After dedicating his life to ministry and raising six children with his wife, Bettyann, Pastor Dean Johnson still had more to give: a truth that shone brightly during the isolated days of COVID-19.
Then in his eighties, he turns 91 on July 10, Pastor Dean found a new calling as a writer.
“I’d just started writing when COVID hit,” Dean recalled. “Bettyann edited it, and I’d send the pages each week to our six kids since they couldn’t go to church either.”
What began as Saturday letters to his children blossomed into something more.
“It grew into a book,” Bettyann said with a smile. “It didn’t start that way, though.”
With Bettyann by his side, he has published three books, each a labour of love and a gift to their family and community.
The process was challenging, but the couple embraced it with humour and heart.
“I’ll bet John Grisham’s wife says, ‘Oh no, not another book,’ too,” Bettyann quipped, her eyes sparkling.
Now, Pastor Dean and his three works — Finishing Well: And The Retirement Spoiler’s, Finishing Well: Engaging God By Name, and Finishing Well: Your Soul’s Olympics (inspired by his football coach son ) — are ready to meet the congregation at Trail Alliance Church.
On Sunday, March 23, he'll be sharing wisdom and charm with his church family during an informal book signing.
That same day, he’ll step into the pulpit to mark the end of his third term as church elder, a role he’s held with grace.
“These books are a legacy for my kids,” Dean said. As a grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather, his influence ripples across generations.
A life of service
Born in California in 1934, Dean felt called to ministry early on within the Evangelical Free Church.
From the 1950s to the 1970s, he pastored churches across the U.S. from Illinois to Pennsylvania and Connecticut to Florida, before moving to Canada.
In the early 1960s, he served as a youth pastor in Rockford, Illinois, earning a reputation for compassionate leadership. One missions publication later noted his “thirty-four years in local pastorates in the U.S. and Canada.”
Dean and Bettyann, married 67 years this June, were true partners in ministry.
“When we got married, I left home and never lived near home again,” Bettyann said, who originally hails from Pennsylvania.
In 1978, they settled in Abbotsford, BC., where Dean became senior pastor of Abbotsford Evangelical Free Church (“Abby Free”).
Bettyann poured herself into the community, hosting, mentoring, and nurturing the church family. Together, they strengthened the church’s presence in the region, leaving a lasting mark.
In the 1990s, the Johnsons embarked on a new chapter, transitioning from pastoral ministry to missionary support.
For 13 years, they travelled to over 50 countries, mentoring missionary families, leading retreats, and offering counsel.
“This was the most interesting part of our life,” Bettyann shared. “Missions weren’t focused on care back then, so it was something new, caring for missionaries. They’re people, and people face challenges."
Their visits played a vital role in supporting missionaries; Dean offering wisdom and Bettyann providing comfort and prayer.
Over time, the constant travel took its toll, with Bettyann recalling stretches of up to four months without sleeping in their own bed in Abbotsford.
“During those years, one of Bettyann’s favourite sounds was ‘tap-tap,’” Dean recalled, mimicking the stamp of a passport.
“It meant they were letting her in — or out — of the country.”
As they concluded this special mission, their care and dedication helped countless families find the strength to carry on.
In 2006, the Johnsons moved to Trail to be closer to family.
But retirement didn’t mean stepping away from ministry.
Dean became part of the leadership at Trail Alliance Church, where he has served as an elder, guiding the church’s missions outreach.
He occasionally steps into the pulpit as a guest speaker, delivering messages of encouragement.
The congregation warmly refers to him as “Pastor Dean,” and he continues to share biblical wisdom. In July 2024, he preached from Psalm 63, delivering a message titled Searching for Security.
Dean expressed that one of the characteristics he appreciates most about Trail is meeting people who have planted deep roots in the city.
Bettyann echoed that observation.
“We never really had roots,” she reflected. “We had wings, and our kids had wings.”
Beyond church walls, Pastor Dean has woven himself into the fabric of the Trail community.
From his early days in the American Midwest to his years in Canada and around the world, he remains a living example of servant leadership — now nestled in the mountains of Trail, still giving, still guiding, and still finishing well.
