Located in Anaheim, California, River Church is a Pentecostal church member of the Assemblies of God that primarily serves the surrounding is a Pentecostal assembly that primarily serves the surrounding Latino community. The church is housed in a spacious, 3,000-seat venue featuring a 360-degree stage, which was once a theater for live performances and events. Leading the congregation is Pastor Dante Gebel, a renowned Argentine writer, pastor and talk show host. In addition to hosting a vibrant live crowd every Sunday, the church maintains a vast online audience with up to 50,000 devices connected during live services and more than a million views each week following the service.
For several years, River Church relied on front projection technology for their display needs during services. The systems had become outdated, prompting the church to explore new options. “When one projector fails, others that are the same age are likely to follow,” said River Church Executive Pastor Daniel Darling. “Ours were from different manufacturers and it was impossible to maintain color consistency across them. We needed to find something better.”
The church conducted demos of various projectors but was not convinced any of them could meet their needs. Their search eventually led to Planar. “Planar’s website caught our attention because it’s so well done-we could tell that it was a professional, well-established company,” Darling said. “We looked at the products and knew this was what we wanted.”
At the end of Sunday services in late March, the projectors were taken down and by Friday, Planar technicians had a new solution in place. Supported by a truss system and suspended above the church’s stage is a four-sided cube installation featuring four 13-foot-wide by 8-foot-high (8x5) Planar® CarbonLight™ CLI VX Series LED video walls with 2.6mm pixel pitches (CLI VX 2.6).
Live Engagement and Online Appeal
The new Planar LED video walls-mounted prominently over the 360-degree stage-create an engaging environment throughout the venue. According to Darling, the new setup immediately impressed the congregation. “Once the service started and we began using the video walls, the atmosphere was really enhanced. The image quality is so natural and vibrant.”
And consistent. “The colors are perfect and they all match across each screen,” Darling said. “The video walls are bright but not disturbing. In terms of production, it gives us peace of mind-we don’t have to worry about a display going out.”
During services, River Church utilizes the new LED video walls to display a variety of content, from live camera feeds of Pastor Dante Gebel and the audience to videos showcasing their missionary work around the world, which include projects in Uganda, India and throughout Latin America. “It’s important to spread the word and it’s also important for our congregation to know how their donations are being spent,” Darling said.
The upgrade has enhanced the in-person worship experience while promising to boost the church’s appeal with online worshipers. “The video walls are amazing,” Darling said. “The quality is exceptional, and it makes a real.
A graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology, Doug has been in the Technology industry since 1976 and actively oversees Fearing’s daily operations. Along with his wife, Lois, and three others, Doug started Fearing’s in a 600 square-foot facility in Portage, Wisconsin. In the 25 years since, the company has grown to over 30 employees with offices in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Doug likes to say he’s a “TV Technician with a dream� going back to his history with the family’s original business-Fearing’s TV and Appliance.
Doug values time with family, watersports, hiking, snowshoeing and skiing. In addition to being a devoted member of his church, Doug serves as Board President for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County, Board member of Schools for Haiti and Scripture Chair of the Gideons-Portage camp.
A graduate of MATC, Lois oversees Fearing’s daily book keeping along with various HR responsibilities.
Along with Doug, Lois is deeply connected to community outreach, serving as a Board member and Fundraising Committee Chairperson for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County. She also serves on the Schools for Haiti Fundraising committee. In addition, Lois’ ongoing passion and commitment to provide care for the elderly comes from her 10-year history of working in a Reedsburg, Wisconsin Nursing home.
Lois enjoys singing, hiking, sunny days on the pontoon, and spending time with her 4 grandchildren.
Ehren drives Fearing’s technology by continually seeking out trends to enhance capabilities while supporting Sales, Engineering and Installation teams. Throughout his years with Fearing’s, Ehren’s talent and vision have joined forces to create a wide variety of projects and strategic solutions that exceed expectation.
Ehren loves music, family time, movies, nature, sustainability efforts and electric vehicles.
With 10 years with Fearing’s and over twice that long in the industry, Ben continues to lead, coordinate, and develop the Commercial AV team.
By consistently delivering an outstanding experience and outcome, Ben contributes to the Fearing’s legacy of long-lasting partnerships that truly make a difference. Whatever the Commercial AV need may be, Ben and team deliver at the highest level.
Ben is an avid fisherman and photographer. He enjoys coaching his sons and other youth.
Chris has been with Fearing’s for 20 years and in the industry for over 2 decades. As a Certified leader in Sales Acceleration and trained in EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating Systems), Chris successfully utilizes his skills to lead the Fearing’s Salesforce. Chris and team are motivated and driven to develop new client partnerships while continuing to reinforce loyal long-term relationships with ongoing Service excellence.
Married for 19 years with 3 children, Chris enjoys skiing, hiking, fishing, boating, hunting, camping and golf. He’s also been actively involved as a Youth Football and Softball coach for his family and others.
