SHAWSVILLE, Va. -- The Rev. Norman Ramsey let someone else preach the Palm Sunday message at White Memorial United Methodist Church Sunday -- he needed a break from the pulpit.

According to the Roanoke Times, the 43-year-old Ramsey preached a world record-setting sermon lasting 51 hours and 30 minutes, leading up to the 11 a.m. Palm Sunday service. The feat earned him a place in the Guinness World Records and an undisclosed amount of money for church programs and other religious and charitable organizations.

The previous record, set by a vicar in England, was a sermon in excess of 40 hours.

Guinness rules stipulated the sermon must be on a single topic, although he could repeat segments after four hours. According to the newspaper, Ramsey preached on the Book of Psalms, spending about 15 minutes on each.

Ramsey was permitted a 15-minute break every eight hours and there had to be people in attendance throughout the sermon. People signed up in advance to make sure the entire sermon would be covered.

To raise money, the church took sponsorship pledges from people. The church also sold quarts of Brunswick stew for $5 and recordings of songs the multi-talented Ramsey wrote and performed, according to the newspaper.

Two thirds of the proceeds are to be used for the church's benevolence and building funds, and for the Virginia Conference to support supplemental salaries for pastors in Mozambique. The remaining third will be divided among a local food bank, Free Clinic, Crisis Pregnancy Center and the Franklin Graham Festival, scheduled for May 2-4 in Salem, the newspaper reported.