Reformation Church Pulpit Scroll

November 11th, 2024
by Jerry Dorris

Each time it’s announced that someone has signed the Reformation Church Pulpit Scroll we get a question in the comments or via direct message asking us to explain the tradition.

Two years into the formation of our church, we had been on the hunt for a better pulpit when my wife and I came across an old oak podium in a Louisville flea market on February 20th, 2019. We were told that it had been used as an auctioneer’s lectern. With some modification it seemed like it would serve us well. Members of our church caught the vision, modified it, stripped it, stained it ebony, and spelled out “SOLI DEO GLORIA” in wood letters across the front.

Along with the hope of a new pulpit was a desire to create a tradition of honoring our church’s commitment to expositional preaching and the development of capable exegetes. We wanted a way to celebrate when men rightly handled the word of God before us. A hidden scroll beneath the pulpit was the perfect idea to memorialize these special moments.

At the top of the scroll is written:

“Redeemed from a life of auctioneering and restored for Christian ministry, this pulpit is dedicated to the expositional proclamation of God’s Holy Word on this Sunday, March 17th, 2019, by Reformation Church of Shelbyville, Kentucky. Our esteemed churchmen, Steven Kennedy and Joel Stickler, have labored to bring Pastor Jerry Dorris’ vision to life in this work. On this accompanying scroll, we mark this day and encourage all men hereafter to sign their name, record their text, and write the date of their first expositional sermon preached from this pulpit.”

On that date I had the honor of becoming the initial signer after preaching my first sermon from it. My text was Mark 11:1-11 and I titled the sermon, “Jesus Claims the Throne.” You can listen to it here.

Since that time many men have added their names to the roll. Some are seasoned exegetes with countless hours of preaching under their belt. For some, preaching from our pulpit was their very first sermon before a listening congregation.

The wood pulpit itself may be retired at some point. There is talk of wanting something bigger and more substantial as our congregation grows. Be assured that even if that day comes, the scroll will remain. There’s space for a 100 years’ worth of names.

Soli Deo Gloria!