Engaging with Theo
Accessible at any hour, Theo handles inquiries about faith, children’s programming, and upcoming visits—and transfers the conversation to a pastor when a real person is required.
“There are conversations a machine has no business having. We drew those lines first, before we built anything else.”— Dennis Cummins, Senior Pastor, ExperienceChurch.tv
ExperienceChurch.tv is rolling out Theo, an AI assistant that operates around the clock on the church’s website. It is built to respond immediately to queries about the church, its doctrines, and its ministries—without requiring a phone call, leaving a voicemail, or waiting for business hours to begin.
The clear goal is straightforward: help individuals locate the information they need more quickly, whether that means a service schedule or a substantial theological inquiry.
NOT INTENDED TO REPLACE PEOPLE
The church is upfront about what Theo is and is not.
“This was never about replacing human interaction,” said Senior Pastor Dennis Cummins. “It’s about supplementing it. Somebody shouldn’t have to call an office and get routed through three people to find out what time we start, or whether their four-year-old is safe in our kids ministry. Those answers should be available the second they want them.”
Theo introduces itself as a chatbot and explicitly states that it is not a human if asked—a deliberate design choice.
Questions that require a person are still directed to one. Any topic involving grief, a death in the household, marital difficulties, illness, or a personal emergency is transferred directly to a pastor rather than handled by the assistant. Conversations that mention suicide or self-harm trigger an immediate handoff: the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, the church office number, and an urgent prompt to contact a real individual.
“There are conversations a machine has no business having,” Cummins said. “We drew those lines first, before we built anything else.”
WHAT THEO CAN ADDRESS
Theo draws from a knowledge base assembled specifically for the church, covering service times, locations, and what to anticipate on a first visit; kids ministry, including age ranges, check-in and pickup procedures, background checks, and safety protocols; youth, young adults, women’s ministry, men’s ministry, and Legacy 60; the church’s beliefs, including its Statement of Biblical Convictions; deeper theological subjects drawn from Pastor Cummins’s book “Going Deeper”; serving on the Dream Team and worship team auditions; giving, including stock, property, and legacy gifts; and Hearts for Nepal, the church’s nonprofit work.
On doctrinal matters, Theo cites Scripture references so people can see the basis of an answer rather than accepting it on authority. It is also designed to differentiate between the church’s essential beliefs and its held positions—presenting the latter as the church’s viewpoint without suggesting that believers who hold a different view are outside the faith.
Theo also supports voice interaction. Visitors can speak to it and hear responses out loud, which the church expects to be especially helpful for older members and anyone who finds typing difficult.
ON ACCURACY
Cummins is honest that the tool is not perfect.
“I liken it to Tesla’s self-driving feature,” he said. “It isn’t perfect. But it’s faster and more consistent at getting somebody a straight answer than making phone calls and being routed around until you find the right person. And when it doesn’t know something, it says so instead of guessing.”
Theo is built to decline rather than improvise. If a question falls outside what it has been given, it admits it does not know and directs the user to the office.
AVAILABLE NOW
Theo is live at ExperienceChurch.tv. No app download is needed, and no account creation is required—visitors click the chat button and begin asking questions.
ABOUT EXPERIENCECHURCH.TV
ExperienceChurch.tv is a non-denominational church founded in 1991, with locations in South Hill, Puyallup, Washington, and Surprise, Arizona. Its mission is to connect people to Christ, equip them for success, and empower them for leadership. Dennis Cummins serves as Senior Pastor.
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Dariel Cummins
ExperienceChurch.tv
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