[Magdalen] Central Aisle?

[Charles Wohlers]

Sounds to me just as likely that the design came first and the explanation 
later.

Chad Wohlers
Woodbury, VT USA
chadwohl at satucket.com



-----Original Message----- 
From: Jo Craddock
Sent: Friday, August 07, 2015 10:10 AM
To: magdalen at herberthouse.org
Subject: Re: [Magdalen] Central Aisle?

This recalled an explanation to me, made so long ago that I don't fully
recall by whom or where, but must have been sometime after we moved from
New Orleans where there were no American Baptist churches in the area so
attended an SBC church with it's double aisles, center pulpit with choir
behind the preacher, back north and hence to an ABC church with the
center aisle, pulpit/lectern on either side and center facing choir
stalls much like the Episcopal Church I attend today -- only with the
baptistry in place of the altar. <grin>

My recollection is that, asking about the two different styles, I was
told that the ABC church had the center aisle to signify there was no
impediment to one's direct and complete relationship with God; the SBC
church had the double aisles, wrapping around the pulpit on the way to
the baptistry (jumping over the congregation-facing choir, I guess!), to
signify that one needs to learn the Word of God in order to have a right
relationship with God.

Is there any element of fact in this explanation as I remember it?

Peace,
Jo

On 08/06/2015 10:26 AM, Cantor03--- via Magdalen wrote:
> <snip>
>   In any case the older pictures show no central church nave aisle, but
> the later pictures show a central aisle.  I confirmed this with the 
> church.
> They did carve a central aisle during refurbishing a few years ago.
>   My mother spearheaded such a change in my home town Methodist
> church back in the 1950's.
>   The byline is always that it makes it better for the bride's  entrance.