Pulpit

Definition and Meaning

The Korean term gangdan (講壇) literally means "a platform for lecturing." In the church it refers to the area at the front of the sanctuary that is raised above the congregational seating. In Korean churches the term may denote this entire platform or the preaching stand placed on it, known as the gangdaesang (講臺床). A synonymous term is seolgyodan, "preaching platform." The word is also used figuratively for the church's preaching ministry itself, as in the expression "the pulpit must be set right." Inviting a pastor from another church to preach, or exchanging preaching duties between churches, is called a "pulpit exchange."

Biblical and Historical Background

Nehemiah 8:4 records that Ezra stood upon "a pulpit of wood" to read the law before the people. This verse is frequently cited in explanations of the pulpit.

The early and medieval church sometimes had a raised platform, the ambo, for reading Scripture or preaching. The center of worship, however, was the altar at which the Eucharist was celebrated. After the Reformation, the Reformed churches emphasized the proclamation of the Word, and the pulpit was increasingly placed at the center of the sanctuary. Lutheran and Anglican churches generally retained an arrangement with the altar at the center and the pulpit to one side.

Practice in Korean Churches

Most Korean Protestant churches place the preaching stand at the center of the platform and hang a cross on the wall behind it. A Communion table is often placed below or in front of the platform. The sermon and the benediction are usually given from the platform by the pastor. The representative prayer and the Scripture reading, often led by elders or other lay leaders, are given either from the platform or from a separate place below it, depending on the church. Some churches regard the platform as a set-apart place and observe the custom that no one other than those leading worship goes up onto it.

Arrangements differ by denomination.

• Many denominations, including Presbyterian, Methodist, and Holiness churches, place the preaching stand at the front center, reflecting a Word-centered arrangement.
• The Anglican Church of Korea and the Lutheran Church in Korea often place the altar, at which the Eucharist is prepared, at the center, with a pulpit and a lectern for Scripture reading on either side.
• Some Baptist churches have installed a baptistery, a pool for baptism by immersion, behind or beside the platform.
• In Pentecostal churches and in churches that hold contemporary worship services, a worship team may lead singing from the platform, and a movable lectern may be used instead of a fixed preaching stand.

The question of who may stand in the pulpit is closely tied to each denomination's polity. For example, the extent to which women may stand in the pulpit as preachers varies among denominations depending on whether they permit the ordination of women.