John Church

John Edward Church (10 August 1899 - 29 September 1989), commonly referred to as Joe Church, was a British missionary who served with Church Mission Society (CMS). Church served primarily in Rwanda and Uganda. He left England in 1927 and served as a missionary for 44 years, alternating between medical and evangelistic missions. He is widely known for playing a key role in the East African Revival. Additionally he served as a doctor in Rwanda for over a decade and constructed hospitals and a church. He has been recognized for his work by governments in East Africa and Europe. He grew up in a Cambridgeshire village named Burrough Green where his father served as a clergyman. He was the oldest of ten children and enjoyed a happy childhood in his small village where he often hunted and played cricket.

Education At age 11, John Edward Church began attending the junior school at St Lawrence College, Ramsgate and later moved on to its senior school. He was able to attend this school at no cost because he was the son of a clergy. He did well academically and was well known for his shooting and hockey skills. In his senior year, he was enrolled into the officer cadet training camp of the Tank Corp as a result of World War I. At 19 years old, he was ranked as second lieutenant and served with the Twentieth Battalion at Bovington in Dorset. who was also a trained doctor, on May 19, 1930 in Uganda. The couple had five children: John, David, Robin, Michael, and Janine, all born in Rwanda or Uganda. Dr. Decima Tracey Church was an important part of Dr. Joe’s mission work and she often assisted with his medical work.

His brothers William Church In 1943, Church was called back to medical missions because there was need for a doctor at Gahini Hospital. For about two years, he worked one out of every three months at Gahini Hospital. During his time in East Africa, Church established Gahini Hospital, with his son Dr John Church who became a medical missionary, reconstruct and develop the hospital at Kabarole, Toro. In Uganda, he and other missionaries established Kabale Preparatory School as a school for missionary children in Rwanda.

Church was appointed as the Rwandan king’s physician and later on his son, John Church, was also the King’s physician.

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