Michael Whittle started in ministry at 14 and eventually helped plant a church while launching tech companies on the side.
That mix of ministry and entrepreneurship eventually led to something unexpected: the birth of Pulpit AI.
From Broken Startups to a Viral Idea
Michael tells me Pulpit AI wasn’t part of some master plan.
“We were trying to build the Barstool Sports of Christianity. Fun, but not a great business model.”
At the time, he and his team were serving a younger church in LA, pastoring mostly people under 30. It became clear that the digital content shaping their lives wasn’t coming from the church.
“We couldn’t compete with what people were seeing online every day. So we thought—what if we could help pastors repurpose their sermons to reach people throughout the week?”
That idea led to a test. Michael uploaded an MP3 sermon and told an obscure AI tool, “Turn this into a devotional.” It worked.
“I knew right then—hundreds of pastors would use this.”
They bought the domain, built a quick landing page, and shared it on Twitter. Overnight, it went viral. Not all in a good way.
“People thought we were building a tool to write sermons for pastors. They weren’t happy.”
But the waitlist exploded.
AI Isn’t a Trend
I ask Michael how pastors should think about AI.
“It’s not like crypto or NFTs. This is more like the mobile phone or the industrial revolution. AI will change every industry—including the church.”
He points to productivity, education, and cultural shifts.
“Kids are already being tutored by AI. Some schools are seeing scores jump by 4–6%. This is bigger than social media. We can’t pretend it’s going away.”
Michael’s not trying to scare pastors into using tech. But he does want them to face reality.
“Trillions of dollars are being spent to advance this. We have to decide how we’ll pastor people through it.”
Practical Use, Not Pastoral Replacement
I ask where AI fits in a church context.
“Productivity, admin, content repurposing—those are great uses. But AI should save time, not replace real ministry.”
He gives examples:
- Reading lease agreements.
- Drafting church communications.
- Creating sermon summaries or group guides.
- Scheduling volunteers.
What shouldn’t be outsourced?
“Pastoral texts. Prayer. Relationship. Those can’t be faked.”
He tells me about a church where the staff juggled multiple roles. AI helped the small group director save time, so she could meet people for coffee.
That’s what matters.
Why AI Can’t Handle First Impressions
I bring up a real concern: churches using AI bots to follow up with new guests.
Michael doesn’t hesitate.
“If I found out I was texting a bot and not a pastor, all trust is gone. I’m not going back.”
“The culture is asking for more human connection, not less.”
I agree. It’s why we coach churches to send personal video messages.
“Say their name. Make it short. Make it real. That’s what moves people.”
Use AI to Amplify, Not Replace
Michael says Pulpit AI only works when pastors upload their own content.
“We’re not creating from scratch. We amplify the voice of the pastor.”
From there, the tool can create:
- Small group guides.
- Devotionals.
- Kids content.
- Social media posts.
- Clips from sermons.
“What matters is reflecting the sermon accurately, not chasing views.”
He tells me many churches are spread thin. Staff wear multiple hats. AI won’t fix that, but it can help them prioritize people.
“Didn’t you get into ministry to minister to people?”
Final Thoughts
Michael leaves me with this:
“AI should unlock time for connection, not replace it. Use it to remove friction, not relationship.”
I’ve worked with hundreds of churches—including Vibrant Church with Pastors Michael Scobey and Brandon Hughes, Revelation Frisco with Pastor Ben Sanders, and MVMNT Church with Pastor Jeffrey Nicolette. The ones who grow are the ones who stay personal—even when they scale.
Want to start connecting with new people every week? Let’s map out your follow-up flow—step-by-step.
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