Recognizing a deep need to build bridges between languages, cultures, and worshiping communities, The Rev. Leigh Preston utilized her ministry experience and her academic pursuits to do just that. As an instructor in Pastoral Spanish and Latino/Hispanic Ministry at the School of Theology at Sewanee, Leigh is committed to forming leaders for a Church that reflects the diversity of God’s people. With support from the Episcopal Evangelism Society, she launched a research project to examine the spiritual, pastoral, and practical dimensions of bilingual worship in the Episcopal Church.
Her work took her to three Episcopal congregations—one in rural North Carolina, one in a major urban center in the Northeast, and one in a small city in Central Texas—each of which offers bilingual Eucharistic worship on a regular basis. Leigh coordinated with parish clergy, attended Sunday services, spoke with congregants, and distributed bilingual surveys to gather insights about how worshipers experienced bilingual liturgy in their local settings.
Across all three communities, she gathered a total of 35 survey responses, many of which came from people who identified as Latino/Hispanic or bilingual. These responses revealed how bilingual liturgy can allow people to bring their full selves into worship. One respondent, a fifth-generation Texan of Mexican descent, described how she finally felt spiritually at home in a church that fully embraced her bilingual, bicultural identity—a space where she no longer had to choose between heritage and belonging.
Leigh’s research also uncovered challenges. Some participants noted that bilingual services often require more mental and emotional energy, particularly for those who are not fluent in both languages. Others cited the need for more clergy and lay leaders who can lead worship confidently and compassionately in two languages. Even with these challenges, the survey participants overwhelmingly agreed that bilingual worship has the power to deepen connection—not only with God, but also with one another.
Her research is now shaping her Doctor of Ministry thesis at Catholic Theological Union, and she plans to share her findings more broadly through publications, workshops, and her ongoing teaching ministry. Leigh’s project serves as a compelling invitation to the wider Episcopal Church to recognize bilingual worship not just as a practical accommodation, but as a joyful embodiment of the Gospel—a sign of a church that welcomes all, speaks in many tongues, and lives as one Body in Christ.
