If you had told a teenage Symeon Williams that one day he’d be leading a Greek Orthodox parish, he probably would have laughed. But faith has a way of surprising us.
Raised in a Baptist home in Richmond, Virginia, he never expected to become Orthodox—until one afternoon in 2004, when he attended a Greek festival. At the time, he wasn’t searching for a new spiritual path. He was just there for the food.
“I went to get some moussaka, some pasticho, and I left with the faith, with the community that I’m proud to be a part of today.”
That moment stayed with him, and a year later, he was chrismated into the Orthodox Church. Today, he remains the only Orthodox Christian in his family.
At first, priesthood wasn’t on his radar. He pursued chemistry at James Madison University on a scholarship and focused on his studies. But everything changed when he took a mission trip to Tijuana with Project Mexico, where he helped build homes for families in need.
“We were working on building a home for people, and that just changed everything for me.”
That experience led him to shift his academic focus. He changed his major to International Affairs and Spanish, studied Arabic, and spent time in Cairo before moving to Philadelphia, where he worked at a community center in Kensington serving the Latino community. This hands-on experience in service solidified his calling, and soon after, he entered Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Boston.
His ministry has taken him through multiple parishes across New Jersey and Virginia—first as a youth director and chanter, then as a pastoral assistant, and later as a deacon. In February 2023, he was ordained a priest at his home parish, St. Constantine in Richmond, Virginia, and by June 2023, he arrived at St. Sophia SS. Faith, Hope & Agape Greek Orthodox Church of Valley Forge.
Throughout his journey, he has drawn deep inspiration from two modern Orthodox saints. St. Maria Skobtsova of Paris, a theologian and humanitarian, believed that every Christian must have a heart that is pierced by the suffering of others.
“She says that because we’re an image of the Virgin Mary as well, that we have to be like the Virgin Mary with all those around us. So when the Panagia was at the cross of Christ, his cross, seeing her son on the cross was a sword that pierced her heart. And so in the same way, the struggles of our neighbor needs to be a sword that pierces our heart as well, so that we’re wounded by the wounds of our neighbor, that we’re so connected to the rest of the body of Christ that we’re called to serve them.”
He also admires St. Porphyrios, who encouraged people to focus on Christ rather than their struggles, trusting that when they do, everything else will fall into place.
“What he always said was that it’s not about the struggles that we have—focusing so much on, ‘Oh, I need to be better, I’m struggling with this, I need to get rid of this problem’—but instead, just keep our eyes and our attention on the Lord. And the more we focus on Christ, the more those temptations and those struggles will let go, the more that we’re turning towards the Lord in prayer and service.”
Beyond his ministry, Father Symeon has a love for coffee, food, and genealogy. In fact, food played an unexpected role in his journey to Orthodoxy, and he still enjoys trying new restaurants and cooking. His passion for genealogy, however, is deeply tied to faith.
“From the genealogy perspective, that connection, I would definitely say if you don’t know who your ancestors are, if you don’t know who your great-grandparents are, you can’t pray for them. And we as Greek Orthodox Christians pray for our ancestors. We do psikosavato. So we’re always praying for people, doing memorials, but how can you do a memorial for someone if you don’t know their name?”
As he reflects on his first year at St. Sophia, he shares a powerful analogy about faith.
“So it’s like that wedding ring that someone has been passed down—maybe their great-grandmother’s ring—and they don’t want to wear it because they don’t want the ring to fall off. So they put it up on the top of a shelf and they preserve it, and they know it’s there. But if we do that with our faith, if we keep our faith far away, tucked away and preserved, it’s going to collect dust. But what holy tradition really is, is taking that ring down and wearing it, being proud of it, showing it to people, inviting people to learn more about that ring.”
Faith, he believes, is meant to be lived, questioned, and explored.
“I want to just encourage people to engage with their faith, ask tough questions, grapple with it, because our faith isn’t just about accepting. It’s also about grappling and trying to understand it a little bit deeper each day.”
As he enters his second year at St. Sophia, he hopes to continue fostering a community that embraces faith, asks meaningful questions, and grows together.
Faith has a way of surprising us. It certainly surprised Father Symeon Williams. But looking at where he is today, it’s clear—he’s exactly where he’s meant to be.
Watch the video above to hear Father Symeon’s story in his own words. If you haven’t yet, visit St. Sophia and experience the vibrant faith and community firsthand.