Lectern for Grosse pointe memorial church

Grosse Pointe, MI

Completed: 2026

Design & Fabricated by: Argonaut Studio

“We wish to see Jesus…” -John 12:21, the Bible verse Pastor Jeff of Grosse Pointe Memorial asked to have etched on the Lectern where he could see it. He had seen an etching on a piece during his trip to Scotland and the symbols had inspired him. The verse he said because he wanted to be reminded that his parishioners were not there for him or his personality, though he is a lovely man, but because they were there… to see Jesus.

This piece was a labor of love. I myself am a christian and it’s not everyday God is your client. On top of that Grosse Pointe Memorial is a 161 year old parish, the craftsmanship and woodworking inside of the church is historic. Built by masters long past. So a bit of pressure to get this one right. They requested a “not too big” lectern on wheels for their outdoor chapel. So weather resistant. I aimed for weather proof. They also wanted it to feel like it belonged to this church, I had a pretty good idea of what they were asking for.

This lectern borrows motifs from the churches facade, the vaulted archways and buttressing common in gothic style architecture. The darkened oak that fills the churches interiors. The Celtic cross that hangs above on of the churches inner chapels. And of course a touch of art deco, which Detroit is famous for.

To achieve the weather proofing needed for an outdoor piece I went with white oak, used over the centuries for its weather resistance. To get such a dark color out of the oak I implemented an ammonia fuming process that reacts with the woods tannins to naturally darken it. Thats right, no stain was used. For the Cross stainless steel and brass along with all of the hardware. And for the finish an exterior window and door clear coat.

The end result is a lectern that I’m sure will last this perish another century or two.