“I want to urge all of us, let's pray and ask God for peaceful, free and fair elections. And I believe that after the elections, all other countries will see that yes, Ghana is indeed a Christian and a God-fearing country,” he said.

Conference

Mr Nartey made the call on behalf of the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover, at the opening of the eighth biennial conference and 90th anniversary celebration of the Women’s Fellowship of the Accra Diocese of the Methodist Church Ghana.

The conference, which was on the theme: “Discipleship; Growing into Christian maturity,” saw in attendance representatives of all the Women’s Fellowship of the 24 circuits in the Accra Diocese.

Dignitaries that were present at the opening ceremony included the Methodist Bishop of the Accra Diocese, Right Rev. Emmanuel Borlabi Bortey; the Lay Chairman of the Accra Diocese, Joseph Eduam; the Synod Secretary, Very Rev. Doris Saah and the Connexional Women’s Fellowship Chairman, Anna Batsa.

Expressing concern about the insults that had been associated with the country’s political campaigns, Mr Nartey urged Ghanaians not to allow politics to divide them, asking  what people had been able to achieve from all those insults.

Church responsibility

For his part, Right Rev. Bortey said it was the responsibility of the church to raise the men and women to be appointed into political positions.

He said the church must equally accept the blame for leadership failures in the country.

Touching on the theme for the anniversary, he said Methodists could help grow the church 100 per cent provided they all gave themselves the task of winning souls for Christ.

“We have work to do as Christians. If there will be any change in the country, in our lives and behaviours, and get people who will witness for Christ, then the church has work to do,” he said.

A former Lay Chairman of the Accra Diocese of the church, Gladys Afarchoe Odoi, urged the church to pray against the legalisation of LGBTQ.

Women’s Fellowship

The formation of the Accra Diocese Women’s Fellowship had its beginnings in 1933 when Kathleen Gittings, a British Missionary and a women worker, together with some dedicated Ghanaian women started gathering women in the church to form the Women’s Fellowship in Accra, which was then the head of the Eastern sector of the church. Its first conference was held in 1938.