Whether you are building a new church or renovating an old church, pews can be a considerable decision and expense. There are a wide variety of church pew styles to choose from, so selecting a style that will work best for your congregation can be a big decision.
Factors you will need to consider include space. How many pews and what length pews will
work best for the space? Do you want permanent pews or movable pews? You also need to consider comfort and design. Do you want basic wood pews, upholstered pews, or wood pews with cushions? Are you in a congregation that knees during the service and would benefit from kneelers?
Other factors include type of wood and the finish of the wood. There are nearly endless options when it comes to church pew design. You also need to take budget into consideration. New church pews for sale are going to be very costly, but there is another option.
You can get refurbished church pews for sale through companies that specialize in the removal, repair, refinishing, restoration and re-upholstering, to delivery and re-installation of church pews. These companies can be used to find and provide the exact style and design you are looking for. They can deliver and install the new pews as well.
If you are remodeling a church, these companies can also be called in for the removal of the old pews. Again, this will save time and resources that can be used towards the new churchpews and other church furniture. Of course, it’s undeniable that remodeling a historic church in particular can be a difficult task — everything from the church steeples to the pews are valuable due to their age alone. They also hold a lot of sentimental value. Let’s look into the history of church architecture, and how you can compromise — honoring a church’s history while keeping it around for years to come.
The History Of Church Architecture: The Early Years
The history of the church is old and storied — churches have long been a part of not only our religious lives, but our cultural lives in general. Of course, Christianity hasn’t always been as popular as it is now. While Christianity is not the dominant religion in America and many other western countries, for the first three centuries of the Early Christian Church Christianity was outlawed, and therefore few churches were constructed. Christians often worshipped at home. Therefore, when churches became a regular part of Christianity, they quickly became iconic symbols of religion. However, it was a while before the things that we associate heavily with churches — church steeples, pews, and details like stained glass windows — became a part of their regular architecture. For example, pews were not introduced to churches until the 13th century, with removable stone benches placed against stone walls.
Church History Marches On: The Advent Of Protestant Churches
Early Christianity was almost singularly Catholic, with Protestants gaining traction in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Protestants had — and still have — a very different perspective on religion from Catholics, and their churches reflect that. While Catholics worship commonly in large cathedrals, even today often based off of Gothic architecture, Protestants worship in simpler, yet still beautiful churches. As the sermon became a central part of church for Protestants in particular, pews became more important. Church steeples also became iconic parts of Protestant churches, never having been a part of major cathedrals. For many, church steeples are beacons, making a small church look much grander, and signaling the church’s presence from far away — a detail that would have been especially important in an era before in-car GPS.
Remodeling Churches Today: Saving The Old, Bringing In The New
Remodeling any historic building is difficult, but churches are even more so because they hold spiritual and personal importance for parishioners. They won’t appreciate the churches they love looking completely different. But at the same time, you have to keep a church stable. Therefore, if you want your church remodeled while retaining its Old World charm, you should get in touch with professionals.
