Lifeway Research: U.S. Protestant pastors are preaching longer sermons

A study by Lifeway Research indicates that Protestant pastors in the United States are increasingly delivering longer sermons, a trend that appears to be met with approval from congregants.

According to the data, the percentage of pastors whose typical sermons last under 40 minutes has decreased from 85% in 2019 to 80%. Notably, the proportion of pastors preaching for an hour or more has tripled, rising from 2% to 6% over the same period. Despite the prevalence of short-form video content in modern culture, the research suggests that churchgoers do not necessarily share the desire for brevity; the number of congregants wanting longer sermons rose from 13% to 17% since 2019.

Most Protestant sermons currently fall within the 30 to 40-minute range, which accounts for 28% of responses. Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, noted that while much digital media consumed by Americans is under a minute, the majority of churchgoers prefer sermons lasting at least half an hour.