Strickland, Dean

First Baptist Church, Boaz
Marshall Baptist Association

Favorite Verse: Philippians 4:13
Favorite Hymn: “Victory in Jesus”
Hobbies: Growing azaleas, gardening and helping those less fortunate
Family Status: Married for 52 years to Jan; one daughter, Donna; and one granddaughter

Since giving his life to Christ in early adulthood, Dean Strickland has spent every day serving Him. Strickland not only served as a deacon, went on missions trips and taught Sunday School but also served as a counselor to patients about to undergo heart surgery in Birmingham, helped students gain scholarships and made sure children in Mexico have shoes. He was named the 2007 Humanitarian of the Year by Marshall County.

Q: How did you come to know the Lord?
A: I was saved when I was 21, so I have been a Christian 51 years. I grew up on a farm, and we never went to church. When Jan and I were dating and got married, she was such a strong Christian lady, and I wanted to have that kind of strength for myself. It turned my life around completely.

Q: How have you been involved in church?
A: When we moved to Haleyville after I had just become a Christian, we lived across the street from First Baptist Church. The pastor, Walter Nunn, would come and drink coffee with me and encouraged me to be involved in church. I have always been involved since then. We have headed up the preschool department, we have taught Sunday School and I have been a deacon. Our church is really missions-minded, and we just get to be a little part of that. We (our church) just bought 600 pairs of shoes to send to Mexico, and my wife and I just went out to purchase them.

Q: How did you counsel the heart patients in Birmingham, and did it make a difference in your life?
A: In 1990, I had a heart attack. So a few weeks (after surgery), my doctor asked if I would come down and be a volunteer and talk to people who were going to have heart surgery. It was such a blessing to make them feel better. It made me a better person.

Q: What has it been like to serve as an ambassador for the Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries?
A: I love it. It has just enriched my life. I have gotten to meet so many people that I would have never gotten to meet otherwise.

Q: What difference has being a Christian made in your life?
A: It has made everything. Being a Christian is my life. It’s our life.