Born in the Plymouth Colony, Church was commissioned by Governor Josiah Winslow to establish a company of Rangers called after the outbreak of King Philip's War.

The force of New Englanders he led tracked down and killed Wampanoag sachem Metacomet, a major factor in ending the conflict.

He emphasized the adoption of indigenous techniques, which prioritized small, mobile and flexible units which used the countryside for cover, in lieu of massed frontal assaults by large formations.

In 1716, his memoirs, entitled Entertaining Passages relating to Philip's War, was published and is considered by some to constitute the first American military manual.

The maternal grandson of Richard Warren, one of the passengers on the Mayflower, he was brought up according to colonial practices on the American frontier.

Commissioned by Winslow as a captain on July 24, 1675, he fought during King Philip's War (1675–1678) on the New England frontier against the Wampanoag, Nipmuck and Podunk tribes of Indians.

Relations were generally peaceful until 1675, but tensions had been growing as the colonists and their views of property encroached on Indian territory and hunting grounds.

Church was allowed to recruit Native Americans after he and other leaders realized that traditional European military tactics were ineffective in frontier warfare.

After being organized by Church, these troops tracked hostile Indians into the forests and swamps, and conducted effective raids and ambushes on their camps.

During the Great Swamp Fight on December 19, 1675, Church was wounded while serving as an aide to Governor Winslow, the commander of the colonial forces in the battle.

[6] After the Great Swamp Fight, Church and the colonial army were 15 miles from their base in North Kingstown and had to endure a long march encumbered by dragging their dead and wounded and severe cold.

John Alderman, one of Church's Indian allies, killed King Philip (also known as Metacomet), leader of the Wampanoag tribe.

(The following spring, May 1690, over 400 French and native troops under the leadership of Castin returned to Falmouth and massacred all the English settlers in the Battle of Fort Loyal.

[14] A few days later, in retaliation, the Androscoggin attacked Church at Cape Elizabeth on Purpooduc Point, killing seven of his men and wounding 24 others.

In addition to killing many settlers, the Abenaki and allies took more than 100 captives overland to Montreal and the Mohawk village south of the river.

On March 18, 1704 Church was commissioned as a colonel by Massachusetts Governor Joseph Dudley and placed in command of a force to raid French settlements in Acadia in retaliation for Deerfield.

have summarized his practices according to the following principles: Church was elected to public office as the first representative of Bristol to the Plymouth Colony legislature, serving between 1682 and 1684.