Article & Journal Resources

by: Graciella Chairman


Church furniture is available in different styles and shapes and one of the salient points is that you can even get them for a competitive price. There was a time when furniture for a church was simple and had almost no design at all. But today, things have changed and church furnishings like altars, pulpits, podiums, lecterns, Prie Dieu kneelers, communion tables and even confessional screens are available in variety of styles and finishing.

Depending on your requirement and budget, you can look for new as well as used church furniture for decoration of fellowship halls and sanctuaries. You can even work out a fitting theme for the furnishings and add a contemporary, gothic, traditional or medieval touch to it. You can even buy used church furnishings and remodel them according to the requirements of the church. This will help you to save most of the congregation money also.

The question is where can you find church furnishings that will suit your requirement and your budget? There are different styles of church furniture available but the question again is where should you look for them? Some of the old churches have furniture with the traditional look. The traditional furnishings will include cushioned seats, wooden pews, and kneelers. The furnishings in a modern church are quite different though and will consist of individual chairs that make up a row.

The first place to look for church furniture is at a church that is expected to close down. The advantage is that you can get used church furnishings from that church and upgrade their look and feel at a low cost. This is the most cost effective method of purchasing furniture for your church.

The second option is the Internet. If you search for church furniture, then you will find 8,780,000 web pages and most of them are online stores. You can find new as well as used furnishings over the internet. For example: you will find one of the websites selling used 9’ long pews at $80 each and 17’ long pews for $100. Some other websites will sell you an entire package of pews, pulpit, book rack and flower stands.

One of the important pieces of church furniture is the chairs. You can choose from old and new chairs, multiple colors, cushioned or wooden, with or without handle etc. If a church has a larger area of worship then theater-style seating will be most appropriate. There are specific online stores who deal with buying of chairs in bulk or for theater style seating. There are other stores who specialize in pew designs especially for congregations. There are others who will offer you a discount for exchanging your old furniture for new.

If the church doesn’t have a high budget then it can also buy used church furniture from other churches. Most of the churches selling their furniture sell it in bulk. You will be able to find 9’ 6” long pews for $125 each; 10’ long pews with small damages for $75; 14’ 6” long pews for $100 each if you pick in bulk; 12’ 3/8" long pews for $125 each and you will find similar bargains over the internet.

Some of the online companies or manufacturers also offer the option of customizing church furniture. You can make modification in fabrics used, dimension of the chair, altar, pulpit, pews etc, colors and much more. The furniture can also be modified to meet the various requirements of different religious denominations. Some of the online manufacturers provide good discount if you make a purchase online. The items are shipped and the shipping charges vary depending on the dimension, weight and location.

So practically speaking there are various options purchasing church furniture over the internet. You can just browse through multiple companies and get price quotes as well as catalogues and then choose the one that fits your budget and is able to deliver according to your requirement within a specified time frame. Mostly, small churches have a small budget and their requirement is smaller too. So they can purchase used church furnishings at a low cost and then spend a little in upgrading them.

Whether it is a big or a small church, church furniture is a necessity. You can always start with the seating or chairs first and then go on to other furnishings. The truth is that you will be able to find most of the church furnishings over the internet and all this will be available at a competitive price. All you need to do is get started!