Born: May 13, 1856, Aylmer, Ontario, Canada.
Died: February 11, 1931, Winter Park, Florida.
Buried: Clinton Grove Cemetery, Clinton Township, Michigan.
Joseph was the son of Francis Berry and Ann J. Lawson, and husband of Olive J. Johnson.
He began preaching at age 17, joined the Detroit Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1874, and became pastor of the First Methodist Episcopal Church in Mount Clemens, Michigan, in 1879.
He served as associate editor of the Michigan Christian Advocate (1886–90), editor of the Epworth Herald (1890–1904), and a Methodist Episcopal bishop (1904–28).
Berry led the drive to establish Epworth Leagues (the youth fellowship of the Methodist Episcopal Church) across America, and his interest in Gospel music developed from a desire to provide suitable songs for Epworth League meetings.