Henry Williams Baker

Henry Williams Baker was an English Anglican priest, hymn writer, and editor whose work had a lasting influence on nineteenth century congregational worship. Born in London into a family of clergy, he studied at Trinity College Cambridge and was later ordained in the Church of England. Baker served as vicar of Monkland in Herefordshire where he devoted himself to pastoral ministry and the improvement of church music. He is especially remembered as the chief editor of the influential hymnal Hymns Ancient and Modern which helped standardize hymn singing in Anglican churches and spread many classic hymns across the English speaking world. Baker also wrote several hymn texts of his own. His best known hymn The King of Love My Shepherd Is is a poetic paraphrase of Psalm twenty three and remains widely sung in churches today.