Dean Flaming

Dean and his wife, Deborah, have been part of the Grace Bible Fellowship family since June of 2014. They are the proud parents of five children: Desiree, Troy, Caleb, Devin, and Mark. In 2019, Dean began serving as an Elder, and in December of 2020, he joined the pastoral staff as Pastor of Discipleship.

Dean was raised on his family’s farm in the Moses Lake area of Central Washington. From an early age, he was immersed in the life of the church. His family was actively involved at First Baptist Church in Othello, where Dean regularly heard the Gospel preached and saw it lived out by his parents at home. He came to faith in Christ at a young age and quickly grew into roles of service within the church.

His passion for ministry began early and grew through over 20 years of involvement in the AWANA program — first as a student, then as a committed leader across several churches. At age 16, Dean’s family moved to Vale, Oregon, where he completed high school and attended community college in nearby Ontario. There, his ministry continued at Malheur Butte Baptist Church, where he taught children’s Sunday school, served as an usher and greeter, led worship on occasion, and directed the AWANA program. During this time, he also began serving in youth ministry, taking on leadership roles such as youth group treasurer and event planner.

In 1998, Dean transferred to Oregon State University in Corvallis to complete his Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. While attending OSU, he lived at the Varsity House Men’s Cooperative, worshiped at First Baptist Church, and stayed active in AWANA ministry. Dean also connected with Campus Ambassadors, a college ministry where he served in leadership by teaching, writing skits, and organizing events. Most importantly, it was during this season at OSU that he met his future wife, Deborah — thanks to some well-placed encouragement from mutual friends they’re still grateful for today!

Dean and Deborah are deeply thankful to the Lord for His faithfulness in their lives and for bringing them to Grace Bible Fellowship. They feel blessed to be part of such a genuine, Christ-centered church family and look forward to many more years of growing together in service to our Lord Jesus Christ.