There are a large percentage of Americans living within the United States for whom religion is an important part of their daily life. According to a recent Gallup poll, 40% of the overall population claims to be either religious or very religious. The poll participants also stated that they attended services on a weekly or almost weekly basis, with 68% of Americans indicating that they attended church on occasion.
Given information from 2011, the South was home to eight out of the ten most religious states in the country. Mississippi was placed at the top of the list, with 59% of the state’s population claiming to be “very religious.” While this may have changed slightly since that time, overall, the South continues to be a more religious region than others throughout the country.
Quite a bit has obviously changed since the early days of the church, particularly since the Protestant Reformation. Prior to this, churches didn’t have permanent seating, or pews. In fact, congregations stood or walked around and mingled with other members for more than 1,000 years of church history. This was due to their churches not containing pews. Once sermons became a central aspect of Christian worship services, however, pews became a common and standard item. During the 13th century, the first pews were introduced, and these consisted of stone benches that were set up against a church’s walls.
Pews were actually rented for a time, and this was a common practice in particular with the Church of England. It may not be surprising to learn that pew rentals were considered to be a controversial issue during the 1840s and 1850s. During these decades, a number of Anglo-Catholic parishes were founded as “Free Churches.” Basically, this meant that they didn’t rent pews. Given this, community members could attend church without having to pay to sit down. This obviously created more access for members of the local communities, particularly those without the means to pay.
It was, however, quite common to rent pews to raise income for the church. This practice was prevalent with Anglican, Catholic, and Presbyterian churches up until the early to middle part of the twentieth century. Individuals and/or of families would pay these pew rentals in order to support their church of choice and to ensure that seating was available for family and friends.
Currently, most churches have pews. Some Orthodox groups, however, do not have these or any other type of seating. For those churches that have kneeling prayer, there are often benches in front of the seats to accommodate this practice. While some churches have wooden benches, others have cushioned seating along with hassocks or footrests.
If your congregation is growing, it may be time to purchase additional church pews to provide comfortable seating for your new members. Whether you’re searching for new or second-hand church pews, you want to make sure that these are of the highest quality possible and in good repair. When you have antique church pews in need of repair or restoration, for example, this service can also be provided by a reputable furniture manufacturer.
Does your church conduct baptisms? The size and layout of your church building and grounds will usually determine whether or not you have a permanent or portable baptismal pool. It’s important to note that portable baptismal pools are easy to store until they’re needed for this celebratory event. Since portable baptismal pools are also simple to set up, baptisms can be held throughout the year. Portable baptismal pools are also beneficial when this special event will take place away from church grounds.
When your church needs any of the above repairs or items, it makes sense to have this taken care of by the same furniture business. If your church needs additional items, such as church steeples, steeple crosses, or other types of furnishings, these, too, are available. When you contact a representative, you will be able to learn more about the various products and services that are available for your church and its congregation.
