubilee, they should also allow themselves to be instilled with the fear of God and be humble enough to listen to advice.

Lady Cecilia Arhin, Connectional President, paid tribute to the Rev. Irene Morrow, who was a missionary in Ghana, saying that, her vision had enabled the underprivileged girls, previously in physical and spiritual despair, to know God and could now share their religious knowledge with others.

She said, the fellowship is now vibrant and was empowering girls with knowledge to meet the challenges of the future, adding that, it can now boast of about 246 circuits in the Connecxion, with a total membership of about 21,877, consisting of 20.019 girls and1,057 caretakers, as well as 801 Helpers.

Obrimpon Gyamfi Kyere II, Korontihene of the Akim Kotoku Traditional Area, expressed concern about the rate of teenage pregnancy in the area and urged the fellowship to address the situation so that the girls do not become a liability to the nation.

Mr Jacob Emmanuel Eshun, Treasurer, Winneba Diocese, called on the church to establish a system under which those with leadership qualities could be identified and groomed to take the mantle of leadership in future.