Dean Pallant was born and educated in Zimbabwe and studied at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He worked in personnel management in the South African mining and manufacturing industry before moving to the UK in 1990. Dean met Dr. Eirwen Lowther during Salvation Army officer training. They were married in 1993 and served as corps officers in Woodbridge, Suffolk before they were appointed to Chikankata Hospital in Zambia – Dean was Administration Manager. They returned to the UK in 2000 and were appointed corps officers at Rugby. In 2003, the Pallants were appointed to London to UK THQ where Dean served as External Relations Officer and Editor of Salvationist.
In October 2007, the Pallants were appointed to The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters where Dean was International Health Services Coordinator (2007 to 2014); Under Secretary for Programme Resources (2010 to 2014) and Accountability Movement Coordinator (2011 to 2016). In March 2015, Dean and Eirwen were appointed to lead the International Social Justice Commission based in New York, USA.
In April 2019, Dean was appointed to his current role as Secretary for Communications, United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland. Dean is also a director of The Salvation Army Trustee Company. His responsibilities include public affairs and social policy, marketing, fundraising, public relations, web and social media, editorial and publications, ecumenical relations and the International Heritage Centre.
Dean completed his doctorate in theology at King’s College, London in 2011 focusing on practical and political theology. His first book, Keeping Faith in Faith-Based Organizations, was published in 2012. He was the lead writer of Journey of Renewal – The Accountability Movement of The Salvation Army in 2016. His latest book, To Be Like Jesus!: Christian Ethics for a 21st-century Salvation Army, was published in 2020. He has contributed chapters to several academic and Salvation Army books as well as regularly writing for Salvation Army publications. Dean has lectured around the world including Finland, Kenya, India, Pakistan, Spain, Canada, USA, Norway, Israel and Argentina.