Nagra Plunkett, Assignment Coordinator

Samuels

WESTERN BUREAU:

President of the West Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, the Rev. Glen Samuels, yesterday challenged political candidates to be mindful of the content of their messages to supporters, and to conduct clean election campaigns.

"Words spoken do influence people, and this nation has had enough bloodshed," he said.

"I am asking our political leaders to be guided by three things: the power of influence, the value of integrity, and the day of ultimate accountability."

Rev. Samuels, who oversees churches in the parishes of St. James, Hanover, Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth, insisted that for the nation's leaders, the struggle for power should be secondary and exhibiting integrity and moral worth should take focus.

Protect Integrity

"I am challenging political leaders never to sacrifice integrity on th of expediency ... Summon the collective will to say to people, 'If you are going to murder in my name, I don't want your vote'," the clergyman said.

He was addressing the West Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Western Leadership Conference in Montego Bay, where Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, and Lorna Golding - representing her husband, Opposition Leader Bruce Golding - were special guests.

The function observed the theme: 'Building a Better Nation Through Christian Leadership - Changing Lives, One Life at a Time'.

In her remarks, the Prime Minister called on the Church to facilitate a day of prayer in an effort to achieve a violence-free election.

"The first call is to learn how to share the space in a way that will unite and strengthen, instead of allowing our differences to divide us," stated Simpson Miller.

The Prime Minister also took time to congratulate the Seventh-day Adventist Church for its continued contribution to nation-building, especially in the areas of education and disaster relief.

nagra.plunkett@gleanerjm.com