Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders and laypeople in West Central Africa learned principles for holistic stewardship during the region's first stewardship summit last week.

Held April 9 to 13 at church-run Valley View University in Accra, the summit introduced regional stewardship leaders to the world church headquarters' view of tithes and offerings: the result of a lifestyle of gratitude to God rather than a financial obligation.

"Too much attention has been given to financial stewards in the church, yet stewardship is about a person's ... response to God," said Erika Puni, world church Stewardship director.

Attended by some 230 delegates -- including local church leaders, district pastors and laypeople -- the five-day summit was both an opportunity and an obligation for the region, said Samuel A. Larmie, church president for the Ghana Union Conference, which hosted the event. "[We] will be expected to yield some good results after this summit," he said.

Puni said delegates were encouraged to adopt the principles of new stewardship and adapt them to fit their respective environments.

One delegate said he appreciated the strategies outlined during the summit. "When we help our members become disciples for Christ, returning tithes and offerings will come naturally," he said.