How long did the sermon or speech last? (TIME IN MINUTES) (National Congregations Study 2006-2007)
Each question was asked of a key informant from the congregation, such as a minister, priest, rabbi, or other staff person or leader.
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[Results weighted by W1] |
Related Topics
Demographic Patterns
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Length of Sermon (Demographic Patterns)
Length of Sermon by Year Founded
| Before 1900 | 1900-1950 | 1951-1999 | 2000 or Later | Missing | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Minutes or Less | 56.1% 201 | 32.4% 126 | 28.9% 165 | 18.2% 18 | 32 | 36.0% 510 |
| 21 - 45 Minutes | 43.3% 155 | 63.8% 248 | 59.5% 340 | 49.5% 49 | 47 | 55.9% 792 |
| More than 45 Minutes | 0.6% 2 | 3.9% 15 | 11.6% 66 | 32.3% 32 | 10 | 8.1% 115 |
| MISSING | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 358 | 100.0% 389 | 100.0% 571 | 100.0% 99 | 89 | 1417 |
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Length of Sermon by Adult Members
| 25 or Less | 26-50 | 51-100 | 101-200 | More than 200 | Missing | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Minutes or Less | 51.2% 103 | 31.2% 117 | 26.7% 100 | 33.1% 96 | 48.1% 125 | 1 | 36.0% 541 |
| 21 - 45 Minutes | 41.3% 83 | 56.0% 210 | 66.9% 251 | 60.0% 174 | 45.8% 119 | 4 | 55.8% 837 |
| More than 45 Minutes | 7.5% 15 | 12.8% 48 | 6.4% 24 | 6.9% 20 | 6.2% 16 | 1 | 8.2% 123 |
| MISSING | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 201 | 100.0% 375 | 100.0% 375 | 100.0% 290 | 100.0% 260 | 6 | 1501 |
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Length of Sermon by Political Ideology
| More on the conservative side | Right in the middle | More on the liberal side | Missing | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Minutes or Less | 26.2% 215 | 47.6% 233 | 72.1% 80 | 14 | 37.1% 528 |
| 21 - 45 Minutes | 66.7% 548 | 44.2% 216 | 25.2% 28 | 48 | 55.7% 792 |
| More than 45 Minutes | 7.2% 59 | 8.2% 40 | 2.7% 3 | 21 | 7.2% 102 |
| MISSING | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 822 | 100.0% 489 | 100.0% 111 | 83 | 1422 |
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Length of Sermon by Region of the Country
| New England or Mid-Atlantic | East North Central or West North Central | South Atlantic, East South Central, or West South Central | Mountain or Pacific | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Minutes or Less | 64.1% 127 | 35.2% 136 | 26.1% 187 | 45.1% 93 | 36.1% 543 |
| 21 - 45 Minutes | 27.8% 55 | 56.2% 217 | 64.5% 462 | 51.0% 105 | 55.7% 839 |
| More than 45 Minutes | 8.1% 16 | 8.5% 33 | 9.4% 67 | 3.9% 8 | 8.2% 124 |
| MISSING | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 198 | 100.0% 386 | 100.0% 716 | 100.0% 206 | 1506 |
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Length of Sermon by Religious Tradition
| Roman Catholic | White conservative, evangelical, or fundamentalist | Black Protestant | White liberal or moderate | Non-Christian | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Minutes or Less | 95.0% 76 | 19.3% 142 | 21.5% 76 | 74.0% 211 | 76.0% 38 | 36.1% 543 |
| 21 - 45 Minutes | 3.8% 3 | 73.0% 538 | 61.6% 218 | 25.3% 72 | 16.0% 8 | 55.7% 839 |
| More than 45 Minutes | 1.3% 1 | 7.7% 57 | 16.9% 60 | 0.7% 2 | 8.0% 4 | 8.2% 124 |
| MISSING | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 80 | 100.0% 737 | 100.0% 354 | 100.0% 285 | 100.0% 50 | 1506 |
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Length of Sermon by Theology
| More on the conservative side | Right in the middle | More on the liberal side | Missing | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Minutes or Less | 28.1% 257 | 44.1% 188 | 75.0% 90 | 8 | 36.6% 535 |
| 21 - 45 Minutes | 64.0% 585 | 47.4% 202 | 24.2% 29 | 23 | 55.9% 816 |
| More than 45 Minutes | 7.9% 72 | 8.5% 36 | 0.8% 1 | 15 | 7.5% 109 |
| MISSING | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 914 | 100.0% 426 | 100.0% 120 | 46 | 1460 |
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Length of Sermon by Year
| 1998 | 2006 | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Minutes or Less | 40.9% 492 | 36.0% 542 | 38.2% 1034 |
| 21 - 45 Minutes | 51.8% 624 | 55.7% 839 | 54.0% 1463 |
| More than 45 Minutes | 7.3% 88 | 8.2% 124 | 7.8% 212 |
| MISSING | 30 | 1 | 31 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 1204 | 100.0% 1505 | 2709 |
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Notes
The National Congregations Study (NCS) dataset "fills a void in the sociological study of congregations by providing, for the first time, data that can be used to draw a nationally aggregate picture of congregations" (Chaves et al. 1999, p.460). Thanks to innovations in sampling techniques, the NCS data is the first nationally representative sample of American congregations. In 2006-07, a panel component was added to the NCS. In addition to the new cross-section of congregations generated in conjunction with the 2006 General Social Survey (GSS), a stratified random sample was drawn from congregations who participated in the 1998 NCS. The 2006-07 NCS sample, then, includes a subset of cases that were also interviewed in 1998. A full codebook, prepared by the primary investigator, is available for download here. The codebook contains the original questionnaire, as well as detailed information on survey methodology, weights, coding, and more.
