Rev. Dr. Zaki Labib Zaki

(Pastor Zaki)

Welcome to First United Methodist Church of Dixon!

Rev. Zaki’s great grandfather was one of the first Egyptian Methodist pastors and his great grandmother was one of the first licensed women Lay Speakers. In 1937, his grandparents were sent as missionaries to Sudan where they planted, built, and served many churches. Rev. Zaki studied pharmacy but was compelled during the early days of the Ethiopian Famine in the 1980s to volunteer to help provide assistance to the tens of thousands of Ethiopian refugees who were crossing the border over to Sudan. Soon after, he was recruited by the United Nations World Food Program and several Christian Relief Organizations to oversee relief operations first in Sudan and later throughout the Middle East. In 1989, Rev. Zaki came to the United States on a Fellowship to study Theology and explore his calling for ministry. He earned his Masters from McCormick Theological Seminary and his Doctorate from The Chicago Theological Seminary and The University of Chicago. While doing his Doctorate, Rev. Zaki served as a Chaplain at The University of Chicago Hospitals and as a youth pastor at Tinley Park UMC. 

Since then, Rev. Zaki has served several congregations before and after his appointment, from 2012 to 2018, to serve as District Superintendent for the then Northwestern District of the Northern Illinois Conference.

Rev. Zaki has led many Mission Trips to Greece, Germany, and Egypt. In every community he had served, he found ways to volunteer to serve at the local schools, fire/police department, library, and/or hospital. Currently, he serves as a volunteer chaplain at the Naperville Police Department. Rev. Zaki is a team player and team builder. He is committed to journey with the whole congregation of Dixon First to continue to grow and move forward faithfully.

Rev. Zaki is married to Rev. Ayla Samson, a United Methodist clergy currently serving Channahon UMC. They have five young adult children, Khalid, Nura, Mariam, Isis Grace, and Myra.