Bishop Seth O. Lartey is a 1976 graduate of the A.M.E. Zion Academy, Monrovia, Liberia and the Liberian Baptist Theological Seminary, 1980 with a B.Th. degree. He received a B.A. degree in Intermediate Education from Livingstone College, Salisbury, North Carolina in 1987. He’s a graduate of the School of Divinity at Duke University where he received a Master’s degree in Religious Education. He received his D.Min. Degree in 2003 from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. Bishop Lartey has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors among them, Who’s Who In American Colleges and Universities, Presidential Scholar, NAACP Presidential Award and the State of NC NAACP Man of the Year Award.

His pastorates began with St. Matthais AME Zion Church (West Africa) 1980-82. He moved to St. John AME Zion, Wilson, NC as Associate Pastor 1983-85. He was made Interim Pastor at Trinity AME Zion Church in Wilson in 1985. Later in 1985 he was made Pastor at Invitation AME Zion Church in Snow Hill, NC 1985-1987. He was moved to Mt. zion AME Zion Church in Elizabethtown, NC 1987-1992. In 1992 he was moved to Goler Memorial AME Zion in Winston-Salem, NC where he would remain for 20 years. Bishop Lartey was elevated to the episcopacy from Goler Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church as the 100th bishop in succession.

Bishop Lartey is the Founder and President of the Goler Institute for Development and Education, Inc. He is also Founder and President of the Goler Community Development Corporation Inc.   Bishop Lartey is Chaplain at the Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He serves on numerous boards including Camp Dorothy Walls Conference and Retreat Center Board of Directors and the Brotherhood Pension Board of the A.M.E. Zion Church. He is married to the former Jacqueline I. Williams and the parents of three children.