Posted online: Aug 29th, 2008

By Lauren Harte
lauren@letterkennypost.com

The funeral takes place tomorrow (Friday) of popular Letterkenny Pastor Birch Abban, who died in hospital earlier this week.
Mr Abban, who was the founding pastor of the African Community’s Kingdom Praise Fellowship, passed away in the early hours of Monday morning at Letterkenny General Hospital.
Born and bred in Ghana, where he gained a Diploma in Teaching, Mr Abban had lived in Letterkenny for three years, serving as the Fellowship’s pastor, which meets at the Radisson Hotel every Sunday, from September 2007 until his death. As well as his role in the church, Pastor Abban also played an active part in the community, including serving as a football coach at Illistrin National School.
A number of glowing tributes have been paid to the popular pastor this week, including one from his devoted wife, Erica.
“Birch was a loving and caring husband, father and pastor and a great man,” she told the Letterkenny Post.
“He was full of compassion and cared more for other people than he did for himself. We have all lost a dear man, but we know he is in a better place. The family, those in Kingdom Praise Church and the whole community will miss him dearly.”
“Pastor Abban was a great asset to both the church and the community and will be greatly missed,” added a member of his congregation.
Mr Abban will be laid to rest tomorrow afternoon following a Funeral Service in Letterkenny Baptist Church at 2pm. He is survived by his wife Erica, sons Sem, Zabdiel and Virgil, brothers, sisters and parents in Ghana and Letterkenny.