Ghanaian president commends Adventist education, relief work

Alfred Vanderpuije delivers a statement on behalf of Ghana's President John Evans Atta Mills at a recent prayer and thanksgiving service held at the Garrison Seventh-day Adventist Church in Accra. In his statement, Mills applauded Adventist efforts in education and relief work.

Ghana's President John Evans Atta Mills praised the Seventh-day Adventist Church for contributions to education and development and relief efforts in a statement read at a prayer service held January 31. The prayer service, called "Uniting Ghana through Christ", followed the country's national election last December.

Recently elected President Mills said the government-organized day of prayer was held to thank God for blessing the country with a peaceful election.

The prayer and thanksgiving day held Saturday at the Garrison Seventh-day Adventist Church in Accra corresponded with similar services held by Muslim worshipers on Friday and other Christian denominations on Sunday.

In his statement, Mills applauded the Adventist Church for its contributions to society, including the various levels of education offered through church schools and the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) for working alongside the government to improve the lives of rural Ghanaians.

Mills also said in the statement that he would work with institutions such as the Adventist Church to accomplish the church's goals.

"We will provide more avenues of enabling churches and other non-governmental organizations to complement government's efforts in meeting the needs of our people," he said.

During the prayer service, president for the Adventist Church in Ghana, Samuel Larmie, called for Ghanaians to bury their political differences and break down the "...partition that divides us."

Larmie added that the goal of all Ghanaians should be to work in unity to ensure that the nation become economically sound, socially good, technologically advanced and politically mature.