Dale A. Johnson is an ordained priest of the Syriac Orthodox Church. He is an internationally recognized linguist, humanitarian, lecturer on the language of Jesus and texts related to Aramaic and Syriac studies. He is the winner of the North Carolina State Role Model Leadership Award (2006) which includes other notable winners such as Maya Angelou, Gov. James Hunt, and founders of Habitat for Humanity. He has lived in the Middle East, Caribbean, and Asia for many years.