Burley G. Church was born on December 14, 1916 to Mackenzie and J. Lora Church who lived in Oval, North Carolina. Burley was the fourth oldest of eight children. The family later moved to Coatesville, Pennsylvania.

Burley attended three years of high school and then left to become a hospital attendant. Burley joined the Army on June 5, 1941.
  
Corporal Burley G. Church was killed in action on August 1, 1944. He is buried at the Blue Ridge Baptist Church Cemetery in West Jefferson, North Carolina.