The Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe and former Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has called on the government to extend stronger support to the Church of Pentecost (COP) for its remarkable contributions to education and national development.

Speaking in an interview at the opening ceremony of the 47th General Council Meeting of the Church at the Pentecost Convention Centre in Gomoa Fetteh, Dr. Adutwum commended the church for shaping values, nurturing communities, and investing heavily in higher education.

Highlighting the role of the Church in education, Dr. Adutwum said the COP has made notable progress, particularly with its engineering programmes at Pentecost University.

He urged the Ministry of Education to offer necessary support not only to Pentecost University, but to all mission-based educational institutions.

"Whether it's Pentecost, Methodist, Baptist, or any other group committed to improving education, the government will support them to ensure progress in the sector," he said.

Dr. Adutwum noted that faith-based universities play a critical role in reducing the burden on public universities and the government.

"If the church takes care of thousands of students at the university, then the government should at least take responsibility for one lecturer each, since it’s the church that is paying them," he explained.

"If they had gone to a public university, the cost to the government would have been huge."

He added that the work of churches and other private organisations in the education sector provides substantial relief to the state by reducing the need for government-employed lecturers and infrastructure expansion.

"The government should recognise that the support provided by the church and other organisations in the education sector also offers some relief to the government," Dr. Adutwum stated.

The 47th General Council Meeting brought together thousands of delegates to reflect on the Church’s mission and development agenda, with a strong focus on education, evangelism, and social transformation.