One only needs to become acquainted with Dean McClure for a few minutes before you begin to realize that Dean is definitely a unique, endearing individual whose witty comments instantly disarm you. Dean was born August 1941 in Bear Creek Springs (near Harrison, AR) and was always proud of his Arkansas roots. One of three boys, he went to Calvary Baptist Church (Harrison, AR) at a friend’s invitation and there heard the gospel clearly for the first time. Soon, his questions about salvation were answered and he asked Jesus to be his Lord and Savior. After faithfully attending that church for two years, he felt God was calling him to preach and upon graduation from high school, entered Baptist Bible College  enrolling in the pastor’s course. But it wasn’t long before God would redirect this Arkansas hillbilly towards the mission field.

Deloris Lee, born May 1943 as one of three children, attended Bible Baptist Church (Crane, MO) with her brother Jim and, after several weeks, Deloris accepted Christ as her Savior. On Easter Sunday, Deloris, Jim and their mom and dad were baptized. She was introduced to many missionaries at Bible Baptist and they had a great influence on her. But she resisted God’s call on her own life until during family devotions, God’s word pierced her heart and she could not avoid what He was clearly saying to her as they read I Chronicles 29:5b: “And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?”. She knelt by her bed that night and surrendered her life to do whatever God wanted.

God began revealing His plan when Dean and Deloris became acquainted at a youth rally in 1959. Their paths converged, by divine providence, at Baptist Bible College where they would fall in love and marry July 1963. During their years at BBC, Dean and Deloris surrendered and ‘volunteered’ to go to Brazil.

Dean took an active role in church ministry even during college as a volunteer Sunday School teacher and substitute song leader at Bible Baptist in Crane where Eli Harju was pastoring at the time. After their graduation from BBC, Dean fulfilled his internship as Assistant Pastor and Deloris served as secretary at Tulsa Baptist Temple where Clifford Clark was pastor. After their internship, they were approved as BBFI missionaries on September 1, 1965, to the field of Brazil, a country of immense size and need.

After raising their financial and prayer support, they boarded a plane with one-year-old Michele on September 14, 1966, with all their baggage traveling by freighter. A 64-acre missionary property in the coastal city of Recife known as the “farm” became their first home. There they enjoyed orange groves, jaca trees and a small vegetable garden. On this property was where they would host an annual camp held during the three days of “Carnaval”. Carnaval is an annual nationwide Catholic holiday of spectacular parades and debauchery. The camps would become a retreat, particularly for youth, giving them a healthier alternative to the immoral party scene.

In spite of the Catholic influence, by January 1967, the McClures came to the understanding that “among the Brazilian masses, the slightest trace of basic Biblical knowledge does not exist.” Over half of the population was 19 years old and under, making the extensive need for the gospel to be greatest among the youth.

In the early days before they were able to master the language, they began a ‘car ministry’ where they brought as many as 40 people to church to hear the gospel preached. Many of these new believers were from Camaragibe, a suburb of Recife. As the months wore on, they questioned whether it was worth it make the 40-minute round trip to continue bringing these people to church until, six months in, their riders began to trust in Christ as their Savior and would later produce the launching point of a new church in a land whose vastness greatly overwhelmed the McClures. Their burden to learn the heart language of the people pressed in upon them, knowing it was crucial to be able to identify with the people. Dean’s persistence in learning Portuguese eventually produced the ability to convince those in Brazil and Portugal that he was actually a Brazilian. He continually made it a point to encourage new missionaries to put the effort in and learn the language well.

During 1970, they distributed the Gospel of John to 400 families in Camaragibe where previously only 10 families owned a Bible. Along with their endeavor to reach every home in Camaragibe, they also reached other villages where the gospel had never been preached.

Brazil is a land of extremes – very hot, very cold, floods, droughts, sand, dust, poor water, and long distance between everything. In 1975, by the grace of God, they survived a major flood which killed 100 people and left 150,000 people homeless. Even with 80% of Recife impacted, God protected BBFI Fellowship missionaries and properties from harm. In the wake of extreme conditions, they were able to minister to those suffering great loss.

The extremes extended even to their economy where, for 20 years beginning in the mid-1970s through the mid-1990s, inflation soared as high as 2,948% with a $1 loaf of bread costing them $30 during that time. They truly needed to return to the US to raise more support because of the skyrocketing inflation, yet there was no one to lead the church in their absence so they remained on the field and continued to trust God.

Traveling to the backlands to do ministry was a challenge in and of itself because it meant traveling for long hours on a bus (on one occasion without brakes), tiny ‘hotels’ with tiny rooms and tiny or no beds to sleep on, sleeping in a car or hammock, or on the floor. The backlands is where BBFI missionary Marjorie Browning worked – a place with no electricity, no running water, no modern bathroom facilities, and no grocery stores.

Throughout the years, growth was slow and required enduring persistence. Dean declared “Evangelistic work in certain areas was definitely hindered” as a direct assault of Satan, and “I have met Satan head on” as they often encountered Satanic influence and worship among Brazilians. But they pressed on and were able to start a work in Galego.

Together, Dean and BBFI co-missionary, George Lewis, began to broadcast a Bible program in Recife in 1974. It was a challenge to find a station that would allow them to have a gospel program. Finally, a government-owned station offered them 30 minutes a week for $75 a month. By faith they took the time slot to reach out to two million listeners in the Recife area. Both Dean and Deloris also invested a great deal of effort in writing or translating gospel tracts, (which were placed in the hands of literally thousands of people), Bible Institute material, as well as lessons, plays and other teacher training courses and materials for Sunday school teachers.

Six churches sprung up in Recife and the McClures visited them on a rotating basis. Brazilian nationals were trained through the Seminary that had been restarted by the McClures and Lewises and, upon graduation, they were encouraged to start and pastor their own churches. Dean’s philosophy was to treat them as co-laborers thus promoting confidence and respect between them and the missionary. The McClures often asked prayer that God would give them a “Spirit-filled work” not just a “good” work.

Seeing a great need for trained musicians and music leaders, Deloris took on the task of teaching music in various forms including the recorder, the organ and keyboard. She even brought her accordion out of retirement and used it to teach music.

With the industrialization and rapid development of urban areas when the capital city was relocated to the interior city of Brasilia, the McClures felt God’s call to start a new work there after 20 years of ministering in and around Recife.

But Satan was still on their heels as evidenced by an attack when they narrowly escaped thieves who had shattered their windshield with a rock leaving them with facial lacerations. One Sunday while they were at church, thieves broke in and stole a computer, jewelry (many items which were sentimental), and a digital camera among other things. The police never responded, but Dean and Deloris were thankful they were not at home as they would potentially have been subjected to kidnapping or beatings which was a common occurrence in such situations. Even suffering with Dengue Fever during the 2016 epidemic in Brasilia, the McClures have been steadfast for their 50+ years of ministry.

The ministry saw life change in people like Abadia whose spiritist father had involved her in demon worship as a young girl — training her up to become a priestess in a particular spiritist group where she would command and receive demons. In a Catholic country, the Catholic Church does not discourage spiritism. A person can be a ‘good Catholic’ and be a Satan worshiper. Abadia had begun at age 13 to stay at the spiritism center from Friday evening through Sunday evening to participate in all their rituals. After three years in spiritism, God began to redirect her life, and eventually she was miraculously saved. Her father, who was deeply involved in spiritism, was later also saved. Or Maria, a victim of Roman Catholicism for over 60 years, was a rezadeira (healer), paid to pray to God or saints for healing, solving of problems, or for lost objects. But Maria, after coming to services for several months at the invitation of her daughter, gave up her fear of losing her income and was wonderfully transformed by the saving power of the gospel. Even more people were saved out of open demon worship as part of a large, popular movement — the Gospel of Prosperity Church. “There they invoked the presence of demons for their services who were always glad to show up!”

Many children came to Christ through the Good News Club that Deloris held in the afternoon while Dean intentionally worked to train up men in the church by giving them various responsibilities during church services.

Dean has always been known to make witty comments such as, “It is much easier to carry our Bibles than to study them.” But he was never more sincere than when he was also heard to say, “Some wait to be called to missions; I volunteered!” With Isaiah 6:8 in mind, his mindset was “Here am I; send me.”

Dean has frequently said that we need more people to answer the Great Commission and go do the work. The number of churches they had a direct involvement in starting in Brazil now exceeds over twenty, all of which are thriving today under national leadership. From the day he and Deloris left for the field, Dean’s heart has been filled with gratitude for the privilege of representing Jesus Christ to the Brazilians.

-by Jill Wolf