St. John’s Hosts Xenia Smykova
Xenia Smykova recently completed her seminary education and pastoral internship at Trinity Episcopal Church in Parkersburg and is continuing her discernment and formation for ordination in the Diocese of West Virginia.
Originally from Russia, Xenia came to faith as an adult and has spent much of her life living, studying, and ministering across cultures. Before coming to the United States, she lived in Spain, Italy, and Denmark, serving in Anglican and ecumenical communities through teaching, discipleship, pastoral ministry, and outreach. She studied philosophy in Rome and completed her theological education in the United States, where her interests have included mission, ecclesiology, migration, and the Church’s ministry of hospitality.
Throughout her life and ministry, Xenia has been shaped by the experience of migration and by encounters with people navigating questions of identity, belonging, and faith far from home. These experiences have fostered a deep commitment to cross-cultural ministry and to the Church’s calling to welcome the stranger, accompany the vulnerable, and proclaim the Gospel across boundaries of language, culture, and nationality.
This year, Xenia will serve in Spain through Latin Link’s Stride program, a one-year mission placement designed to equip Christians for intercultural ministry and discernment. She will be based in Tenerife in the Canary Islands, one of Europe’s principal migration gateways, where thousands of migrants and refugees arrive each year from Africa and other regions seeking safety and opportunity. Working alongside local churches and ministry partners, she will support immigrant communities through pastoral care, discipleship, outreach, community-building, and other forms of practical and spiritual accompaniment.
Xenia is grateful for the support, formation, and encouragement she has received from Trinity Episcopal Church and the Diocese of West Virginia. As she prepares for this season of mission, she is building a team of prayer and financial supporters and invites others to partner with her in this ministry of hospitality, hope, and Gospel witness among migrant communities.
