Fascinating little piece of research looking at attitudes towards preaching commissioned by The College of Preachers and carried out by Durham University’s Codec research centre
Nearly 100% of churchgoers “look forward” to sermons but only 17% think preaching changes the way they live, according to a survey.
Researchers at Durham University found 60% of churchgoers felt sermons gave them a sense of God’s love.
Evangelical Christians looked forward most to sermons, with Roman Catholics wanting to be educated, Baptists converted and Anglicans entertained.
But different dominations disagreed on the ideal length of a sermon.
Many Anglicans wanted a sermon to last less than 10 minutes – although up to 20 minutes was fine if there was no “waffle” – while Baptists were happy to sit through at least 75 minutes. Catholics wanted their homilies to be completed within 10 minutes.
Baptists and Catholics were more enthusiastic about the Bible being mentioned in sermons than Anglicans and Methodists.
Members of new, independent evangelical churches wanted sermons to be challenging and encouraging.
‘Counter-intuitive’
The College of Preachers, which commissioned the survey – carried out by Durham University’s Codec research centre – to mark its 50th anniversary, said it was “surprised” by the findings.
I found these comments particularly revealing further on in the article:-
…..Sermons seem to encourage Christian reflection, but not Christian action.
[....]
16.8% of people felt sermons did not actually change the way they lived
I know that this just sounds like negative whinging, but I’m not surprised by these comments as I believe that the standard of preaching in the UK is generally poor and I often find myself thinking that the preacher has nothing to say and is saying it too loud. I liked the Rev. Stephen Gaukroger’s comments at last years Keswick Convention when he said (quite boldly in my opinion) that the church lacks good preachers.
Charles Spurgeon was called the ‘Prince of Preachers’ and Martyn Lloyd-Jones ‘The last of the great preachers’. Considering that Lloyd-Jones died in 1981, what does this say for us today?
I know all of that was negative, but I’m sure you must have heard some of the absolutely crap preaching as I have, and sound preaching seems to be the exception rather than the rule.
Here’s what Paul had to say to Timothy on this issue:-
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
I have personally known several ‘preachers’ who would watch the God TV channel on the Sunday morning to get their inspiration and ideas for the forthcoming sermon, I kid you not.
I might be wrong…..hope so.