PERRYSBURG, Ohio -- Comfort doesn't take a back seat at CedarCreek Church in Toledo, Ohio, where the 1,400 chairs have 4-inch padding and cupholders. Laurie Wuerfel likes it that way.

"Who wants to sit in church if you're uncomfortable," Wuerfel told The Associated Press. "I grew up in a Catholic church, and I hated sitting on those benches."

CedarCreek teaching pastor Steve Korn said worshippers should comfortable when visiting the non-denominational Christian church.

"For many first-timers, the only way they make contact with the church is on their behinds," Korn said. "If they're comfortable, like the service and the building, they'll probably come back."

Mike Wedel is president of Garnett Church Furnishings, which has been making pews since 1879 in Garnett, Kan. Wedel said pews have been getting wider and more comfortable in recent years.

"I don't know if it's because rumps have gotten bigger or because of the demand for more comfort," he said.

Theater-style seats are popular in large, new Christian churches, said Les Lundberg, worship sales manager for Irwin Seating Co. Some denominations, though -- such as the Roman Catholic church -- still prefer traditional pews, Lundberg said.

Irwin Seating entered the church seating market last year.

"We expect we'll double our business in the next five years," Lundberg said. The Grand Rapids, Mich., company works on up to 15 church projects a month.

Sauder Manufacturing in northwest Ohio, which claims it's the nation's largest maker of church pews, said its sales have increased during the last two years. Most of their pews now have padding, according to the AP.