Elder Howard Z. Jeffries, Jr., was born December 7, 1962 in Rochester, NY to Sts. Howard Z. (Sr.) and Dietrich Jeffries. He was named after his father who was named after the late Rabbi Howard Zebulun Plummer. He joined the Church of God and Saints of Christ at age 12. In 1984 after 3 years of courtship he married Valerie Meeks. Two beautiful children were born to this union, Kara Alexandria and Howard III. Elder Jeffries was appointed to the office of Deacon by Rabbi Jesse E. Brown, Jr. and in 2005 was elevated to the ministry by the late Rabbi Jehu A. Crowdy, Jr., GFA. He served as the Interim Local Pastor of the Rochester Tabernacle from 2009 until 2014 and in 2018 was appointed Local Pastor by Chief Rabbi Philip E. McNeil. Elder Jeffries is a graduate of the William Henry Plummer Seminary School. and continues to serve as an Armor Bearer for Chief Rabbi.