Phaneroo Ministries church in Uganda led by Pastor Grace Lubega Matovu recently broke the world record by making the longest applause of 3 hours 16 minutes 1 sec, in an attempt organized to send the message to the world that regardless of the struggle and difficulties, we must have room for gratitude and thanksgiving.
According to Guinness World Records, the congregation made headlines when they were celebrating their ninth anniversary in a unique way. They gathered 926 faith folks at UMA Multipurpose hall in Kampala for an event dubbed 'Clap for Jesus'.
The event took place July 30, aimed to break the previous record of 2 hours 5 minutes which was set in 2019 by Clark Stevens and The Festival of Awesomeness (UK).
Guinness World Records also mentioned that they managed to achieve this feat while maintaining an average sound level of 88.5 decibels (dB), well above the required minimum of 80 (dB) for the entire duration.
To ensure the record attempt is valid, every participant in the room had to clap continuously. Those who stopped were promptly removed by the stewards. While bathroom breaks were not allowed, faithful folks in need of water were assisted by stewards who held bottles for them to sip from while they continued clapping.
The achievement was not only witnessed by those present in the hall but also live streamed for a wider audience who joined the clapping to show their support.
Grace Lubega, the leader of Phaneroo Ministries expressed that the event aimed to bring people together in a spirit of thanksgiving and celebration, especially during the challenging times.
The pastor emphasized that their primary gratitude was directed towards Jesus, their lord and savior.
The record for the longest applause was originally set in 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 on 30 July 1991.
In 2002, the record was broken when German band Grabowsky were applauded for 1 hour 30 minutes after their performance. The band returned to play an encore of two songs after the applause finished.
