I have preached in a number of different settings and denominations over the last fourteen years since I preached my first sermon in a rural church in North Carolina. After a few gaffes I learned to ask first thing "How much time do I have?" The different answers are interesting and there is no way to totally categorize them. But this is what I have come to expect for a maximum:
- Episcopalian church - 10 minutes
- Lutheran - 15 minutes
- Presbyterian church - 20 minutes
- Methodist church - 25 minutes
- Nondenominational/Evangelical - 30-35 minutes
- Southern Baptist - 40 minutes
- Pentecostal/Camp meeting - 45 minutes
- Christian conference (depends on the setting)- 50 minutes
Of course those are average estimations and there are some Episcopalian churches I am sure that last longer and there are some camp meetings that only want 25 minutes. But those are my estimations.
I preached in a camp once where I lasted 45 minutes (since they gave me an hour I stretched my sermon with a couple extra stories). I really just thought I should be done no matter how much time they gave me. I had said what I came to say, and I could tell they had received it intellectually and emotionally.
Afterward three people came up to me to make sure no one told me I had to preach briefly "Don't cheat us, now" one person said. Another said, "Next time you take as much time as you need no matter what anyone told you. We came to hear the Word." Oops. Apparently they were looking for more. I had my own predetermined rules for time and was forcing it on them instead of listening to what they were looking for in preaching. So, I went back to my room and reworked my sermons to preach longer passages and add more depth instead of fluff like I did that night. I preached an hour in the morning and an hour at night the rest of the week. It wore me out and I was tired of hearing me talk, but they loved it.
So what is the understood maximum for preaching time in your church?
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5 minutes less than whatever time it took ;-)
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