Tipper from the blog Blind Pig & The Acorn gives us a little church-related lesson you won’t pick up in Sunday school.

I’ve wanted to do this post since December 2010 when mourners bench showed up on the Appalachian Vocabulary Test for that month. I was surprised most folks weren’t familiar with the term. So see if you know these church terms which are common in Appalachia.

1. Mourners bench-bench or seat placed at the altar of a church and used for calling out to God in need; symbolic for altar. “Let’s all gather round the mourners bench and have a word of prayer for the coming revival.”
2. Churched-to expel or discipline a church member for violating the tenants of the church covenant. “Well he surely knew once he ran off with Deacon Holcomb’s wife they’d both be churched.”