MEMBERS of the Guyana Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists (SDA) have indicated their willingness to collaborate with the Government in various areas of activity in order to effect positive changes in the society.They indicated this desire to President David Granger during a meeting on Thursday at the Ministry of the Presidency; and some of the projects they have lined up include implementation of a prisoner rehabilitation initiative, completion of a home for the elderly at Durban Backlands, where an existing facility already houses 12 residents; and engaging civil society bodies, regional officials and non-governmental organisations in leadership seminars.

The SDA delegation comprised President of the Seventh-Day Adventists of Guyana, Mr Richard James, along with Mr Exton Clarke, Mr Michael Kendal, Mrs Genevieve Whyte-Nedd, Mrs Pamela Mentore, Mr Malcolm LaFleur, Mr John Joseph and Mr Marvin Smith.

Mr James commended the Administration for its vision to transform Guyana and its drive to develop cleaner, more cohesive communities; an objective which he said was consistent with that of the church.

“As a responsible religious body in Guyana, we wanted to ensure that we play our part in helping with the reshaping and development of Guyana, and to resolve social issues and to use the resources of the church to help bring about that which is needed,” James said.

The Adventist Church in Guyana will be celebrating its 130th anniversary next year. To mark this significant milestone, its leadership wants to work closer with the Government to ensure that the work and services the church provides to communities are even more impacting and far-reaching.

The church is looking at agricultural development as another area through which it can assist communities, and President Granger urged church leaders to put more focus on agro-processing and producing more value-added products.

Church leaders are also looking to build a school and to working closer with the Ministries of Education and Social Protection to enhance the welfare of women and youths.
(Ministry of the Presidency)