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If your building committee or renovation team has ever stared at a blank wall behind the altar and asked, “What goes there?”, you are not alone. That space has a name, and what fills it has a name too: the church reredos.
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, a reredos (also called an altar reredos) is an ornamental screen or partition wall rising behind the altar of a church, typically decorated with carvings, panels, or religious imagery. It is one of the most historically significant pieces of sanctuary furniture, and one of the most frequently overlooked during modern church renovations.
Whether you are planning a new build or restoring a historic worship space, understanding what a reredos is, how it fits into your sanctuary furniture plan, and how to commission a custom piece will help you make a more confident decision for your congregation.
Key Takeaways
- A church reredos is a decorative screen or panel positioned behind the altar, serving as a visual focal point in the sanctuary.
- It differs from a retablo in origin, scale, and liturgical function. Both are beautiful, but they are not interchangeable.
- Episcopal, Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican congregations most commonly incorporate a reredos into their sanctuary design.
- A reredos is part of a broader sanctuary furniture system that includes altar, ambo (lectern), celebrant’s chair, acolyte and deacon chairs.
- New Holland Church Furniture has been crafting custom church furniture since 1950, and every piece is made in the USA.
What Exactly Is a Church Reredos?
A church reredos is an architectural woodwork feature positioned directly behind the altar or communion table. It frames the sanctuary, draws the eye forward, and creates a visual anchor for the entire worship space.
Historically, reredoses were carved from stone or wood, featuring intricate panels, niches for statues, and decorative motifs. Today, custom church furniture manufacturers like our team at New Holland Church Furniture craft reredos installations in wood, designed and built to match the architectural style of each individual sanctuary.
A reredos is not simply decorative. It communicates the theology and tradition of your congregation through its form, proportion, and finish.
What Is the Difference Between a Retablo and a Reredos?
A retablo is a Spanish or Latin-American equivalent of a reredos, most commonly found in Catholic and Hispanic Christian traditions. It is typically a painted or carved multi-tiered panel depicting saints, sacred scenes, or sculptures. Retablos are often more personal in nature.
A reredos, on the other hand, is an architectural element. It is built directly behind the altar, usually as part of the full sanctuary furniture design.
Here are the key differences between them:
- Scale: Reredoses are large architectural installations; retablos are highly ornate, cultural pieces.
- Origin: The reredos is rooted in medieval European church architecture; the retablo comes from Spanish colonial tradition.
- Function: A reredos anchors the sanctuary visually and liturgically; a retablo is devotional and often personal.
- Placement: A reredos is fixed behind the altar; a retablo structurally begins above the altar on the wall behind it.
You can think of the retablo as artistic and devotional, and the reredos as fundamental and liturgical.
Which Denominations Use a Reredos?
Not every worship space includes a reredos, but several traditions use them prominently and intentionally.
The following denominations most commonly use a reredos as part of their sanctuary furniture:
- Episcopal: A prominent reredos is standard in many Episcopal sanctuaries, often carved with religious figures or geometric panels.
- Roman Catholic: Catholic churches frequently feature elaborately carved or gilded reredos installations behind the high altar.
- Lutheran: Many Lutheran congregations, particularly those with traditional liturgical worship styles, include reredos installations as part of their chancel design.
- Anglican: Anglican churches share close architectural traditions with Episcopal spaces, and reredoses appear in both historic and newly built sanctuaries.
If your congregation worships in one of these traditions, your building committee likely needs to discuss the reredos as part of your broader worship space planning, not as an afterthought.
How Does a Reredos Fit Into a Complete Furniture Plan?
A reredos rarely stands alone. It works as part of a cohesive visual system in your sanctuary.
When planning a sanctuary renovation or new build, your furniture requirements typically include:
- Altar or Communion Table
- Celebrant’s Chair or Clergy Chairs and Side Chairs
- Ambo or Lectern
- Pulpit furniture (for churches that use a pulpit)
- Choir seating
- Baptismal font
- Prie Dieu or Prayer Desk
The reredos frames all of this.
It is the backdrop that visually ties your church furnishings together.
When custom church furniture is designed with consistent wood species, finishes, and design details, the result is a worship space that communicates intention, beauty, and permanence.
At New Holland Church Furniture, we have crafted custom worship furniture systems since 1950.
Every piece is made in the USA, built to your specifications, and coordinated through our full design, delivery, and professional installation process.
What Should You Consider When Commissioning a Custom Reredos?
Commissioning a custom altar reredos is a significant decision. Here are the key factors your building committee should discuss before moving forward:
Wood species and finish
Your reredos should complement the existing woodwork in your sanctuary. Common choices include:
- Oak
- Cherry
- Sapele Mahogany
These choices offer distinct grain patterns, color tones, and durability profiles. A New Holland sales consultant can help you match or refresh your existing church furnishings.
Architectural style
Whether your worship space features colonial styles, Gothic architecture, or a more contemporary aesthetic, your reredos design should reflect that language. Mismatched styles create visual tension rather than reverence.
Scale and proportion
A reredos that is too small disappears. One that is too large overwhelms. Proper worship space planning accounts for ceiling height, altar width, sightlines from the congregation, and the proportions of surrounding chancel furniture.
Installation and project coordination
A custom reredos requires careful installation planning to avoid disrupting worship services. At New Holland Church Furniture, we manage design assistance, delivery, and professional installation as part of every project. Your committee has one reliable point of coordination from concept to completion.
Whether you are renovating a historic Episcopal church in Virginia or building a new Lutheran sanctuary in Minnesota, our team is here to guide the process.
Does New Holland Church Furniture Build Custom Reredos Installations?
Yes, our skilled team from New Holland Church Furniture designs and crafts custom reredos installations as part of a full worship furniture project.
We work with facilities managers, building committees, architects, and liturgical consultants to develop reredos designs that align with your sanctuary’s architectural character, your congregation’s tradition, and your project timeline.
Every project includes:
- Design guidance
- Professional delivery
- Installation coordination
Whether you need a single reredos or a complete furniture package, custom pews, choir seating, altar, ambo, and a lectern, our team at New Holland can manage the full scope.
We have been crafting custom worship furniture since 1950, and that experience is built into every piece we make.
What About Church Pews and Seating in the Same Renovation?
A worship furniture renovation is often the right time to evaluate your church pews and congregation seating as well.
If your current pews are worn, uncomfortable, or no longer suited to your layout, replacing or refinishing them alongside a reredos project creates a unified result.
At New Holland, we offer a full range of custom church seating all built to match your furniture package.
For congregations considering a creative reuse approach, New Holland also evaluates existing pews for refinishing and restoration, turning what you have into something renewed rather than replaced.
Whether you need church furniture in Texas, church seating in the Midwest, or a custom chancel furniture installation on the East Coast, New Holland Church Furniture brings the same craftsmanship and care to every project.
Your Sanctuary Deserves a Reredos Worth Remembering
A church reredos is more than a decorative panel behind the altar.
It is the visual heart of your sanctuary, the backdrop for your congregation’s most sacred moments, and a reflection of your tradition’s theology and aesthetic identity.
Understanding what a reredos is, how it differs from a retablo, and how it fits into a complete worship furniture plan puts your building committee in a much stronger position, whether you are renovating a historic sanctuary or designing a new worship space from the ground up.
At New Holland Church Furniture, a piece of chancel furniture, custom reredos and church seating we produce are built with old-world craftsmanship and backed by full design, delivery, and installation support.
Your congregation deserves a sanctuary that reflects the beauty and intention of your worship. Let’s build it together.
Ready to discuss your church furniture project? Contact a New Holland representative today or request a design consultation to get started.
