Within Protestantism, especially, pastors’ weekly sermons are their most high-profile and highly scrutinized work product. Worship services often culminate in the delivery of a presumably original sermon, which can last 45 minutes or more. Some full-time pastors report spending up to 30 hours a week on the task; more common is devoting two full work days to it. For many churchgoers, a sermon is not just a clever speech but proof of the pastor’s deep spiritual life. “It has really hurt the small-church pastor.”Revelations of egregious pulpit plagiarism can rattle churchgoers who believe they are receiving their pastor’s original wisdom.

Source: New York Times July 06, 2021 17:37 UTC