Edward Dean Dickinson

Edward Dean Dickinson, 88, went home to be with his Lord Friday, June 17, 2022. He was born in Missouri Valley, Iowa on November 14, 1933, the son of Frank and Elsie Dickinson. He graduated from Missouri Valley High School in 1952, Cincinnati Bible Seminary in 1956 and earned a master’s degree from Midwest Christian College, Oklahoma City, OK in 1961. Dean was ordained to the Christian ministry in 1955. In his 56 years of ministry, he served two churches, Rolls Hill Church of Christ in Cincinnati, OH and Central Christian Church in McAlester, OK as the preaching minister, and then three churches, First Christian Church in Junction City, Kansas, Broadway Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky and Chapel Rock Christian Church in Indianapolis as the Minister of Education. His final ministry at Chapel Rock spanned 34 years, specializing in Adult Education and culminated in his retirement in 2011. Prior to coming to Broadway, he was known to family and friends as “Ed” or “Eddie”. When he began serving at Broadway Church he was asked by the Senior Minister if he would mind going by his middle name “Dean” since there were already two “Eds” on the staff. He complied and was henceforth known as “Dean”.

While at Chapel Rock, Dean created an extensive church library, developed a large adult Sunday school department and organized special ministries in Divorce Care, Grief Recovery, and a program for senior citizens. He contributed numerous articles to several different periodicals, wrote curriculum for Standard Publishing Company and authored a leadership training book. He also served as a consultant and leader of Ideashops at Standard Publishing.

In his role as Minister of Education Dean taught much more than he preached. When he did preach he would frequently stop after he had made a point in his sermon, pause and look at the congregation, and ask the question “Are you with me?” Anticipating the question, they usually were!

Dean fostered Christian education by becoming a charter member of the National Association of Directors of Christian Education, presented workshops for fifteen years at the North American Christian Convention, and served on the continuation committee of the Conference for Christian Educators. He dearly loved teaching and especially enjoyed researching for answers to hard biblical questions.

Dean’s interests and hobbies included reading (particularly historical biographies), gardening, genealogy and traveling. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Lois Marshall. Dean is survived by his wife of fifty-six years, Jana, son, Derek (Dellie) of Fairbanks, Alaska, and daughter Wendy Herrberg (Loran) of Fortville, Indiana. Eight grandchildren called him “Papa”, Joseph (Regina), Jackson, Maria (James Bell), Tony and Henry Dickinson as well as, Nicholas, Maxwell and Elizabeth Herrberg and had one great grandchild, Rhen Lea Dickinson.

Though no longer able to participate in an active manner, he was a member of Fall Creek Christian Church in Pendleton, Indiana.

His life and ministries impacted many, many people for Christ.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Chapel Rock Christian Church, 2020 North Girls School Road August 10 at 7:00 PM. In lieu of flowers memorial gifts may be made to the Bible College Scholarship fund at Chapel Rock.

Well done, Dean, “Well done good and faithful servant. . .enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”