Nearly 300 Hispanic Episcopal leaders from across Texas gathered at Camp Allen this summer for the Diocese of Texas Hispanic Leadership Conference, one of the largest diocesan gatherings in The Episcopal Church dedicated to Hispanic leadership formation. This year’s conference also marked the 40th anniversary of Hispanic ministry in the Diocese of Texas.
Today, the diocese counts 18 active Spanish-language congregations, with more in development, and an average Sunday attendance of more than 2,200. “This is the result of decades of investment in people, relationships, and the conviction that this community has a vital role in the future of Texas and The Episcopal Church,” said the Rt. Rev. Héctor Monterroso, Bishop Assistant of Texas.
The growth represented by the numbers was reflected throughout the conference. This year’s theme, “La fe sigue, nada la detiene” — faith continues, nothing stops it — captured the story behind that growth. For a community largely made up of people from different Hispanic countries navigating cultural barriers and the challenges of building family and belonging in a new home, faith has been the thread that holds it together. This year’s conference was a demonstration of what sustained formation produces: leaders who inspire others to replicate that example across a growing network of congregations serving families and communities throughout the state.
Speakers That Reflected the Full Range of Hispanic Episcopal Leadership
The conference brought together a speaker lineup reflecting the talents and richness of the Hispanic Episcopal experience across the Americas — a deliberate balance of women, priests, and lay leaders. The Rev. Canon David Ulloa Chávez, leader of Episcopal Global Partnerships and a member of Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe’s staff, opened with a theological conversation on borders, belonging, and transformation in Christ, drawing on the baptismal covenant as a counter-narrative to fear and displacement.
The Rev. Yuriria Rodríguez, a Costa Rican priest, singer, and educator with more than 20 years in Latin American sacred music ministry, grounded the conversation in music as a vehicle for formation, humility, and love. The conference also included the participation of the missioner from the National Church’s Office of Latino Ministries, reflecting the Church’s recognition of the Diocese of Texas as a model for Hispanic leadership formation.
Among the speakers, Jeroham Meléndez, coordinator of the Anglican Hispanic Network and a leader involved in a church plant in Montreal, stood out as the lay voice of the panel and brought the joy of belonging: “The most important thing happening here is the growth and flourishing of people. Communities become stronger when individuals recognize that their experiences, names, culture, faith, and gifts have value, represent who they are, their vocation, and are the tools to help others.”
The Rev. Andreis Díaz Dorta, Vice-Rector at Christ Church in the Diocese of Florida closed a speaker roster that spanned nationalities, and ministry contexts.
A Contagious Faith
The proof of this faith is in the parishes where leaders create more leaders. At St. Paul’s, Pasadena, a soccer ministry has welcomed more than 1000 participants and families across its tournaments, supported by two community schools that promote the program as an integral health initiative for youth development. Lay leaders Lupita Garza and Edgar Ogaz, encouraged by clergy including the Rev. Pedro López and the Rev. Misael Pacheco, have shaped young people like 17 year old Oliver Ochoa, who today is part of the participants of the conference and aspires to become a coach and mentor for the next generation.
In Austin, Iglesia de Santiago, led by the Rev. George Porter and supported by the Rev. Jim Harrington, has become a family for people arriving from across Latin America and around the world. Alongside Sunday worship, which draws 80 to 90 people each week, the church offers English classes for children and adults, food pantry assistance, and vital support for immigrant families building new lives in Texas.
Another Milestone: Ten Hispanic Leaders Certified
This year also marked a significant milestone in Texas Hispanic Ministry. Ten students earned the Spanish-language Lay Leadership Certificate through Iona School for Ministry, opening a formal pathway for theological formation and lay preaching in Spanish. A second cohort is already being organized.
Forty years ago, Hispanic ministry in the Diocese of Texas was about creating places where people could belong. Today those communities are forming the next generation of leaders — and inspiring others to do the same.
Click here to view photos from the conference