After an extensive and prayerful search for new pastoral leadership, on January 22, 2023, Reverend Ricky Darnell Dixon was elected Pastor-Elect of Beautiful Zion Missionary Baptist Church and officially began his assignment on February 5, 2023. He brought to Beautiful Zion more than twelve years of pastoral experience as the under-shepherd of Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Sun River Terrace, Illinois, along with many years of service as an Associate Minister. An enduring student of the Word, Pastor Dixon holds a specialized certificate from Northern Theological Seminary and has pursued graduate studies in Urban Leadership. His commitment to studying and rightly dividing the Word of Truth reflects the charge of 2 Timothy 2:15: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God…”
Walking faithfully beside Pastor Dixon is his wife, First Lady Eva Marie Dixon, his “good thing” and partner in life and ministry. Pastor and First Lady Dixon were married on October 1, 1994, and to their union were born Joshua Thomas Dixon and Hannah Noelle Dixon, who is with the Lord in Heaven. It was First Lady Dixon’s unwavering faith and commitment to God that helped lead Pastor Dixon to Zion Travelers Missionary Baptist Church of South Holland, Illinois, where he accepted Jesus Christ in the pardon of his sins in 1998. Her continued prayers, partnership, encouragement, collaboration, and ministry help strengthen Pastor Dixon as he stands before the people of God week after week to proclaim what thus saith the Lord. Their son, Joshua, lovingly serves alongside his parents and remains an important part of their ministry journey.
On July 30, 2023, Reverend Ricky Darnell Dixon was officially installed as Pastor of Beautiful Zion Missionary Baptist Church. From the beginning of his pastorate, Pastor Dixon has led with a simple but unwavering belief: trust God, love His people, preach His Word, pray without ceasing, and serve the community. Under his leadership, Beautiful Zion has experienced renewed spiritual fervor, increased community engagement, growing membership, and significant restoration of its historic church home.
Pastor Dixon’s leadership was tested early. In January 2024, gas leaks were discovered throughout Beautiful Zion’s nearly century-old building, resulting in the gas being shut off. Rather than allowing the circumstances to stop the ministry, Pastor Dixon remained steadfast. Services continued to be recorded from the cold church building while repairs were underway. Within approximately six weeks, every gas line was replaced at a fraction of the anticipated cost, and the congregation returned to worship in its warm sanctuary. What could have been viewed only as a crisis became another testimony of God’s provision and Pastor Dixon’s determination to keep Beautiful Zion moving forward.
Prayer has remained central to his pastoral ministry. In February 2024, Pastor Dixon implemented Beautiful Zion’s nightly 6:30 p.m. prayer gathering, calling the church to live out the biblical instruction to “pray without ceasing.” Every evening, seven days a week, Beautiful Zion and BZ Nation members and friends from Chicago, across the country, Jamaica, and beyond come together in prayer. What began as a vision given to the Pastor has become an important spiritual foundation of the ministry.
Pastor Dixon has also led Beautiful Zion with a deep commitment to stewardship and restoration. Through the Seeds of Hope Capital Campaign, the church began addressing critical needs within and around its historic building. Beautiful Zion subsequently received a grant from Landmarks Illinois to support the cleaning, repair, and preservation of its historic limestone exterior. Even when an electrical fire caused by a transformer damaged the rear of the church building in June 2025, Pastor Dixon continued to lead with faith rather than fear. Power was restored within hours, and additional physical damage was repaired through resources provided at no cost to the church.
During Beautiful Zion’s historic 80th year, Pastor Dixon challenged the congregation to make its anniversary celebration as much about service as celebration. Under his leadership, Beautiful Zion launched 80 Random Acts of Kindness, intentionally carrying the love of Christ beyond the walls of the church and serving children, families, seniors, community organizations, and neighbors throughout Englewood and beyond.
Pastor Dixon’s third year also brought one of the most significant financial milestones in Beautiful Zion’s history. Following years of addressing longstanding financial obligations and through prayer, disciplined stewardship, sacrificial giving, and the generosity of members and friends, Pastor Dixon led the church through its Paid In Full Campaign. During Beautiful Zion’s 80th year, the church became completely debt free, positioning the ministry to enter its 81st year free of financial debt and able to focus even more intentionally on ministry, mission, and the future.
At the same time, Pastor Dixon’s vision for preserving Beautiful Zion’s historic home continued to become reality. The church officially launched its extensive Building Envelope Renovation Project, and the Lord blessed Beautiful Zion with new windows, new doors, upgraded HVAC systems, masonry and limestone restoration, and numerous additional improvements. Pastor Dixon has remained committed not simply to repairing a building, but to responsibly stewarding the house that generations before us sacrificed to provide thus preserving it for generations yet to come.
Yet, for Pastor Dixon, the greatest measure of a thriving church has never been its finances, programs, or physical building. It is changed lives and souls coming to Christ. On Sunday, July 27, 2025, as Beautiful Zion celebrated the second anniversary of his installation, Pastor Dixon stood in the baptismal pool and baptized ten candidates. That moment beautifully embodied a declaration he often shares with the congregation: “The sign of a great church is that there is still water in the pool.”
As Reverend Ricky Darnell Dixon celebrates his Third Pastoral Anniversary, his first three years at Beautiful Zion tell a story of faith, prayer, resilience, restoration, stewardship, service, and an unwavering love for God’s people. Through unexpected challenges and extraordinary victories, he has continued to point the congregation not to himself, but to God—the One who has provided every resource, opened every door, answered every prayer, and made every victory possible.
Today, Pastor Dixon continues to shepherd Beautiful Zion with a heart for the people, a passion for the Word of God, a commitment to the Englewood community, and a vision for the generations yet to come. There is still work to do. There are still souls to reach. There are still lives to touch. There is still a community to serve.
And, praise God, there is still water in the pool.
As Pastor Dixon so often reminds the Beautiful Zion family: “The Best Is Still Yet To Come.”
To God Be All the Glory!