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Professor Benhardt Quarshie, the former Rector of Akrofi Christaller Institute, has urged Christians in the Osu community to take up traditional and clan leadership positions.
“There is a need for Christians to seek traditional leadership and serve as heads of families as an important avenue in service to God and the ministry. It is true that there are some concerns about some practices that may not be consistent with the Christian faith, but we need to engage and be able to turn everything that belongs to us that God has given to us,” he said.
He made these remarks at a breakfast meeting organised by the Osu District of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. The church, through the Committees on Ecumenical and Social Relations, held a breakfast meeting with head families, traditional leaders, and opinion leaders in constructive dialogue on developmental issues in Osu.
The objective was to facilitate an open and collaborative conversation between the church and traditional authorities to identify areas of mutual interest, address challenges, and explore opportunities for joint initiatives that will contribute to the development of the Osu community.
Key issues discussed at the occasion included parenting, juvenile delinquency, and truancy among the youth. Resource persons, notably Reverend Professor Benhardt Quarshie and Reverend Dr. Enoch Aryee-Atta, took turns to make presentations on the topics.
Professor Quarshie underscored the relevance of collaboration between Christians and non-Christians alike in promoting development and peace in the Osu community.
“There is a need to pursue peace consciously, together with others who have a stake in either the group, nation, or town, as the case may be. If all people come on board and work in unison and peace, we will make progress in the Osu community, and development will be achieved.
"Our families, town, and community are not made up of only Christians, which is why we should seek to build bridges with non-Christians. We should bring peace with them and all of us, unite with them, and also seek our common development together,” he said.
Reverend Dr. Enoch Aryee-Atta, on his part, urged parents to set the best example for their children by demonstrating the highest moral conduct.
He called for a multifaceted approach to addressing juvenile delinquency, which included active engagement and promoting ethical values and conduct. Dr. Aryee-Atta also advised early moral education by parents to instill values in children: empathy, compassion, and integrity.
Reverend Erasmus Mensah Laryea, the District Minister for Osu, said the organisation of the event reflected the strategic goals of the church and the Committees on Ecumenical and Social Relations.
