Renkus-Heinz Improves Speech Intelligibility at St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church
With its soaring domes and ornate Byzantine architecture, St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church is visually breathtaking — but the sanctuary’s design created acoustical challenges that made speech difficult to understand during worship.
The church, facing growing complaints from parishioners — particularly older members — partnered with integration firm Spinnaker to resolve the issue. After acoustic modeling and testing multiple manufacturers, the team selected a solution from Renkus-Heinz.
“The congregation was vocal about the issue,” said Fenicia Redman, vice president of project development at Spinnaker. “We knew we had to find a solution that provided pristine intelligibility while maintaining the church’s sacred atmosphere.”
The final installation featured a single Renkus-Heinz Iconyx Gen5 IC24-RN column array, discreetly positioned at the front of the sanctuary. Using the company’s OmniBeam beam-steering technology, Spinnaker directed sound precisely to the seating areas, avoiding reflections that had previously muddied the liturgy.
“We needed a solution that would blend seamlessly with the church’s visual aesthetics,” Redman said. “The IC24-RN was the perfect fit.”
The system is powered by a Yamaha MTX5D processor and TF Rack, with an iPad interface that allows church staff to easily manage settings.
The installation required special care to avoid damaging the church’s 24-karat gold leaf-adorned interior. “Our team took meticulous precautions, and in the end, everything went smoothly,” Redman said.
Instead of competing with the church’s natural acoustics, the new system complements them. “The Renkus-Heinz system allowed us to reinforce speech while still allowing the beauty of the choral music to shine through,” Redman added.
Since the system went live in May, the church has received positive feedback from parishioners of all ages. “One of the most touching moments came when a senior member of the congregation turned to her grandson and said, ‘I can finally hear Fr. Christ,’” Redman said. “That’s why we do what we do.”
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