Choosing Seating for Your Church

Choosing Seating for Your Church – Weighing the Advantages of Pews and Chairs

Starting a new church or even updating your existing church is a very exciting time. Whether you are building a new church building, adding on to an existing one or simply remodeling your current sanctuary, you have some important decisions to make. You might be considering pulpits, communion tables and minister’s chairs for the pulpit area, carpet, or maybe even a new baptistery. Perhaps one of the most important furnishings you will choose for your church is sanctuary seating.

There are several options for church seating, but two of the most popular choices are pews and chairs. Both have excellent benefits, but you will need to decide which is better for your church, depending on your church’s unique needs.

Pews have been seen as old-fashioned in many new churches in recent years, but this traditional sanctuary furnishing is making a comeback in the 21^st century. Pews are extremely customizable with a lot of options. You can choose to have padding on your pews or leave them unpadded. There are numerous styles of pew ends, featuring cantilever, traditional, or colonial styles, intricate wood carvings, your choice of colors and stains, cap rails, etc.

If you choose to have your pews upholstered, you can choose your fabric and even your cushion thickness. Customizable fabrics and stains can help you better match your existing church furniture.  Additional accessories, such as communion cup holders and book racks can be added to the pew back. Because pews are often built to suit, more options might be available to your liking.

Church chairs might be customizable as well, depending on the manufacturer. Most manufacturers automatically offer chairs in a selection of certain colors, but might be able to use a custom fabric if requested. Some chairs come with built-in under seat book racks, ganging devices, and card pockets. If there are specific features that you are looking for in a chair, ask the manufacturer if it can be added. Many chair makers and distributors can have card pockets, rear pouches and book racks added during manufacturing.

An important factor to consider when choosing between pews and chairs is whether the sanctuary

space will be used for any events other than regular church services. If so, you should consider whether the type of seating you choose will be appropriate. If your church plans to host concerts or other community events, would chairs or pews be the better choice?

Another factor is the longevity of the furniture. Chairs should come with a manufacturer’s warranty, and pews might have a warranty as well. With pews, the wood can be restored after several years of wear and tear and can also be repadded and have fresh fabric placed on them. While it is possible to reupholster chairs, performing this task to 100+ chairs can be tedious and extremely time consuming.

Once you have decided between the more traditional look of pews and the contemporary look of chairs, it’s time to think about quantity. But to decide on the best quantity for your church, you must look into your state’s code for maximum occupancy. Adhering to these codes will help ensure your congregation’s safety and comfort.

In deciding on a number of pews or chairs, you must also consider your congregation’s comfort. If purchasing pews, how many people can you realistically see sitting in one pew? A common complaint of pews is the unwillingness of strangers to sit in the pews with people they do not know. In some churches, families might “claim” a pew and other members of the congregation will feel that they are not welcome to sit there. This can be an issue if space is limited.

Similarly, when chairs are used in a sanctuary, members of the congregation will often leave a seat or two in between themselves and someone that they do not know. However, when choosing a chair, you can opt for slightly smaller chairs to accommodate more people, but again, you might be sacrificing your congregation’s comfort in doing so.

Another important point to consider is whether the amount of seating you choose offers enough space to account for growth. Growth for churches is always a great thing and a goal, but if there isn’t enough seating for them, or if they are uncomfortable, those potential members might look elsewhere for their church home. This is why considering all of the available options for seating in your church is such an important decision.