Church in Uganda sets new Guinness World Records with longest time spent clapping

A renowned church in Uganda, East Africa, has set a new dimension in Guinness World Records.

Phanero Ministries entered the Guinness World Records after organising the longest-world applause.

Nearly one thousand Christians, MMI gathered, clapped consistently for three hours, making a debut in the record book.

The event, dubbed “Clap for Jesus”, attracted close to one thousand faithful at the UMA Multipurpose Hall in Uganda’s capital city, Kampala,

The church, local media reports say,” is known for its lively, high-spirited assemblies, and this record attempt was no different.”

The congregation clapped for a total of 3 hours and 16 minutes, maintaining an average sound level of 88.5 dB.

For the attempt to be valid, going by the rules, they had to remain above 80 dB for the entire duration.

Clark Stevens and The Festival of Awesomeness (UK) set the previous record in 2019 with a time of 2 hours and 5 minutes.

How it happened

Every participant MMI gathered was required to clap continuously throughout – if someone stopped, they were removed from the group by a steward.

Bathroom breaks were also not permitted.

However, if a participant became thirsty, a steward would assist them by holding a bottle of water to their mouth, which they could sip while continuing to clap.

The record attempt was live-streamed and viewed by many people across Uganda, who clapped along to show support.

“In a time where many are struggling as a result of various life events, I wanted to bring people to a place of thanksgiving and celebration,” Grace Lubega, the church official, said, adding, “We sought to send a message to the world that regardless of the struggles and difficulties, we must have room for gratitude and thanksgiving.

The primary goal of the event, according to the church’s leadership, is “Our primary gratitude to our Lord and Saviour Jesus in whom we believe.”

It should be recalled that the record for the longest applause was originally set on July 30, 1991, when Spanish opera singer Plácido Domingo was applauded for 1 hour, 20 minutes – through 101 curtain calls – after a performance of Otello at the Vienna Staatsoper.

In 2002, the record was broken when the German band Grabowsky was applauded for 1 hour and 30 minutes after their performance.

The band returned to play an encore of two songs after the applause finished