Mississippi Pastor Preaches for 96 Hours, Sets Unofficial Record

A pastor from Mississippi has reportedly set an unofficial world record by preaching for 96 consecutive hours, as announced by his church.

The Rev. Matt Olson, senior pastor at First Baptist Church of Sharon, shared with Fox News Digital that his marathon sermon spanned four days, covering everything from Genesis to Revelation. He adhered to the guidelines set by Guinness World Records, taking five-minute breaks every hour and longer breaks for essentials like showers or quick naps.

This remarkable achievement, first reported by Protestia, beats the previous personal marathon speaking record held by Ananta Ram KC from Nepal, who spoke for 90 hours and 2 minutes.

Olson reflected on the experience, saying it deepened his understanding of the Bible’s power. He stated, “God’s word is true…that’s enough. It sustained me for 96 hours even though I physically shouldn’t have done it for so long… No one should be able to do that.”

His inspiration came after completing a demanding 10-day missionary training program, which simulated a hostage scenario in the woods without access to a Bible. This experience made him realize how much of the Bible he hadn’t mastered, prompting him to undertake such an ambitious preaching endeavor.

When Olson first presented his idea to church leaders, they found it a bit outlandish but fully supported him. The congregation rallied behind the initiative, organizing rotating medical teams to monitor his health and technical staff to film the event, along with a 24-hour prayer team.

During the marathon, the sermon was live-streamed, and recorded videos of the event are available on the church’s website.

Although the church closely followed the Guinness World Records guidelines, they opted not to pursue formal verification. Olson expressed concerns about potentially using the Bible as a promotional tool. He mentioned that the hefty $16,500 fee required to hire an official judge for the non-commercial category did not seem like a good investment, especially for a church-focused initiative.

“We are called to be good stewards of what God has given us,” Olson said, emphasizing that even if a significant donation were offered, he would prioritize using it for missionary work instead.

He further clarified that this effort was never about breaking records, but rather about faithfully preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the message of salvation.

Ultimately, Olson wants to keep his focus on Jesus, stating simply, “Jesus is Lord. He is worthy of every word I preached, every sacrifice offered, and every step of obedience taken since then.”