Howard Church was born on the 26 March 1904 and was educated at Perse School, Cambridge (1915-1918) and St. Lawrence College, Ramsgate (1918-1921). In 1925 he entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he passed a BA degree in 1928, and he then entered Ridley Hall Theological College (1928-1930). After serving as a curate of St. Johns, Blackheath (1930-1932), during which time he was ordained as a deacon (1930) and as a priest (1931), Church joined the Church Missionary Society in Kenya where he served as a missionary from 1933-1946. In 1947 he became vicar of St. Marks, Nairobi where he remained until 1953 at which point he started work at Athi River Camp. After Athi River Camp, Church's work included serving as the vicar of Christ Church, Sparkbrook, Birmingham (1956-1959). He retired in 1972 and died on the 1 March 1984.