Any congregation member who has been reading the church council minutes knows what has been important. Although the last few meetings have been spent talking about the nomination of new council members and a monetary gift to the local youth camp, much of the time in the last few meetings have been spent talking about the ordering of churchpews.
Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, and many other churches rely on a certain kind of churchpews for their services. The use of kneelers, for instance, is an important part of the prayer and the confession part of the service. In addition to being an important part of the service, churchpews are also a sense of tradition and ownership in many congregations.
Although they are not specifically labeled, the churchpews in many sanctuaries are often used by the same family week after week, month after month, and year after year.
Church Renovation Projects Require Both Budgets and Patience
One of the more interesting things about any work that needs to be done in a church is the tight schedule that must be followed. With services every Sunday, for instance, it is important to make sure that the main worship services are not interrupted. When needed, some churches have fellowship halls or other spaces that can serve as a worship space, but in many cases the goal of any renovation is to cause the least amount of interruptions.
From the tradition of the church steeple design to the selection of the new style of the portable baptismal pool, there are many kinds of decisions that church council members and pastors have to navigate. Although many churchpews simple affairs made of wood, some have benchlike cushioned seating, as well as hassocks or footrests.
Consider some of these facts and figure about the history and traditional of church architecture and furniture and the role that they play on the service itself:
- After their initial use, many antique church pews are popular in private homes and are used as bench seating in an entryway or dining area.
- Most great churches and cathedrals have a cruciform ground plan.
- 68% of Americans claim that they attend church services at least occasionally, according to Gallup. Many of these attendees rely on the tradition of space and of doctrine.
- Pews are a mainstay in church buildings everywhere, with the exception of some Orthodox groups.
- Although they are common place now, for over 1,000 years of church history worship spaces did not contain pews. Congregations at that time stood and were free to walk around and mingle with other church members.
Church council meetings require attention to many details, but some of the most important are decisions that must be made about updating furniture and parts of the architecture of the building.
