Mr Eric Opoku, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, has called on Ghanaians to endure the challenges facing the country saying, it would be over soon.

He said when the challenges was over there would be improvement in development.

Mr Opoku said this when he delivered the keynote address at the Second National Pastoral Congress of Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference at Fiapre near Sunyani.

It is on the theme “The New Evangelism for The Transmission of the Christian Faith in Ghana in the Light of Africae Munus”.

The conference being hosted by the Sunyani Diocese of the Catholic Church is being attended by about 135 Archbishops, Bishops, Reverend Monsignors, Reverend Fathers, Sisters and Brothers of the Catholic Church in Ghana.

Mr Opoku said he was optimistic that with the prayers of religious groups and God’s intervention, the country’s challenges would be surmounted to achieve the best for Ghanaians.

He commended the Catholic Church for not limiting its activities to the spiritual upliftment of the members but has also been an active partner to the state in national development, with the establishment of many educational and health institutions throughout the country.

Mr Opoku said the state and the church work together for the same objective towards national development and improving the living standards of the people.

He said whilst the State focuses on the physical, the church works on the spiritual aspect for a complete and sound society.

Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson, President of the Justice and Peace Council of the Church, called on the Clergy to help fight forms of miseries of hunger, poverty, bad governance and conflicts in the society through evangelism.

He said challenges facing the church were compelling for a new form of evangelism with new zeal, methods, dynamism, seriousness, commitment, a new strength and strategy.

Cardinal Turkson said there had been several changes in the society which required new ways, methods and experiences in preaching the gospel to change the people.

He said the new evangelism must include motivation to renew the people’s faith.

Most Reverend Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Catholic Bishop of Sunyani Diocese, said there was the need to encourage more people to join the church and appealed to Catholics to see the Word as an opportunity to bring people closer to Jesus Christ.