Rev. Joseph P. Howe is the son of Rev. Gilbert L. Howe, founder of GIs for Christ, a military ministry begun in 1941. In 1967, he married Judith Van Patten, of Antioch, IL, and they have two children. Scott is a graduate of the Air Force Academy, Class of 1996, and is an Air Force fighter pilot. Rebecca is an 18-year-old senior in high school. Rev. Howe pastored churches in Pennsylvania and New York from 1964 until 1969.

In 1969, Rev. Joseph Howe left his pastorate in New York and came back to North Chicago, after the death of his father, to serve twenty-six years as Director of Ministries for GIs for Christ, later International Military Ministries. Today, he continues to pastor North Shore Baptist Church, the original headquarters church his father founded, which he has pastored since 1969. He is the Director of World Ministries to the Armed Forces, co-located with North Shore Baptist Church, North Chicago, IL.

He has worked with base ministries at Great Lakes Naval Training Center since 1969. During the Viet Nam war, he had a daily hospital ministry at the Naval Regional Medical Center (NRMC). He coordinated many civilian ministries with the Chaplain Department at the Naval Regional Medical Center.

Rev. Howe has been a chaplain, Lieutenant Colonel, in the United States Air Force Auxiliary. During his career, he has been a squadron chaplain; Great Lakes Region Director of Chaplain Professional Development; National Staff Advisor for Professional Development; Great Lakes Region Chaplain; Director of Chaplain Emergency Services, Headquarters United States Air Force Auxiliary, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama; and Deputy Wing Chaplain of Illinois Wing. He has been a mission pilot and observer for many years and has served with the Air Guard Reserve, Indiana. Chaplain Howe is a founder and board member of the United States Service Command (a disaster relief organization and member of the National Organizations Active in Disaster-NVOAD) and presently serves as the Chief of Chaplains with the rank of Major General.

Chaplain Howe is a graduate of Carthage College, Kenosha, Wisconsin, and attended Columbia Bible College, Columbia, SC, and Malone College, Canton, OH. He is also a graduate of Squadron Officers School, Air Command and Staff College, and the Air War College (Class of April 1989), United States Air Force; and the National Defense University (Class of 1992).

While serving with the United States Air Force Auxiliary he was assigned additional duties. He has served in very unique capacities for the active military as the Air Force Liaison Chaplain, Great Lakes Naval Training Center; Detachment Chaplain for the 3351 TTN-DET I, Chanute and Kessler Air Force Bases at Great Lakes; and Chaplain, Headquarters, United States Military Entrance Processing Command, a joint service command at Great Lakes NTC, North Chicago, Illinois.

He conducted a research project for the Air Force and FEMA to determine the role of the chaplain in a disaster. This four-year project was conducted through the Air Force Auxiliary, Civil Air Patrol. He developed a Chaplain Annex to local, county, and state emergency disaster plans that is presently used in many states and counties across America.

Chaplain Howe holds many citations and awards for outstanding service. Among them is the Distinguished Service Medal, the Exceptional Service Award, the Meritorious Service Award, the Gill Robb Wilson Award with Silver Star, from the United States Air Force Auxiliary, Civil Air Patrol; the Indiana Commendation Medal for Exceptional Meritorious Service, Indiana Air Guard Reserve. As Chief of Chaplains, United States Service Command, he has received the Distinguished Service Award, the Foreign Service Medal, and the Pioneer Medal with Silver Star.

Through the years, Chaplain Howe has been developing ministry and materials for service people. He has authored the Christian Life Handbook and conducts Christian Leadership Training Classes based on his book. In addition to the daily ministry at Great Lakes Naval Training Center (pastoring military people, teaching weekly classes, and conducting services), he conducted the Christian Leadership Class in churches, military bases, and foreign armed forces.

Rev. Howe is regularly consulted by chaplaincies, both American and foreign, on effective military ministry and materials and the role of the chaplain in a disaster. He has lectured for many foreign militaries and universities throughout the world: The Naval Academy, Republic of Korea; in Russia, the Civil Defense Academy, the Humanitarian Academy, and the International Independent University of Ecology and Politology, Moscow. He has worked with the chaplaincies of Korea, Liberia West Africa, the Philippine Armed Forces, and with countries developing chaplaincies such as Romania and Russia. This work has resulted in the publishing of specialized materials for various militaries throughout the world.