The 8 Best Modern Pulpits for Contemporary Churches
Maybe this sounds familiar: your old pulpit is a giant wooden box, and your pastor feels like they're preaching from behind a wall.
That's a real problem. A heavy pulpit puts a barrier between the preacher and the people. It also looks dated on a stage with LED lights and a worship band, and it shows up as a big brown block on your livestream.
A modern pulpit fixes that. You can see the person, the stage feels open, and the piece still holds a Bible, notes, and a tablet. Here's what to think about first, and then our picks.
Before you shop
Acrylic or glass?
Acrylic is lighter, less expensive, and much easier to move, which matters if you set up in a school or a rented space. It can scratch, so treat it gently and clean it with a soft cloth. Glass is heavier and pricier, but it holds up beautifully to years of use, and an etched logo in glass looks sharp. If your pulpit stays put, glass is worth a look. If it moves every week, go acrylic.
Think about the camera
If you stream your services, a clear front shows the preacher's whole posture, which reads much more personal on screen. Stage lights can bounce off a clear front panel, though. A frosted panel, or a wood top with an acrylic front, softens that glare.
Measure your platform
Some of these are under three feet wide. Some are seven feet with wings. Grab a tape measure before you fall in love with a winged glass pulpit on a ten-foot stage.
Can it grow with you?
A church plant that meets in a cafeteria doesn't need a $7,000 pulpit yet. Start with something light and portable. When you have your own building, move it to the youth room and upgrade the sanctuary.
The 8 best modern pulpits
Okay, let's get into it. Shipping is free on every one.
1. Economy Clear Acrylic Lectern: best for church plants
If you meet in a school gym and set up every Sunday morning, start here. It's slim, clear, and light enough for one volunteer to carry in from the trailer. It goes together with a screwdriver and ships in 1 to 3 business days. From $279.
2. Vail Clear Acrylic Lectern: best clear pulpit under $1,000
A tapered body in clear, non-yellowing acrylic, with a built-in shelf for notes and a water glass. It has more presence on a stage than most clear lecterns at this price, and it also comes in gray if you want a little more weight to it. Some assembly. Ships in 1 to 3 business days. From $755.
3. Curved Wood and Frosted Acrylic Pulpit: best for a dark stage
A curved frosted acrylic panel floats off a black body on six silver standoffs. On a stage with dark drapes and colored lights, it looks great, and the frosted front takes care of glare. Two shelves inside, a slanted top with a book stop, and it ships assembled (you just attach the front panel). Also comes in mahogany. Ships in 1 to 3 business days. From $1,085.
4. Plateau 1-Inch Clear Acrylic Lectern: best "disappearing" look
A full inch of clear acrylic bent into a Z shape. From the pews it nearly vanishes, so all anyone sees is the preacher. The wide base keeps it from wobbling, and it arrives fully assembled. If your pastor likes to move and gesture, this one gets out of the way. Ships in 1 to 3 business days. From $1,330.
5. Wood and Acrylic Pulpit with Cross Panel: best for multi-use rooms
This one comes with two front panels: one plain, and one with a gray cross. Swap them and the same pulpit works for Sunday worship and a Tuesday community meeting in the same room. Light oak sides frame a clear acrylic top that's big enough for a Bible and notes. Assembly takes two people. Ships in 1 to 3 business days. From $1,650.
6. 701 Proclaimer: best blend of traditional and modern
Solid red oak top and base with an acrylic front, so it looks fresh without clashing with the oak pews your grandparents donated. Choose clear or smoked acrylic, add an etched symbol or logo if you like, and pick from fifteen stains (three at no extra charge). Built to order in about 14 weeks and arrives assembled. From $1,745.
7. Neos Compact Glass Pulpit: best glass pulpit for a small church
Designed with the smaller church in mind. It's under three feet wide but has one of our larger working surfaces, and your logo or church name is etched into the front glass at no extra charge. The front panel lifts out. Oak top, sides, and base in ten stains, and the height can be set up to 3 inches taller or shorter. Made to order in 4 to 6 weeks and arrives assembled. From $2,670.
8. Foundation Glass Pulpit: our most popular glass pulpit
A traditional pulpit shape in 3/8 inch architectural glass on a solid oak base. The congregation sees the person, not the furniture. Your logo is etched in the front for free, it can be built up to 3 inches taller or shorter for your pastor at no charge, and casters hide in the base. Want the matching communion table? It comes as a set too. Made to order in 4 to 6 weeks. From $3,395.
See them all in our glass pulpits, wood with acrylic pulpits, and clear acrylic lecterns collections.
When modern isn't the right fit
If your sanctuary has stained glass, carved pews, and a high altar, a clear pulpit can look out of place. That's okay. A traditional wood pulpit belongs there, and our church pulpit buyer's guide covers those. And if you're still deciding whether you need a pulpit or a lectern at all, this one clears it up.
Want help picking? Call us at 800-421-9678. Send us a photo of your stage and we'll tell you what we'd put on it.
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