Michael Whittle founded Pulpit AI in 2023 to help pastors of small- to medium-sized churches turn their sermons into devotionals, sermon highlights and newsletters. The company was soon acquired by Subsplash in 2024 and a year later, Subsplash was acquired by Roper Technologies in the summer of 2025 for $800 million in cash.
Michael joined me on CRT to talk about the whirlwind journey of starting a fast-growing company only to be acquired in a year, and then acquired a year later. His is a great story of a person who did not grow up in a Christian home but became a believer at 14 yrs old after a friend invited him to a youth group activity. He’s an autodidact who started several companies and even a church. His mission with his company is a bit like his ministry. He wants to help pastors spread the good news. As a pastor himself, he built Pulpit AI based on his needs. As luck would have it, before he even had a product, he had 1,000 pastors signing up on a waiting list.
In our interview, Michael talks a lot about the business of Pulpit AI and how he is trying to help local pastors engage with their 100 to 250 congregants.
The fact that Subsplash was purchased for $800 million says a lot about the growing business of faith. That may sound blasphemous but it is indicative of a curiosity and hunger for truth and meaning in a world that needs moral clarity. It is also indicative of a world that’s shifted online, and the need for tools to reach people on their phones.
It used to be that society spent more time in person with family and the church than with friends. Today, that’s all changed. Around 30% of adults go to church, and of those, they spend less than 1% of their week at church. The average American now spends just over six hours of quality time together each week. But people between 16-64 yrs spend 45 hours a week online, or 27% of their time.
These trends are driving demand for companies like Pulpit AI, now Subsplash. But our interview goes beyond business (as my conversations always do). Given Michael’s unique ability to market his firm, I don’t doubt he has the gift to effectively communicate the Gospel. To that end, I asked him why the church isn’t better known as a solution for those with mental health needs.
I’m not degrading the seriousness of the cross, but the healing benefits of God is worth advocating for, especially in a world where mental illness is only getting worse. That means, behavioral health service technology like telepsychiatry - a market estimated to be just under $200B market - may not be working. Most likely because these therapists tap into the same secular playbook that hasn’t worked. My point is do what we can to get people in the door, and let God do the work. (Most of this topic is touched on later in the interview around 50 minutes in.)
Regardless, God is at work. Michael said he’s seeing churches get filled with Generation Z searching for meaning. “The last 5-6 years has radically done something to them,” he said. “The Holy Spirit is doing something. What secularism has done to our culture - everything we’ve been through the last 15 yrs… now there’s a hunger that’s happening.” All of this has created fertile ground for young adults to seek God.
You can follow Michael on X here: https://x.com/michaelwhittle
Or learn more about Pulpi AI here: https://www.pulpitai.com
Interview coverage:
:44 - The founding of Pulpit AI and becoming a Christian at 13-14, and planting a church in 2015.
3:43 - The difference between Pulpit AI and Subsplash and companies such as Hallow.com and Pray.com.
5:55 - Pulpit.ai’s focus on churches with sub-200 congregants.
6:34 - Michael’s background in media helped initial marketing as 1k pastors direct messaged him after one tweet.
8:30 - Michael’s experience as a pastor helped him build the tool he wanted, and as I turns out other pastors too.
11:00 - The first iteration came from converting audio files sent to Michael.
12:43 - Subsplash, which has a client base of mega churches, reached out to Michael after the startup came out of beta.
17:34 - Why oper Technologies bought Supsplash for $800 million in cash.
19:49 - The mission and measure of success.
21:22 - How to measure the success of church clients?
23:50 - How is the software helping the churches grow?
26:44 - Competing against dominant players, Abide, Hallow and Glorify.
29:00 – Personal story and Christian journey.
30:42 - Growing up occasionally going to a Methodist church.
33:48 - Being an autodidact and advice about the value of going to college.
39:43 - The impact of AI on the evolution of the service.
41:25 - The church client vs the secular business client.
42:20 - What does it mean to be human?
46:30 - Can technology be conscious?
49:00 – The mental health crisis and the role of the church.
53:00 - The Christian revival underway as churches are filled with GenZ hungry for meaning.
