Minister calls for religious tolerance

The Reverend Dr Joseph Ekow Ghunney, Bishop of the Winneba Diocese of the Methodist Church-Ghana, has stressed the need for religious tolerance and peaceful co-existence. He said as much as "we have diverse tribes, languages, and opinions among others, we have to also contend with religious differences". Rev. Ghunney was preaching the sermon at the induction ceremony of the Very Reverend John Kweku Ackom, as the new Superintendent Minister of the Agona Swedru Circuit of the Methodist Church-Ghana. Until his new appointment, Very Rev.Ackom was the Diocesan Youth Organizer and the Acting Administrator of the Winneba Diocese of the Methodist Church. Rev Ghunney said the need to co-exist and tolerate each other to enhance peace and unity for national development should be a matter of concern for all. He urged Ministers of the Gospel to allow the spirit of God to guide them in all that they do, say and also to live within the tenets of the gospel. Rev. Ghunney advised the new Superintendent Minister to build upon the toils and sacrifices of his predecessors and work in collaboration with leaders of the church so as to move the Swedru Circuit forward. Very Rev. Ackom expressed his appreciation to the Bishop in particular and the church as a whole for his elevation and pledged to work hard to justify the trust reposed in him. Later in the day, Rev Ghunney cut the sod for work to begin on a church building at Obosomase, a farming community in the Breman Asikuma circuit of the Methodist Church. He called for concerted efforts from churches to address social vices such as drug addiction, armed robbery and prostitution among others. Rev, Ghunney appealed to religious leaders to use the pulpits to campaign vigorously on the need to keep the environment clean to prevent the widespread of malaria and other environmentally related diseases.