SEEK SPIRITUAL WELFARE OF POOR, VULNERABLE MEMBERS ...Ofosu Ampofo urges Christian leaders (PAGE 20)

THE Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, has appealed to the leadership of churches not only to seek the spiritual welfare of their members but also the material needs of the poor and vulnerable among them.
That, he said, would be a practical demonstration of their commitment towards the social and physical needs of the underprivileged and the needy in society.
“The Bible accounts of the life of Jesus shows that He fully comprehended the difficulties of the poor and was extremely sensitive to their needs. His example should be emulated by Christians”, he said.
Speaking at the dedication of the rehabilitated St. Dominic Catholic Church at Adweso, Koforidua, Mr Ampofo said “part of the offertory should be used to solve the problems of the vulnerable in the church to make life meaningful for them”.
The event was also used to honour some people for their commitment to the development of the church over the years. They included the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, and the President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr Ransford Tetteh, who is also the Editor of the Daily Graphic.
The regional minister said one of the basic responsibilities of Christians towards the poor and the needy in the church and society was their obligation to the social and material needs of the unfortunate people.
Basing his speech on Matthew 9:36, Mr Ampofo said “not only did Jesus feel compassion for the poor, but He also took a personal interest in their needs”.
“Jesus and his disciples had a common fund from which they gave the needy,” he said.
On security, Mr Ofosu Ampofo expressed worry over the increasing spate of social vices such as armed robbery, violent crimes, drug trafficking and the recent cyber fraud, all of which he said were compromising the prevailing security in the country.
He said as part of measures to combat such crime in the New Juaben Municipality, the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) had adopted new strategies to flush out criminal elements in the region to make it a peaceful place to live.
The regional minister, therefore, called on the Catholic Church and other religious bodies to pray ceaselessly in order to find solutions to those problems, adding “it is my conviction that the social menace cannot be solved physically but spiritually”.
Mr Ampofo commended the Catholic Church for its immense role in national development, especially in the areas of education and health, a commitment which he said had provided the social needs of the people.
Preaching the sermon, the Bishop of Koforidua, Rev. Father Joseph Afrifah Agyekum, entreated Christians to eschew negative lifestyles that compromised their relationship with God, saying “we must dedicate our bodies to God by keeping it pure and holy”.
“As Christians, we should learn to show kindness towards others who we must forgive to enable us to also seek forgiveness from our father, God,” he stated.