Churches urged to establish savings and credit associations

Ho, April 25, GNA- The Reverend Emmanuel Teimah Barrigah, Presbytery Chairman of the Global Evangelical Church, Ho on Friday urged churches in the country to consider the establishment of " church centred" savings and credit associations. He said the promotion of such associations had become necessary in view of the current financial challenges facing the world, so that members of the churches could sustain their livelihoods and support the church and their immediate communities. Reverend Barrigah said this at this year's Presbytery Conference of the Global Evangelical Church in Ho.

It was on the theme; "Harnessing all gifts for accelerated growth." Reverend Barrigah said the church must be conscious of the fact that, it is not an island unto itself but a part of the community whose activities have impact on it and put in measures to cushion its members and the community at large.

He noted that God has blessed every Church community, irrespective of its numerical strength and location and advised leaders of churches to help their members identify and develop their gifts for the benefit of the church and its community. "God has blessed every individual and community with a host of gifts such as land, social networks, animals, savings, intelligence, schools, creativity and production equipments" among others, Reverend Barrigah noted.

He said it now behoved on the church to ask itself of what gift it already had and how it could use them to improve the lives of its members and neighbours.

Reverend Barrigah therefore advised church leaders not to let natural, human, economic, physical, social and spiritual resources in the churches go waste instead harness them for the accelerated growth of the church and its environment. "Professionals in the fields of building, commerce, politics, teaching, law, medicine, agriculture, journalism, administration and mechanics among others are given to the church to harness for its growth," he added. Mr. Joseph Amenowode, Volta Regional Minister commended the church for its support before during and after last year's general elections and urged it to continue to offer needed socio-economic and spiritual support to the country.

"The church must not only be interested in the spiritual development of its members but also their socio-economic wellbeing," he said.

Mr. Amenowode urged the church to pray for the government and offer Godly direction to government towards accelerated national development. "You should be bold enough to correct and direct political leadership in a Godly way because without Godly direction, the government is likely to loose direction and focus," he said. Mr. Amenowode called for the support of well meaning individuals in the region to help harness assets in the region to create a united and developed region. 25 April 09