The Reverend Monica Thompson Smith

Monica is an almost lifelong Presbyterian who grew up at Westminster Presbyterian in Arlington, Texas. She attended Trinity University in San Antonio, where she received a Bachelor of Arts, with a major in Religion. Immediately following college, she attended Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, where she received a Master of Divinity degree.

Monica was ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in 2000 and first served as an Associate Pastor for six years at Madison Square Presbyterian in San Antonio. Two years at Good Shepherd Presbyterian, a small congregation in San Antonio followed. Then she served for several years as pulpit supply around Mission Presbytery. For the last seven and a half years, she has served as part-time stated supply pastor of First Presbyterian in Luling.

Throughout her years in Mission Presbytery, Monica has served in a variety of volunteer roles. Youth and camp ministry was her first love, and she enjoyed serving as a chaplain for a week this summer at John Knox Ranch, our Presbytery’s camp. She also has experience with Presbyterian organizations ministering along the U.S.-Mexico border and speaks Spanish, as long as she has a patient and kind conversation partner. In recent years, Monica served as the chair of the presbytery’s Commission on Ministry (COM), which oversees relationships between pastors and churches throughout the presbytery, as well as supporting congregations without pastors, and pastors serving outside the local church, such as hospital and hospice chaplains. In the spring of 2023, she was Mission Presbytery’s Temporary General Presbyter, while our Presbyter was on sabbatical.

Monica has been married for 27 years to Andy Smith, the pastor at New Life Methodist Church in La Grange. They have two teenage daughters. Daisy the miniature schnauzer, along with new addition Jolene the back porch cat, round out the family.

In her free time, Monica enjoys reading, hiking, sewing, learning new things, and being with friends and family. She volunteers with the horses at Wonderhill Farm in Brenham, where daughter Anna receives horse therapy, and at Second Chance Emporium in La Grange.