Experience Church launches AI assistant Theo for church questions

ExperienceChurch.tv has launched Theo, a 24/7 AI assistant on its website to answer questions about beliefs, ministries and first-time visits, while routing sensitive pastoral issues to a human. The church says the tool is meant to speed up basic answers without replacing staff or pastoral care.

Why it matters: - Theo could cut down the friction people face when trying to get basic church information after hours. - The system is designed to separate routine questions from situations that need a pastor, which matters for safety, trust and response time. - The launch reflects a broader shift in how faith organizations are using AI for front-door communication.

What happened: - ExperienceChurch.tv launched Theo, an AI assistant on its website that is available around the clock. - The assistant answers questions about the church, its beliefs and its ministries as soon as someone asks. - The church says Theo is live now at ExperienceChurch.tv. - Visitors do not need an app or an account to use the tool. - Users click the chat button and start asking questions.

The details: - Theo covers service times, locations and what first-time guests can expect. - Theo answers questions about kids ministry, including ages, check-in and pickup procedures, background checks and safety practices. - Theo also covers youth, young adults, women's ministry, men's ministry and Legacy 60. - The assistant can explain what the church believes, including its Statement of Biblical Convictions. - Theo draws on Pastor Dennis Cummins's book, "Going Deeper," for deeper theological questions. - Theo can answer questions about serving on the Dream Team and worship team auditions. - Theo handles giving questions, including stock, property and legacy gifts. - Theo also includes information about Hearts for Nepal, the church's nonprofit work. - On doctrinal questions, Theo cites Scripture references so users can see the basis for an answer. - The assistant is built to distinguish between essential beliefs and held positions. - Theo states the church's stance on held positions without implying that people who disagree are outside the faith. - Theo supports voice conversation, so visitors can speak to it and hear answers aloud. - The church expects the voice feature to help older members and people who find typing difficult. - Theo introduces itself as a chatbot and says it is not a person if asked.

Between the lines: - Senior Pastor Dennis Cummins said the goal is supplementation, not replacement, of human interaction. - Cummins said people should not have to call an office and wait through multiple transfers for simple questions. - The church drew clear lines before building the system. - Questions involving grief, a death in the family, marriage trouble, illness or personal crisis are routed straight to a pastor. - Questions touching on suicide or self-harm trigger an immediate handoff to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, the church office number and an urgent prompt to reach a real person. - Theo is built to decline rather than guess when a question falls outside its knowledge base. - Cummins compared the tool to Tesla's self-driving feature, saying it is not perfect but is faster and more consistent than phone routing.

What's next: - The church will rely on Theo as a first stop for routine questions while staff handle conversations that need pastoral care. - Theo's performance will likely be judged by whether it reduces wait times and improves access without blurring the line between AI and human support. - ExperienceChurch.tv may expand or refine the knowledge base as new needs come up.

The bottom line: - ExperienceChurch.tv is using AI as a front door, not a substitute for pastors, and has built guardrails to send sensitive situations to humans fast.