Archbishop Edward Manasseh Antwi-Ampadu

To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.

Obituary

EARLY LIFE
Archbishop Edward Manasseh Antwi Ampadu was born on 22nd March 1934 at Kukurantumi, in
Akyem Abuakwa State, in the Eastern Region of the Republic of Ghana.
His father, the late Kwame Apadu, was a cocoa farmer, merchant, and royal of Obo-Kwahu in
the Eastern Region of Ghana. His mother, the late Elizabeth Abenaa Akoto, hailed from
Kukurantumi. She was also a cocoa farmer and a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church
in Kukurantumi.
At the age of twelve, Edward experienced a remarkable spiritual encounter with the Lord Jesus
Christ. This life-changing experience occurred on a Sunday when he visited a local Apostolic
church in his hometown of Kukurantumi, accompanied by a group of young friends. Their initial
intention was to mock the worshippers, as charismatic forms of worship were widely
misunderstood and often associated with witchcraft during that period. Consequently, those
involved in such worship were frequently ridiculed and looked down upon by members of the
community.
However, in an unexpected turn of events, Edward and his companions were persuaded to
enter the church and participate in the worship service. As the preaching and sermon continued,
Edward sat in front of the altar and experienced an extraordinary spiritual manifestation: he
received the gift of speaking in tongues.The experience did not end when the church service
was over. Even after he was taken home, the manifestation continued throughout the day and into the following day. This unusual occurrence astonished the community, leaving many
wondering what was happening to the young Edward.
Despite the significance of this experience, his parents were opposed to his involvement with
the Apostolic believers and consequently prevented him from associating with them.
Nevertheless, this early encounter marked a significant moment in Edward’s spiritual journey, one that would become an important part of the story of his life and ministry.

EDUCATION
After his primary education at the Local Presbyterian Primary School, Edward continued his
education at the Ghana National College at Cape Coast in Ghana and later proceeded to do a
course in basic Science and Agriculture at the Kumasi college of Science and Technology and
the Agricultural Training Centre, Kwadase Kumasi Ghana. He graduated after 3 years as an agriculturist and was posted to the Ministry of Agriculture, Economics Division where he worked for a few years during which he was posted to a number of stations covering all the regions of Ghana to conduct agricultural economic surveys.
He left the ministry to pursue further education at a University for he had a burning ambition to
become a lawyer. In October 1960 he gained an admission to a degree course at the University
of Ghana.

EARLY PROFFESSIONAL LIFE
Before dedicating himself extensively to Christian ministry, Archbishop Ampadu established
himself as a legal professional in Ghana. He was called to the Ghana Bar in October 1965.
Thereafter he served the government of Ghana in various administrative advisory and legal
situations as follows :
a) Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources as Assistant Lands Officer (Legal).
b) Tema Development Corporation as Senior Legal Officer and Solicitor Secretary.
c) Member of the Board of Directors of the State Publishing Corporation.
d) Member of Ghana Lands commission
In addition Archbishop entered into extensive private Legal practice at the Bar for over 10 years until he left Ghana for the United Kingdom.

CALL TO MINISTRY
Prior to his departure from Ghana the Archbishop experienced an ever increasing burden for the call of God. He had done all that he could do in the flesh to resist the call of God.
He had wanted to avoid the Divine call and this factor had attracted him to leave Ghana, but only to come to experience it intensely in the United Kingdom. Finally at encouragement of his
late wife Rebecca, he finally surrendered after paying a heavy price for his resistance. He
attended the Word of Life Bible College and also received tuition from the late Archbishop M
Ramsay of Shiloh- United Apostolic Church who invited him from Ghana to London.
Archbishop travelled to many parts of the world on missionary journeys, preaching, encouraging believers, holding seminars, church planting, ordaining pastors and ministers, consecrating bishops and raising elders.
In Ghana, India and China, he officiated the graduation and ordination of several Bible College students.
He has traveled to countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Tanzania, United States of America , Germany, Greece and Kenya.

NNOBOA
During his missionary journeys, Archbishop Edward Manasseh Antwi Ampadu witnessed
firsthand the numerous hardships faced by Christian ministers and other gospel workers serving
in mission fields. Among the challenges that deeply moved him was the plight of ministers who had to travel long distances on foot to reach their congregations and carry out their pastoral
responsibilities, often under difficult conditions and with limited resources.
Deeply concerned about their welfare and the challenges confronting independent Charismatic churches, Archbishop Antwi - Ampadu was inspired to establish the Nnoboa Association of
Ministers and Christian Workers in 2007. The association was established to promote collaboration, networking, fellowship, mutual encouragement, and practical support among independent
Charismatic churches and Christian workers in the United Kingdom and abroad.
A central objective of the association was to create a platform through which ministers and
Christian workers in more economically advanced countries could support their brothers and
sisters serving in mission fields, particularly those facing significant financial, logistical, and ministerial challenges.
Through this initiative, Archbishop Antwi-Ampadu sought to foster unity among Christian leaders, strengthen the work of the ministry, and encourage a spirit of partnership and shared
responsibility in advancing the Gospel of Jesus Christ across nations.
Ministry
Edward was consecrated as the Bishop of Greenwich under the International
Ministerial Council of Great Britain (IMCGB) in October 1999 and then made a Senior Bishop
and Vice President of the Trans Atlantic and Pacific Alliance and Churches (TAPAC) shortly after.
His ministry of support and encouragement has induced him to lift many who have been
ordained into the office of Priesthood, no less than 200 Pastors and Leaders have been
ordained by him through impartation.

In 1990, Archbishop founded the Word of Life Ministries based in London with branches in
Ghana and U.S.A and later Word of Life Bible Institute which was changed to Christ Universal
Bible College which he co-founded with Archbishop Dr. Susanna Kai Amarteifo in 2006. Many have been trained through the bible college and released into the mission field.

Archbishop Edward Manasseh Antwi Ampadu lived by the philosophy, “A man shall be
remembered for the problems he solves in society.” Humility defined his life, while pride and
ignorance were traits he strongly despised. He carried a deep burden for Africa and its
development. He served as a member of the Board of Elders of Morris Cerullo World
Evangelism. Affectionately known as “Daddy” to many, he was blessed with numerous natural and spiritual children whose lives he touched and nurtured.

LEGACY
Archbishop Antwi - Ampadu’s life can therefore be understood through several interconnected
dimensions:
1. The Lawyer: A professionally trained Ghanaian lawyer who served in important public
and corporate institutions.
2. The Public Servant: A man who contributed to Ghana’s public administration and
institutional development.
3. The Christian Minister: A preacher and church founder whose ministry eventually
extended internationally.
4. The Educator: A founder of Bible-training institutions dedicated to preparing Christian
workers and ministers.
5. The Mentor: A spiritual father who nurtured, developed, and helped recognize emerging
Christian leaders.
6. The Father: A loving father whose influence extended beyond his biological family to
embrace numerous spiritual children, affectionately known to many as “Daddy.”
7. The Institution Builder: A founder of organizations designed to serve people and
communities beyond his personal ministry.
8. The Bridge Builder: Through NNOBOA, he promoted unity, fellowship, and cooperation
among independent Christian ministries.
Perhaps the most remarkable feature of Archbishop Antwi-Ampadu’s story is the breadth of his journey. His story is therefore not simply the story of a clergyman. It is the story of a man who moved through law, public service, faith, education, leadership and institution-building.

He died peacefully on 20th August 2026, leaving behind a legacy that includes the organizations he
established, the institutions he developed, the ministers he mentored, Christian communities he
served and his beautiful family.

Family Cloth

As tradition dictates, the family have selected a proverbial cloth as means of expressing our feeling. 

“Agya pa, ani bere a ɛnsɔ gya, nanso woama yɛn ani abre koraa,” commonly known as “Ani bere a ɛnsɔ gya.”
This loosely means: “A good father— although reddened eyes cannot light a fire, you have made our eyes red with tears.”
This cloth was chosen to express our profound grief at losing a good and loving father, while honouring his strength, love and lasting legacy.

This cloth will be worn for the funeral and is available to purchase from most African fabric outlets. Please feel to contact the family directly if any difficulties with sourcing the material. 

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