Very Reverend Dr. Abedu Quashie, Senior Lecturer at Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon has appealed to the Church to continue to contribute towards the development of the nation. Very Rev Dr. Abedu Quashie was addressing the 4th Biennial Delegates Conference of the Lay Movement Council of the Winneba Diocese of Methodist Church at Kasoa in the Central Region. The two-day conference was under the theme: "Unity in Faith". He said the early missionaries established schools and hospitals to supplement government efforts at improving the living standard of the people. Very Rev. Quashie therefore said that unity and understanding are essential ingredients to promote socio-economic advancement of the nation. He said, irrespective of the different denominations in which the church manifests itself, the church is one unit and therefore must cooperate with the nation to accelerate economic, cultural and social growth. Rev Dr Quarshie stressed that different visions should not create misunderstanding, saying; "Whenever we are unable to focus on one vision, unity is compromised and it leads to division". He stated that disagreement over issues should not divide the church and the state but should unite the two to enable them accomplish the task ahead, including poverty reduction in the society. Right Reverend Dr Joseph Ekow Ghunney, Bishop of Winneba Diocese of Methodist Church said the objective of the lay movement was mooted to help build the church to ensure liberty of the congregation. He commended Mr Theophilus Ekow Anyanful, outgoing President of the Lay Movement of the Winneba Diocese for his hard work and dedication that had contributed to the growth of the Church. Mr Anyanful urged the incoming officers to put in place effective measures to reduce burdens on the church and congregation. Source: GNA