By Philip Attebery, President • BMA Seminary
Dr. Ricky Williams, Professor of Church Ministries and Director of Hispanic Studies at Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary, presented his research, “A Qualitative Study of Bilingual Worship Experience in BMA Churches,” during the Evangelical Missiological Society’s (EMS) South-Central Conference held in Dallas, Texas on March 28. EMS is a professional society composed of missiologists, administrators, teachers, pastors and students to facilitate scholarly support for the Great Commission.
A growing Hispanic population within the United States and relatively few bilingual worship opportunities within both BMA and non-BMA churches motivated the research. Williams interviewed pastors and worshipers to determine the feasibility of churches conducting a single worship service in both Spanish and English.
The research found two primary benefits of bilingual worship. First, such services allow second-generation Hispanics, who speak predominantly English, to worship with their first-generation parents, who speak mostly Spanish. One parent shared, “I doubt our teenage children would be believers without the bilingual service.” Second, several Hispanic participants expressed their love for the “oneness” that occurs between the Anglo and Hispanic attendees of bilingual services.
Recognizing the quality of his research, Williams received the honor of being selected by his EMS peers to make an additional presentation at the society’s national meeting in October 2025.
