Pulpit Supply
A guest preacher who fills in when a church's regular pastor is away — sick, on vacation, on sabbatical, or gone — and the arrangement by which churches find one.
What they actually mean
“"A substitute preacher for Sunday."”
Heard in the wild
“We need pulpit supply for the two weeks the pastor's on sabbatical.”
“He does pulpit supply all over the county since he retired.”
The Lighter Side
Sounds like an office-supply company. It's a substitute teacher for Sunday. They will preach their best sermon, because they only have one shot and everyone's grading.
The longer version
What it means
When a pastor can't preach — vacation, illness, sabbatical, a conference, a resignation — the church needs someone in the pulpit on Sunday, and that someone is pulpit supply. The supply preacher arrives, leads the service (or just preaches, if the elders handle the rest), and leaves; a church might use them once or for weeks in a row. They're drawn from a pool every region has: retired pastors, seminary students and professors, chaplains, associate pastors from other churches, and licensed lay preachers. Payment is an honorarium — a modest set amount — plus travel.
For churches between pastors, supply can stretch into months, at which point they usually appoint an interim pastor with broader duties.
Why people say it
Churches gather every Sunday and expect a sermon, and pastors are human; supply preaching is how the two facts get reconciled. It's also a ministry in its own right: retired pastors keep preaching, students get experience, and small churches that can't afford a full-time pastor are served by a rotation of supply preachers for years. Some preachers make it a calling — the itinerant tradition is as old as Paul.
How to respond
If your church has a guest preacher, that's pulpit supply; give them the same attention you'd give your pastor, and thank them at the door — they drove in for this. If you're a pastor needing supply, ask nearby churches, your denomination, a seminary, or a matching service; give the preacher the order of service and the passage in advance. If you're a preacher who'd like to do supply, let your denomination and local churches know, or list yourself; small churches are always looking.
If you hear it in different churches
Presbyterian, Reformed, Lutheran, Methodist, and Baptist churches use "pulpit supply" and organize it through denominations and presbyteries; Methodists also say "supply pastor" for lay preachers serving small charges. Anglicans have "locum" priests and licensed lay readers. Catholics arrange a visiting priest through the diocese — a "supply priest" in some countries — because Mass needs one. Non-denominational churches usually have an associate or elder preach instead. Black churches have a rich guest-preacher tradition.
Where does “Pulpit Supply” come from?
Paul was invited to speak in the synagogue at Antioch — "if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak" (Acts 13:15) — the first recorded pulpit supply. Itinerant and visiting preachers filled pulpits throughout church history; the Methodist circuit rider served many churches by rotation. "Supply" in the sense of filling a vacant pulpit is Puritan and Presbyterian English from the 1600s; "stated supply" appears in Presbyterian polity by the 1700s. Denominational supply lists and, more recently, online matching services formalized what was always a phone-tree operation.
Good to know
"Supply" is old Protestant usage for filling a vacancy ("supplying the pulpit"). A supply preacher does one Sunday or a few; a "stated supply" (Presbyterian) preaches regularly without being installed; an "interim pastor" serves for months during a search. Supply preachers are often retired pastors, seminary students, professors, or nearby clergy, and are paid an honorarium plus mileage. Finding one is a real logistical task — hence services that match churches and preachers.
You might also hear
Sermon
Church Life & ServicesThe talk the pastor or priest gives in a service, usually explaining and applying a Bible passage. "Homily" is the Catholic and Orthodox term and tends to be shorter; "message" is the modern evangelical one.
“"The preacher's talk. Length varies by tradition; the Baptist one is longer."”
Pastor
Church Life & ServicesThe person who leads a church. The title depends on the tradition: Catholics, Orthodox, and Anglicans have priests; most Protestants have pastors or ministers; "Reverend" is a formal title for any of them.
“"The person in charge of the church. What you call them tells you what kind of church it is."”
Love Offering
Church Life & ServicesA special collection, given freely and beyond regular giving, for a specific person or cause — a guest speaker, a family in crisis, a missionary passing through.
“"A special pass-the-plate for one person or need. Give what you want."”
Go deeper on the network
Common questions
What is pulpit supply?+
A guest preacher who fills in for a church's pastor on Sundays when the pastor is away, and the arrangement for finding one. The preacher is usually paid an honorarium plus travel.
Who does pulpit supply?+
Retired pastors, seminary students and professors, chaplains, other churches' associate pastors, and licensed lay preachers.
How do churches find a supply preacher?+
Through their denomination or presbytery, nearby churches, a seminary, or a matching service for churches and preachers.
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Written by Rev. Christopher D.F. Warrington, Ordained Minister, M.Div. · Updated September 2026
This entry was compiled with AI assistance and has not yet been reviewed by an ordained pastor.