At the Annual Conference of the Guyana District of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas held at the National Cultural Centre on Sunday, President David Granger urged the church to prepare youths to be responsible members of society.
According to a press release from the Ministry of the Presidency, the conference saw participation of worshippers from churches at West Demerara, Linden, Essequibo, Berbice, Georgetown, Mahaica and Friendship.
The release stated that in addressing the congregation, Granger encouraged young people to tread along the path of self-actualisation and emphasised the importance of safeguarding the four principal pillars of society; the home, the school, the church and the workplace, which help to instil values of virtue, love, faith and compassion required for a ‘good life.’
“The church’s youth ministry has to go beyond worship and church services. It has to prepare young people to participate fully as responsible members of society… If there is no respect in society, these pillars will fall down,” the release quoted him as saying.
According to the release, with an alarming school dropout rate of 4000 students per year, Granger called on the church to play a greater role in ensuring that children, regardless of where they live or even those with physical disabilities, are given an opportunity to attend school. “We live in a world of increasing complexities and a person, who is uneducated will find it difficult to get ahead in this world. Equally we live in a world of crime and hatred and unless we come to a place like this and worship, unless values are inculcated in the young people, that hatred will fester and will create a society, which is full of violence and crime,” the release quoted him as saying.
The Methodist Church first came to Guyana in the year 1802.
