February 5, 2009
by Shane Whisler

IRVING, TX – The Rev. Rafaat Zaki brings a unique international perspective to his new work as stated clerk and associate executive for the Synod of the Sun. He began his new work in November 2008.

"I am blessed to have been elected and called by the Synod of the Sun, especially in this capacity, and in such a time as this," Zaki said. "For the greatest of all challenges the Church faces today is to prophetically proclaim and faithfully serve the unique calling of the Church as God's agent for compassion and just peace."

Zaki's ancestors were Coptic Orthodox and his grandfather was a Presbyterian clergy who was sent as a missionary by Egypt's Synod of the Nile to serve in Sudan where Zaki was born to a father who became a Presbyterian elder and mother who served as a librarian, organist, and church leader.

As a young man, Zaki studied in Catholic schools in Sudan, at the Presbyterian seminary in Cairo, following his grandfather's path, where he received his first training in pastoral ministry and community service. Returning to Khartoum, he envisioned a church based community ministry and a seminary given the second cycle of civil war and since there were more Sudanese seminarians in Cairo than there were Egyptians.

He continued studying abroad and earned a masters degree in religion in South Korea, where he met his wife. He later earned a master of divinity degree at McCormick Theological Seminary, and completed his Ph. D. coursework at Chicago Theological Seminary. Although he first received his calling and was licensed for ministry by the Presbytery of Sudan, his family decided to leave Sudan due to the increasingly dangerous and instable political, religious and socio-economic climate.

Ordained by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Zaki served in various pastoral capacities in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio from 1991-2001. The following six years he served in Louisville as associate for churchwide personnel services and then as an area coordinator for Central, South and Southeast Asia with the then Worldwide Ministries Division.

Judy Fletcher said the Synod of the Sun "is fortunate to have called such a capable person in Raafat Zaki."

"His international experience will bring an interesting dimension to this work," Fletcher said. "We are delighted to have him on board."

Zaki is particularly hopeful about the role this synod can play in extending God's compassion and just peace.

"The Synod of the Sun (which includes Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas) is well positioned and equipped to serve and resource key constituency and functions essential to the transformation and growth of the PC(USA)," he said.

Zaki most recently served in Atlanta as the director of global faith engagement and church relations with Habitat for Humanity International. His family, including his newly immigrated Korean father-in-law, will be relocating to the Dallas-Ft. Worth area in the coming months. In the spirit of the radio show, A Prairie Home Companion, he said he is "married to one strong wife, and blessed with three above average children."

Zaki's associate position is new to the synod, which recently restructured. As stated clerk he succeeds, the Rev. Elizabeth Johnson Pense, a classmate of Fletcher's at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, who served seven years as synod stated clerk while serving a number of interim pastorates in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.

Presbyterian News Service