Marien Church Leeste

The place was first documented as Leste in an undated document around 1185. In 1324, the pastors from Weyhe and Leeste were mentioned. Around 1525/27, the Reformation took place in the County of Hoya. Little is known about the old angular church; it was demolished in 1777.

After that, a classical brick hall church was built from 1777 to 1783, which was consecrated on May 30, 1783. The church consists of:

Nave, today with a mansard roof hipped to the east, with the sacristy with a lean-to roof, the long walls each with five sash windows with segmental arches, the round-arched entrances in the central axis and the round-arched ceiling. Gallery running around since 1852, the eastern part was removed in 1950. Stocky square west tower from as early as 1700, after a major storm it had to be partially renewed. Monastery bricks were used in the lower third of the tower. 1852 slate roofing of the spire, today with a copper-plated spire with a four-sided base and octagonal tip, topped with a sphere and weathercock. Tower clock from 1911 by Eduard Korfhage & Söhne with three clock dormers. Three church bells.

The sacristy was severely damaged in the Second World War and rebuilt with British help. An old rectory with a community room from 1814 and 1957 were sold, as was the rectory and community center III from 1982. A youth center from 1854 and the old school and sacristan's house were demolished.

Classical pulpit altar from the construction period. Last Supper painting below the pulpit basket. Cylindrical baptismal font. Altar cross from 1998 by Norbert Labenz. Memorial or grave cross for P. Georg Ludolf Mestwerdt (in office 1820–1845).

The new organ with eleven stops, two manuals and a pedal was built in 1871 by Philipp Furtwängler & Söhne and extensively renovated and expanded by three stops in 1956 by Alfred Führer.

The Evangelical St. Mary's Parish Leeste has been served by the combined parish office Weyhe-Leeste since 2005. The parish has a prayer group, trombone choir, church choir, handicraft group, self-help group, senior citizens' group, mother-child group, women's group, and the Morgenland daycare center. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Furtwängler organ, the parish organized a concert series starting in July 2022.