John Dekker
Dutch Christian missionary
About John Dekker
Lived 1929 – 2024 (aged 94–95).
John "Tolibaga" Theodorus Johannes Dekker (28 December 1929 – 9 April 2024) was a Dutch-born Christian missionary.
Biography Dekker was born and raised in The Netherlands before moving to Canada in 1952. He studied at Prairie Bible College, and later at the Summer Institute of Linguistics, Grace Theological Seminary, and Reformed Theological Seminary.
He married Helen in 1958 and the two of them served as missionaries with Regions Beyond Missionary Union. They engaged in medical, linguistic, and church work among the Lani people of the Toli Valley in Western New Guinea from 1960 to 1981. As a result of their ministry, the Christian population among the Lani grew to 13,000.
John Dekker died on 9 April 2024, at the age of 94. He was the father of the Christian novelist Ted Dekker.
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Important facts
People in John Dekker's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was John Dekker?
Dutch Christian missionary (1929–2024)
When was John Dekker born?
John Dekker was born in 1929.
When did John Dekker die?
John Dekker died on 9 April 2024.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Dekker. https://biography.guide/john-dekker/
MLA: "John Dekker." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-dekker/.
Chicago: "John Dekker." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-dekker/.
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