The Modern Pulpit: When Leading Becomes About Status

Not long ago, I read something from Sienna Krieg: "We must be scrutinizing the words behind every church sermon."

That sent my thoughts somewhere unexpected, to pulpits. Not the sermons themselves, but the actual wooden structures churches build for their leaders to stand behind. For most of my life, something about them bugged me, and I couldn't put my finger on why. It took getting older, collecting a few hard lessons along the way, and sitting with some uncomfortable realizations before it finally made sense.

Here's what I've come to notice: pulpits, over time, have shifted into something they were never designed to be. What started as a purely practical fix (a sturdy stand for scrolls and heavy early Bibles) has become a kind of divider between the person speaking and the people listening. And if I'm honest, I think that divide is only going to grow.

A Trophy Called the Pulpit

A pulpit is treated like a trophy now, not in every case, and I’m not claiming that either, but there absolutely is an ego boost that can come from standing behind a pulpit. It’s similar to a promotion in the military that comes with a new pin or patch, or how doctors collect abbreviations behind their names. 

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with advancement, leadership, or being in the spotlight. That’s not my issue with pulpits. The issue I have with them is the part of us, our flesh, that craves status, recognition, and the feeling of being above others. “Pulpit Pride” is what I learned this is dubbed.

I’ve seen far too many pulpit pounders puffed up with pride, treating the pulpit as if it were a hand-delivered gift from God meant to elevate their rank. The pulpit becomes a symbol of status instead of a place of service to God.

The Slow Drift From Purpose

Originally, something sturdy was needed simply to hold the Scriptures. Scrolls were large, heavy, and needed to be rolled out safely, and early printed Bibles weren’t much better because they didn’t have the thin paper we have now. So a pulpit made sense; it was practical and functional. 

But it was never meant to be a throne. 

As with anything that can become an idol and be plagued with pride, that has happened with pulpits; their basic and logical function has been changed. It’s become a source of pride, power and prestige, a place where status is assumed rather than earned. This doesn’t just happen at large churches or “mega” churches, either; it can and does happen in any size of church. I’ve watched this play out with my own eyes over the years.

I’ve had the privilege of attending churches of every size, ones with only a handful of people to thousands in attendance. I’ve seen large ones where the pastors purposely had clear pulpits made for holding their Bibles and notes while they walk around and preach, and I’ve seen smaller churches with huge wooden pulpits and the pastor standing behind it, pounding their fist on it in anger at their congregation for not giving enough money in the last quarter. I’ve seen it all.

That brings me back to Sienna Krieg's words: we absolutely should be “scrutinizing the words behind every church sermon.” And that means the person from whom those words are coming, not just the words themselves. She was calling for awareness, and so am I, because getting behind a pulpit has become a pride-filled idol in a lot of churches.

What They Need From Us

That’s why our prayers matter so much. Not just for the message, but for the person standing behind that pulpit. If we want pulpits to be places of humility rather than hierarchy, then our pastors and church leaders need to be supported and prayed for every day without fail.

I can honestly say that I would not want to be a pastor of a church these days. I have looked into seminary school and theology programs a few times. I have been told that people would come to any church I talked at just to hear my weirdness and thoughts in person, but I do not envy pastors or any church leader trying to teach Scripture, the real, truthful Scripture, in this current era. 

I can see why the pull of flesh can be so strong with earning a pulpit to stand behind. I know myself well enough to know not to ever put myself into that position. Everyone has something, a something that is their fleshly glitch, that is their biggest battle. Mine is pride. God has had to crash me out so many times for me to finally see it, and I’m glad He did; I needed it. 

Now I am doing this; I am in the background, and hopefully a supporting piece of the Body of Christ. I love it here. I am happy here in my role, and I do not for a moment think the life of a pastor is easy. As much as we need to keep them accountable, we also need to be there praying for them, supporting them, thinking a little extra for them. 

They are carrying a burden we do not understand, and as a person who has had the chance to become a pastor but listened to discernment and was self-aware enough to realize that's not a good mix for me, I can say confidently that we don’t understand their burden.

Just as they serve us in the ways we need, we must serve them in the ways they need. We are all one gigantic Body of Christ; let’s start praying for our local church leaders, and I don't care if they are not your “denomination”; that’s not for us to determine how God will use a person. We’ve built entire walls between each other over denominational lines, as if God only works through the ones that look like us or believe exactly like we do. I think we will be mightily surprised, all who are in heaven, on that great and wonderful day.

© 2026 Jane Isley.

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