Purpose of pulpit/ambo

I am in a church history class and was wondering why we have a pulpit/ambo in our church.

Your question addresses Christian freedom. While God specified the furnishings his Old Testament people were to use in their corporate worship life, he has left us with no such instructions. That means churches have freedom in the management of their worship space.

Historically and traditionally, Christian churches have found meaningful purpose in pulpits. As the altar points to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and his holy Supper, the pulpit focuses attention on the word of God. The altar and pulpit highlight the gospel in word and sacrament.

If churches do not wish to have both a pulpit and a lectern, they can opt for an ambo. That decision also rests in Christian freedom.

One of our hymns nicely describes the significance of the furnishings in our worship spaces: “Here stands the font before our eyes, Telling how God did receive us. Th’ altar recalls Christ’s sacrifice And what the sacrament gives us. Here sound the Scriptures that proclaim Christ yesterday, today, the same, And evermore, our Redeemer.” (Christian Worship 529:4)