[1] His parents were Isaac G. Adom, a blacksmith of Osu-Adjumanko[2] and Elisabeth Ahinee Amarteifio of Osu Amantra, Odartey Sro Weku and of Asere, Accra.

[1] He was named after the award-winning German ethnolinguist and philologist, Johann Gottlieb Christaller who translated the Bible into the Twi language with the help of Akan linguists, David Asante, Theophilus Opoku, Jonathan Palmer Bekoe, and Paul Staudt Keteku.

"[5][7] His step-brother was Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey (1902–1963), the politician and lawyer, one of the founding leaders of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) and a member of "The Big Six", the group of political activists detained by the British colonial government after the 1948 Accra riots, kicking off the struggle for the attainment of Ghana's independence in 1957.

[1] In 1957, the year of Ghana's independence, he took an advanced course in theology and congregational management at the Ramseyer Training Centre at Abetifi, and was ordained a church minister on 19 February 1960.

[1] He taught in various schools in the Greater Accra and Eastern Regions: Nsawam, Osu, Teshie, Abokobi, Ada and Nungua.

[1] The administration of the Ghanaian Presbyterian Church appointed Adom to be the Editor of the Christian Messenger from 1966 to 1970 for a tenure of about four and a half years.

[1] As a minister, he pastored Presbyterian congregations at Accra Central, Osu, Kaajano and finally Adabraka (1970–1974) where he retired in August 1974 after 47 years of public service.

[17][21][22] Odamete was also a nineteenth century fishing trawler magnate and general commodities merchant who owned a wooden barrel and distilled beverage business among other commercial activities.