BIRTH
Abraham Tetteh Nartey was born on November 14, 1930 at Anyinam to Nene Nartey and Mrs. Margaret Larteley Nartey. He was the second son and the sixth child of his parents.
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
He started his education at the Anyinam A. M. E. Zion Primary school and continued at the All Saints Primary School, Adabraka in Accra. He further attended Aburi and Prampram Methodist Senior Schools from where he obtained the Middle School Leaving Certificate. Being academically and athletically good, he was appointed the Senior prefect. From 1948 to 1949, he enrolled at the O’reilly Secondary School at Tudu, Accra. However, because of financial difficulties, he could not complete the course. He became a teacher at the Africa College Primary School from 1949 to 1953. With his interest in higher education, he attended the Advanced Leadership Seminar in Singapore in 1978.
CONVERSION AND CALL INTO THE FULL-TIME MINISTRY
As a result of his mother’s Christian influence, Abraham Nartey accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and savior at the age of fourteen (14). He straightaway took keen interest in the activities of the Church. He became an active member of the Witness Movement and the Bombers Group in Accra. In 1953 he was called into full-time ministry as probationary overseer. In 1957, he was called and ordained into the pastorate. Later in 1972, he was called and ordained into the apostolic office.
STATIONS SERVED
- Accra 1953-1954
- Agogo 1954-1957
- Accra 1957-1963
- Agona Swedru 1963-1968
- Asesewa 1968-1969
- Accra 1969-1971
- Cape Coast 1971-1979
- Koforidua 1979-1984
- Kumasi 1984-1988
- Takoradi 1988-1990
APPOINTMENTS
- General Leader of the Witness Movement 1967-1979
- Member of the Finance Board 1974-1988
- Chairman of the Ministerial Committee 1984-1990
- Member of the Missions Board 1988-1990
- Co-opted Member of the Executive Council 1968-1973
- Substantive Executive Council Member 1973-1990
- Chairman of the Pensions Board 1973-1990
- Member of the Constitutional Review Committee 1987-1988
- Central Regional Chairman of the G. P. C. 1975-1979
- Eastern Regional Chairman of the G. P. C. 1981-1982
- Vice President of the G. P. C. 1982-1985
- Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Bible Society of Ghana 1987-1988
MARRIAGE
In 1957, Abraham Tetteh Nartey got married to Madam Elizabeth Nartey at Obo Kwahu and the union was blessed with eight children. She wholeheartedly supported his ministry because they shared a common purpose and were both dedicated to the things of God. In November 4, 1985 he lost his wife through a motor accident whilst travelling together from Kumasi to Accra on a national assignment of the Church. In 1988, Apostle Nartey married Madam Hannah Perpetual in Kumasi.
His children consider themselves blessed to have been born to such a great man of God. For them, he was a humble man, who never saw himself as anything else other than a servant of God. He loved God wholeheartedly. He very dearly loved his wife, who he always called Lizzy. He found time in his very busy schedule to share his heart out with his children. As a true family man, he had a strong bond with his parents and a very cordial relationship with his siblings and other extended family members. Because many people benefited from his fatherhood, he was nicknamed “FIC” meaning “Father In Christ”.
SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS OF APOSTLE NARTEY TO THE CHURCH OF PENTECOST
- He played an active role in the establishment of the Pentecost Preparatory School at Koforidua.
- He was youth development oriented, especially, students of the Church. Whilst in cape coast in 1974, Apostle Nartey started organizing students who were members of the Church, especially during vacation periods and gave them fatherly counsel and encouragement to remain true to the faith. Accordingly, in 1980, he mooted the idea of establishing the Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA), which has today become a formidable students’ wing of the Church.
- As a man of clarity of vision, counsel, principle, full of endurance, rare caliber, who was always needed to untie tight knots he helped so much in shaping the administration of the Church.
- His sweet voice blessed congregational meetings with touching songs and Spirit- filled evangelistic messages that rocked and turned hardened hearts from Satan to Christ Jesus.
- As a lover of prayer, music and worship, he tried to integrate musical instruments such trumpets, saxophones trombones piano and keyboards into church worship when that was alien to the Church. This has had a great impact on the ministry of the great church musician, Elder Dr. Kwesi Mireku, as well as two of his own children, Dan and Sammy.
- He played significant roles in the establishment of fellowship with the Elim Pentecostal Churches, UK, and Links International, UK.
- Apostle Nartey was a courageous, outspoken, truthful, principled, selfless, visionary, and generous man of integrity. A classic example of his faithfulness and love of God was demonstrated when during one of his visits to the UK, the leader of Links International, Norman Barnes asked him what he could bless him personally with. He did not ask for anything personal, but he requested for resources for the Pentecost Preparatory School and also for a reliable public address systems for evangelism.
- As a strict disciplinarian, he helped to inculcate the culture of discipline in the full-time ministers.
- As a lecturer in Ministerial Duties and Worship at the Bible Training Centre, he helped shape the skills of the ministers of the Church.
DEATH
He died in Accra on October 14, 1990 at 2am at the age of sixty (60).
