Aaron Dean was born on the Feast of Trumpets 1952. At age 3 his father died, and his mother moved to Big Sandy, Texas, and later to Pasadena, California. He graduated in 1970 with honors from the Church's Imperial Schools and in 1974 from Ambassador College.

At graduation, Herbert Armstrong personally asked that he become part of his traveling group and not go to his ministerial assignment.

Randy Stiver is pastor of the United Church of God congregations in Sioux Falls, Watertown and Rapid City, South Dakota.