No center aisle in Protestant Churches?

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boppysbud:
Also another reason for narrower center aisles in those that have them is that at Catholic funerals the coffin is placed there, end-to-end. I every Protestant funeral the coffin is placed at the front of the auditorium sideways like an altar.
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Yes that’s right, as a matter of fact, in some protestant churches, if you’ll notice there is a door leading to the outside on one or both sides of the chapel directly in line with the alter. This is what we (kids being kids that is) referred to as the “Coffin Door” as this was it’s only use.

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I have been in the following churches with center aisles:
Catholic
Methodist
Lutheran
Southern Baptist
Episcopalean
Presbyterian
Mormon

I have also been in the following churches that did not have center aisles:
Catholic
Methodist
Southern Baptist
Episcopalean

It appears that the designs are up to the architect and the congregation (or bishop) or building committee. The designs I have seen are all over the board for all denominations.
 
I wasn’t being a wise-guy, I was being serious! What is the point of this thread, if all Catholic Church’s don’t have centre aisles? Like I said, I don’t get it!!
 
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Atreyu:
I wasn’t being a wise-guy, I was being serious! What is the point of this thread, if all Catholic Church’s don’t have centre aisles? Like I said, I don’t get it!!
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The point of the thread was this. Alot of the Protestant churches that I have been in don’t have center aisles (especially the new mega Churches along with some of the older ones). Also, I believe that some of the Catholic Churches in colonial times like in Baltimore ( I can’t remember which one) was intentially built with no center aisle so to fit in more with the Protestant churches since Catholics weren’t very popular in this country at that time. So in order for you to get it I was just expressing an observation to see if it is an intentional design feature to show a deliberate difference between our separated brethren and us. After reading some of the posts I guess it is not. God Bless all here.
 
I have no comment about the center aisle disabilities of prod churches,however,i do prefer wiseacre to wiseguy!in christian unity,celt
 
Jo's_Dad:
Yes that’s right, as a matter of fact, in some protestant churches, if you’ll notice there is a door leading to the outside on one or both sides of the chapel directly in line with the alter. This is what we (kids being kids that is) referred to as the “Coffin Door” as this was it’s only use…
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You may have thought that you were just “kids being kids”, but that–coffin door–is the actual name of that side door! The local Baptist church still has theirs here, though it isn’t used any more. (It’s the emergency exit, though).
My Methodist church does not have a center aisle. The seats are in an arc, so there is no pew that is way in back. (Some brides really don’t like this; others prefer it–they go in the right aisle & out the left).
This has nothing to do with trying to be different from the Catholic churches. It just has a closer, less formal feel. We are going to be remodeling soon, & a lot of people want the center aisle back. Who knows???
 
J.R.:
I’ve noticed for sometime now but can someone tell me has Protestant churches always not had a center aisles and is the reason to show their indifference toward the Catholic Church?
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As I was walking down the center aisle of my home church (UMC) yesterday, I thought that the carpet was looking quite good. 👍
 
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Ric:
As I was walking down the center aisle of my home church (UMC) yesterday, I thought that the carpet was looking quite good. 👍
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Hey Ric, did you read post #24? I’m not trying to insult anyone. 👍
 
An interesting note, is why is there a center aisle? In listening to the Jeff Cavins Bible study, when an oath was entered into each family would stand on a side of the offering, and then walk between the offering to enter into the covenant.

Similar to a wedding today, how the bride’s and groom’s family sit on each side, and the couple walks down the aisle.

It seems very Sacramental, because the Protestants have few sacraments, their place of worship reflects that.
 
J.R.:
I’ve noticed for sometime now but can someone tell me has Protestant churches always not had a center aisles and is the reason to show their indifference toward the Catholic Church?
.
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Probably
 
J.R.:
Hey Ric, did you read post #24? I’m not trying to insult anyone. 👍
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No problem! I did not take it as an insult! I was just being sarcastic. 😉 👍

Actually I’ve never even thought about that topic before, or even noticed what churches have or have not center aisles. 😛

I guess it’s just best to blame it all on the architectors! :eek: 👍 :cool:

BTW, our church’s carpet is quite lovely! 😉
 
J.R.:
I’ve noticed for sometime now but can someone tell me has Protestant churches always not had a center aisles and is the reason to show their indifference toward the Catholic Church?
.
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Center Isle… ummm Just the place you saw.

Most protestant churches do not care what goes on in a Catholic church. The term PROTESTant really doesn’t apply anymore. If you ask them, they would not use that term to describe themselves.
 
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ruzz:
Center Isle… ummm Just the place you saw.

Most protestant churches do not care what goes on in a Catholic church.
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More’s the pity.
 
ive seen a center isle in a luthern, baptist,2 assemblys of God, and non-denominational. only a nazarene had the kind with a circle of pews all around the podium
 
Our local Free Methodist church has a center aisle. The United Methodist church where I was married had 2 aisles and 3 sets of pews - brides entered through the door to the left aisle (facing the front) and bride and groom exited out the door at the right aisle. I’ve also attended 4 Catholic churches in this area - 2 had center aisles, 2 did not (one of these had 3 pew sections like the United Methodist church, and the other didn’t have pews at all, just chairs). From my experience, at least, the presence or absence of a center aisle seems a matter of architectural design rather than any particular symbolism.
 
Unfortunetly, I have to agree that it is now a some church (Catholic included) are more architectural design, and have lost their symbolic layouts. However, I hear more and more that symbolic tradition coming back.
 
All jokes asside there IS an important point to be made with this question.

Protestant churches do not focus on an altar where the sacrifice of Our Lord Himself is presented. Nor do they focus on a tabernacle which contains Jesus Himself in sacramental form. Moreover as time has progressed they have more and more turned the church into a theatre where the minister performs and does his routine.
The tragedy is that too many Catholic Churches have copied this trend.
Our churches originally were modelled on the Jewish temple with an idea of expressing the majesty of God with the altar replacing the Holy of Holies. Protestant theology rejects this concept and hence their architecture rejects it too.
We must make sure that our Catholic Churches do reflect what we believe about God.
 
this sounds like a question that can potentially maintain seperation amongst fellow christians. it is merely a distraction from the Truth, the Light and the Way.
 
I just remembered that the Roman Catholic church where I was married had no center aisle. :o
 
J.R.:
I’ve noticed for sometime now but can someone tell me has Protestant churches always not had a center aisles and is the reason to show their indifference toward the Catholic Church?
.
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Not all Catholic Churches have them.​

Protestants do just on occasion think about other things than how they loathe and hate and puke on the CC 🙂 - some Catholics seem to think that everyone in the universe does nothing but think about the CC. It ain’t so. 😃 Most people have more important things to do. ##
 
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