For We Are His Workmanship, Created in Christ Jesus to do Good Works. Eph 2:10
The Spurgeon Pulpit (Replica)
For a long time, I have wanted to build a pulpit for my church. Years ago, our previous Pastor had a beautiful wooden pulpit hand-crafted just for him in the shape of three wooden crosses. When he retired and left the area, it was gifted it to another local church. It was my inspiration for wanting to do something like this. Since then, our current Pastor has used several different pulpit styles, never quite finding that perfect one for him. At 6'-7", I guess that's not hard to understand. Earlier this year, I was prompted by something he said in reference to that old, three wooden cross pulpit, and I asked him if he would like one similar to that one. "No" he said. "I would love to have a Charles Spurgeon replica pulpit." I knew who Spurgeon was. I knew he was a famous 19th century Baptist Preacher from England, I just didn't know there was anything special about the pulpit that he preached from. I suppose most church members give little thought to the style of pulpit that the preacher stands behind to deliver the message, but to the Pastor - it's pretty important.
The Spurgeon Pulpit replica handcrafted by Johnna McKinnon (2023)
Shortly after our initial conversation, I met the Pastor in his office where we discussed some of details of the project - basic dimensions, wood-types, etc. He admitted later that he was a little nervous at what it might look like when I finished. (Yeah, I get that all the time.) Nevertheless, on April 16th of this year, I delivered the finished product to the church, and he and his wife were there to meet me. I think I can say they were pretty happy with it. Check out the rest of the project photos below. You can also check out Pastor David's article on The Spurgeon Pulpit at FBC Orange Park where he details the significance of Charles H. Spurgeon, "the Prince of Preachers" and the famous pulpit he preached from.
The Original Charles H. Spurgeon Pulpit (circa. ~1854) located at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London.
Photo credit: Tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com
The Spurgeon Pulpit Project
For most of my projects I begin with a hand sketch that details the basic concept and lays out the dimensions. While there are a lot of sophisticated software programs available to do much of that, and I do use one from time to time, most of the time I prefer just a hand sketch that becomes a working document, where I can easily mark it up with changes, add notes and if needed, rip it up and start over! .
Key Characteristics:
Overall Dimensions: 46"tall x 48"wide x 24"deep
Wood Species: Dark Walnut, Curly Maple, Hard Maple
Detachable Microphone and Shock Mount
Stainless steel ball casters (mounted under feet)
Wooden crosses
Spurgeon Quote
The Main Desk and Topper
The Upper and Lower Legs
Turning the Spindle and Assembling the Legs to the Upper Desk
Adding the Finishing Touches - The Cross of Christ, The Clock, The Tech and the Quote
If you are interested in commissioning a pulpit project for your personal collection or Church, please contact me for pricing and delivery information by completing the contact form below.