We recently came across a statistic stating that nine out of ten churches today, when faced with the decision to place pews or chairs in their new worship settings, choose chairs. While we can’t guarantee the accuracy of that statistic, we can certainly believe it. Based on our experience, it is accurate. These are the top three reasons we hear from churches today for choosing chairs over pews for their new facility. If you are building or considering building as well, these will be of interest to you.

• PRICE: Is there any surprise that this is the number one reason churches choose chairs over pews? Church chairs can be built with a wooden frame just like church pews. When that’s the case, then the price difference between benches and chairs isn’t huge. However, when church chairs have metal frames, which the vast majority do today, then the reality is that a church can buy two or three metal frame chairs for every one wood frame chair or pew. equivalent. When a seating budget can be cut by more than half, it’s easy to understand why churches overwhelmingly choose church chairs over church pews.

• FLEXIBILITY: Many churches today are no longer able or willing to build dedicated worship spaces. Instead, they prefer to build multi-use spaces that can be used for worship and other activities. Spending unnecessary dollars on “bricks and mortar” is increasingly viewed by the next few generations as wasteful and reckless. Using church chairs for seating in a multipurpose space allows for easy reconfiguration. Chairs can be placed in rows, in circles, around tables, etc. Church pews, of course, are installed once and then are very static and an impediment to a variety of activities in that very space.

• Atmosphere: Your decision regarding church chairs or church pews will also greatly affect the atmosphere of your worship environment. Obviously, church pews will carry with them a bit more traditional feeling. Church chairs, on the other hand, will in most cases provide a slightly more contemporary feel. But perhaps most tellingly, church chairs can help make a room feel “full,” which can add to a sense of excitement. For example, a church might buy 400 new chairs for its new worship area, but only install 250 chairs because that’s all it really needs right now. Strategically spaced, the room can feel almost crowded, though it will accommodate another 150 chairs when needed. As the church grows, you can continue to add chairs to your setup while still enjoying the excitement of a full room.