Born in Oxford, England, on 24 December 1857, Tims was educated at the Church Missionary Society College, Islington and ordained in 1884.
Selections from the Gospel of Matthew were published in 1887 by the Church Missionary Society (CMS) Mission Press.
In 1890 he published the full Gospel of Matthew in Roman script by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
He also published other Bible portions in Roman script, with the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK).
From 1916 to 1943 Tims served as Rector to the St Paul's Anglican Church at Midnapore, Calgary, Alberta.