Rev. Herbert Ward Burch was born in Sutherland, Nebraska in 1945. He graduated North Platte High School, North Platte, Nebraska and the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, where he majored in Russian and minored in English and history. Herb received a commission in the U.S. Army upon graduation from Nebraska University and entered active duty with the Military Intelligence in 1968.  He served at various posts throughout the U.S., Germany, Panama and Turkey during the succeeding 24 years. In his last assignment he served as Director of Communications (C6) for the Combined Task Force in the Northern Theater of Iraq during the closing days of the First Gulf War and Operation Provide Comfort. He also distinguished himself as the U.S. representative to the Allied Communications and Computer Security Agency (ACCSA) at NATO headquarters.

Rev. Burch began his theological studies at Eberhard-Karls Universitat in Tubingen, Germany, while still on active duty. He studied Greek, Latin and Hebrew at the Sprachenkolleg of the Evangelical Church of Wurttemberg in Stuttgart, Germany; continued his studies at the Lutherische Theologische Hochschule in Oberursel, Germany 1994-95;, and then transferred to Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN where he concluded his formal studies in 1997. He and his family took a delayed vicarage to Guatemala City, the capital of Guatemala, where he received a call to continue his work in Guatemala City as evangelistic missionary in 1998. He was ordained at Iglesia Luterana Cristo Rey (Christ the King Lutheran Church) in August 1998.

During his six years in Guatemala, Herb worked with the Lutheran Church of Guatemala to open new mission work in Guatemala City, which numbers over 3 million persons. Working with fellow Lutherans he increased outreach to youth, Bible studies, involvement of the laity in church leadership and concern for the poor. He planted Iglesia Luterana Castillo Fuerte (Mighty Fortress Lutheran Church) and Colegio Luterano Castillo Fuerte (Mighty Fortress Lutheran School). He also worked with "The Servants Heart," a recognized service organization of the LCMS to start a Lutheran congregation in that ministry.

Herb is married to Mary (Markie) Jordan of Montana. They have two adult children, two children in college, and Dorothy who lives with them in Santa Maria.