Protecting the Church: Rigging Done Right

Rigging is often the biggest unrealized liability in churches today. Many worship spaces were built 30–50 years ago and were never designed to support the weight of modern AVL systems like LED walls, line arrays, or motorized lighting. As churches expand their production capabilities, they're placing significant loads on outdated structures—creating serious safety risks.

Too often, churches rely on integrators without verifying their qualifications. If your integrator hasn’t asked for structural drawings, provided a rigging design with weight distribution, or confirmed the use of ETCP-certified riggers and rated hardware, it’s time to reconsider. Many installers focus on selling and hanging gear, not ensuring it's safely supported. Skipping structural engineering or using unrated materials is a risk you don’t want to take.

Rigging must be both designed and installed by ETCP-certified professionals using rated materials and approved methods. Church rigging is uniquely complex because the architecture wasn’t built with today’s technology in mind. Safe rigging starts with asking the right questions—and hiring the right team.