What Is a Pulpit? Meaning, History, and Types
Ask ten people to describe a pulpit and you'll get ten different pictures. A towering carved box with a staircase. A plain oak stand on a small stage. A sheet of glass with a cross etched in the front. They're all pulpits, and here's why.
The quick answer
A pulpit is the raised, often enclosed stand in a church from which the sermon is preached. It's usually the largest and most prominent piece of furniture at the front of the sanctuary. Some people call it a preaching stand or a preacher stand, and they mean the same thing.
Where the word comes from
"Pulpit" comes from the Latin pulpitum, which meant a platform or a stage. In ancient Rome, the pulpitum was the part of the theater where the actors stood. The church borrowed the word for the raised place a preacher stood to be seen and heard.
Say it out loud and it really does sound like "pool pit," which is why so many people search for it that way. If that's you, welcome, you're in the right place. It's spelled pulpit.
The word has also taken on a life of its own. "The pulpit" can mean preaching itself, or a pastor's role ("pulpit supply" is a guest preacher filling in). And Theodore Roosevelt famously called the presidency a "bully pulpit," meaning a terrific platform to be heard from.
A short history of the pulpit
Early churches read and preached from the ambo, a raised platform in the nave. During the Middle Ages, the pulpit took over the preaching role in Western churches, often built high on a pillar partway down the nave and reached by a narrow stair, so the preacher could be heard over a crowd with no microphone in sight. Many had a canopy overhead, called a sounding board or tester, to throw the voice out toward the congregation.
After the Reformation, preaching moved to the center of worship in many Protestant churches, and so did the pulpit. In some churches it stood right in the middle of the front wall, above the communion table. Eighteenth-century English churches even had "three-decker" pulpits: a clerk's desk at the bottom, a reading desk in the middle, and the pulpit at the top.
Today's pulpits are much lower and simpler, because microphones do the work that height and sounding boards used to. But the idea is the same: a dignified place for the Word to be preached.
Pulpit vs. lectern vs. ambo
A pulpit is for the sermon. A lectern is a reading stand, used in many churches for Scripture readings and announcements. An ambo is the Catholic term for the fixed stand where the readings are proclaimed. In many liturgical churches, the pulpit and lectern stand on opposite sides of the chancel. Read more in what is an ambo and what is a lectern.
The main types of pulpits today
- Single pulpits: one compact section, the most common style.
- Wing pulpits: a tall center section with a lower wing on each side, for a wide, grounded look.
- Pedestal pulpits: the reading surface sits on a central column or open base, so the preacher is more visible.
- Wood and acrylic pulpits: solid oak framing with clear or smoked acrylic panels.
- Glass pulpits: architectural glass on a wood base, often with an etched logo or cross.
- Cross pulpits: the whole front is shaped like a cross.
Here's one of each, so you can see the difference.
1. NO 401 Single Pulpit: single
A traditional single pulpit in solid red oak, with an optional cross on the front. Simple, sturdy, and sized for most platforms. Built to order in about 14 weeks. From $1,800.
2. NO 400W Wing Pulpit: wing
The same traditional look with a lower wing on each side and an adjustable reading surface in the tall center section. Built to order in about 14 weeks. From $2,395.
3. 8401 Square Column Pedestal Pulpit: pedestal
Square fluted columns and dentil molding on a stepped base. The open pedestal keeps the preacher in view. Available in white with a stained top and base. Built to order in about 14 weeks. From $2,395.
4. 701 Proclaimer: wood and acrylic
Solid red oak top and base with a clear or smoked acrylic front, and an optional etched symbol or logo. Built to order in about 14 weeks. From $1,745.
5. Foundation Glass Pulpit: glass
Our most popular glass pulpit, with your church's logo etched into the front at no charge. Made to order in 4 to 6 weeks. From $3,395.
6. A-2 Cross Pulpit: cross
The whole front is cut in the shape of a cross, with a second beveled cross in relief, so the congregation sees the symbol first and the furniture second. Built to order in about 14 weeks. From $2,500.
Ready to choose? Our church pulpit buyer's guide covers sizes, materials, and what to ask before you buy, and best modern pulpits covers the contemporary end of the range.
Start with the pulpit, then build the set
Pick a pulpit and a stain, then add the communion table, chairs, and the rest from the same family. The more pieces you add, the bigger the discount.
Rather talk it through? Call us at 800-421-9678.
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