SDA needs strategic relationships with political leaders – Official
Mrs. Solace Asafo-Hlordzi, National Communication Director of the Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA), has appealed to the leadership of the church to establish and maintain strategic relationship with political and traditional leaders.
She observed this would not only help the church to partner effectively in national development, but also build and maintain good and positive public image in society.
Mrs. Asafo-Hlordzi made the appeal at a day’s workshop on communication organised by the Mid-West Ghana Conference of the SDA in Sunyani at the weekend.
It was on the theme: “building capacities of communication/PARL leaders” and was attended by more than 250 pastors and Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Leaders (PARL) of the church drawn from districts and municipalities in Brong-Ahafo Region.
Mrs. Asafo-Hlordzi, who is also Director of PARL, asked the participants and members of the church to endeavour to preserve the integrity of the church by guarding against unnecessary backbiting and internal wrangling “that tend to expose the body of Christ to public ridicule and disrepute”.
As a human institution, she said, petty problems could emanate from members of the church but emphasized the need to abide by the laid down procedures in addressing such challenges instead of rushing to the media.
The Communication Director explained as the body of Christ, the church was governed by principles and members should always adhere to such principles to promote its growth and development.
Mrs. Asafo-Hlordzi called on bodies and institutions in the church to portray the church’s official logo in all their activities.
The haphazard application and varied interpretation of the church’s logo had caused confusion in some parts of the country, Mrs Asafo-Hlordzi noted, stressing that the logo should provide visual identification that was strictly controlled for continuity.
Pastor Eric Mensah-Aborampa, Communication Director of the conference, said the workshop, among others, was aimed at helping the participants to improve internal communication in the church in their areas.
He charged the participants to write monthly reports and also involve the media in projecting their activities.
Pastor Mensah-Aborampa also entreated them to refrain from using the media as a tool in resolving grievances, a situation which he said, if not stopped would dent the hard-won reputation and image of the church.
The participants were taken through topics such as news format and report as well as functions of Public Relations practitioners.
Source: GNA