Although Jésus Guerrero can speak English, it’s typically not his language of choice when preaching the Gospel.

But one could say Guerrero stepped out of the box on a recent trip to Limestone County, where he delivered sermons in English at several local Churches of Christ.

He said he was nervous about preaching in English and not his native Spanish.

Guerrero said that he had previously spoken some words in English to a congregation years ago, but during his trip to Limestone County he preached a “full sermon,” in English for the first time.

He preached at Marion Street Church of Christ in Athens, where he was asked to come and from his home congregation in San Juan, Texas. But, he also preached at Wooley Springs Church of Christ and Iglesia de Christo, Athens’ only Hispanic speaking congregation.

Guerrero said several churches in the area support his work in Texas. He said his church in San Juan has a congregation of from 85 to 100 people. They are also working to get a new church building built in San Juan.

Eural Claxton, who attends Marion Street, attended four sermons preached by Guerrero.

“He was nervous, but you really couldn’t tell it,” Claxton said. “I was really, really impressed.”

“You could tell that he loved it and loved to tell it,” Claxton said.

He said that while Guerrero was preaching at Wooley Springs, he became excited and began speaking in Spanish but stopped himself before he got too far.

While San Juan is 18 hours away, he does have connections in North Alabama.

His sister, Becky, is married to Basilio Munoz, the preacher at Iglesia de Christo.

Munoz said that Guerrero started preaching in 1986 and he began preaching in 1988.

Munoz said he came to Limestone County from Texas in 1997 after being contacted by an elder of Sandlin Road Church of Christ and told of the need for a Spanish-speaking preacher in the area. At that time, Munoz said he did not speak a lot of English.

Munoz said at least six different churches in Limestone County support his congregation located on Jefferson Street, which consists of 28 members and has from 46 to 55 people who attend regularly.

According to Munoz, it is not common for Mexicans to be members of the Church of Christ. He said the majority of them are Catholics and trying to convert them isn’t easy.

However, he said that of the population here in Limestone County, 80-percent are Guatemalan and only 20-percent are Mexican.

He said a lot of Guatemalans are more accepting of the Gospel based on their backgrounds.

Some have Pentecostal and Baptist backgrounds.

Iglesia de Christo in Athens meets on Sunday at 10 a.m. and again at 4 p.m. The church also has a Wednesday evening service at 7. The church is located on Jefferson Street in north Athens.