On a typical Sunday morning in a Midwestern megachurch, worshippers unknowingly pass through a sophisticated biometric surveillance system. High-speed cameras capture multiple facial images per second, isolating features such as eyes, noses, and mouths. These images are processed by a local neural network, converting them into digital fingerprints. Before attendees even find their seats, they are matched against an on-premises database containing names, membership tiers, and watch-list flags, securely stored behind the church’s firewall.
Meanwhile, a woman scrolling through her phone on her way home from work is unaware that a complex algorithm has compiled her social profiles, private health records, and local veteran outreach lists. It flags her for past military service, chronic pain, opioid dependence, and high Christian belief, subsequently delivering an ad to her Facebook feed: “Struggling with pain? You’re not alone. Join us this Sunday.”
These scenarios illustrate the real capabilities increasingly integrated into places of worship across the nation, where spiritual care and surveillance converge in ways few congregants realize. This fusion of Big Tech’s rationalist ethos with evangelical spirituality has birthed an infrastructure reshaping the theology of trust and redefining community and pastoral power in modern spiritual life.
The Faith-Tech Ecosystem
At the heart of this faith-tech nexus is Gloo, a spiritual data and analytics firm headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. Gloo captures congregants across thousands of data points, constructing a digital infrastructure that brings churches into the age of algorithmic insight.
Gloo, founded in 2013 by Scott and Theresa Beck, aims to help churches connect, engage, and understand their congregants on a deeper level. Scott Beck, known for his role in expanding Blockbuster and founding Einstein Bros. Bagels, and Theresa Beck, an artist known for eco-minded workshops, have redefined pastoral care through predictive analytics, convincing thousands of churches that spiritual health can be managed like customer engagement.
Gloo functions similarly to Salesforce but is tailored for churches, integrating church-generated insights, psychographic information, and third-party consumer data into its “State of Your Church” dashboard. This platform provides a modern interface for pastors, offering insights into whom to check on, whom to comfort, and when to act.
Since its inception, Gloo has expanded its reach, becoming a vital part of the fragmented religious landscape in the U.S. By early 2025, Gloo had contracts with over 100,000 churches and ministry leaders, supported by a $110 million strategic investment from mission-aligned investors.
Gloo has acquired various ministry tools, from automated sermon distribution to AI-driven chatbots and leadership content libraries, creating a comprehensive platform for churches. In March 2025, Gloo announced that former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger would assume an expanded role as executive chair and head of technology. The same week, Gloo invested in Barna Group, a research firm known for its extensive surveys on worship, beliefs, and cultural engagement.
Barna’s data provides granular insights into the behaviors, beliefs, and anxieties of faith communities, while Gloo’s digital infrastructure segments, scores, and deploys this information. Gloo aims to enhance its services with AI, crafting models that anticipate moments when faith and outreach matter most.
Biometric Surveillance in Churches
The digital infrastructure of modern churches often begins with intimate interactions, such as prayer requests or small-group sign-ups. However, beneath these touchpoints lies a sophisticated pipeline mirroring Silicon Valley’s attention-economy engines.
Charles Kriel, a filmmaker and former advisor to the UK Parliament on disinformation and data, highlights the connection between data firms like Gloo and their partners, who harvest personal information from churchgoers to build psychographic profiles. His documentary, “People You May Know,” investigates how this sensitive data is commodified, raising questions about its potential uses.
Many churches operate within a layered digital environment, combining first-party data with third-party consumer data and psychographic segmentation. These systems may suggest sermons, match members with small groups, or trigger outreach when engagement drops. In some cases, monitoring includes biometric surveillance.
Israeli security-tech veteran Moshe Greenshpan introduced airport-grade facial recognition into church entryways through his company, Face-Six. This technology, used in over 200 churches worldwide, transforms entryways into biometric checkpoints, providing headcounts, security sweeps, and attendance logs.
While robust technical safeguards exist, transparency remains an issue. “To the best of my knowledge, no church notifies its congregants that it’s using facial recognition,” says Greenshpan.
The Ethical and Legal Landscape
The use of biometric surveillance in churches raises ethical and legal concerns. In the U.S., biometric surveillance operates in a legal gray area, with few regulations. Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) is a rare exception, requiring clear data-collection policies and explicit consent. However, beyond Illinois, protections are limited.
Emily Tucker, executive director of the Center on Privacy & Technology at Georgetown Law, warns that the personal data collected through faith-tech platforms is far from secure. She emphasizes the necessity of privacy for spiritual practices and the risks of data being used beyond its intended purpose. For further reading on the ethical implications of AI in religious settings, visit MarkTechPost.
As faith-tech pioneers and church leaders delve deeper into congregants’ lives, the need for transparency, consent, and accountability becomes increasingly urgent. Whether these technologies enhance pastoral care or erode personal privacy depends on the decisions made today. Additionally, for insights into the legal aspects of biometric surveillance, refer to Electronic Frontier Foundation.
The integration of AI and surveillance into religious institutions, exemplified by firms like Gloo and biometric systems, marks a significant shift in pastoral care and congregant engagement. While promising deeper understanding, these technologies raise profound ethical and legal questions regarding data privacy, consent, and the very nature of spiritual trust. As this faith-tech ecosystem expands, ensuring transparency and accountability will be crucial to balancing technological advancement with the fundamental right to privacy in sacred spaces.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the role of Gloo in the faith-tech ecosystem?
Gloo is a spiritual data and analytics firm that helps churches connect, engage, and understand their congregants on a deeper level. It integrates church-generated insights, psychographic information, and third-party consumer data into its ‘State of Your Church’ dashboard, providing pastors with insights into whom to check on, whom to comfort, and when to act.
How does biometric surveillance function in modern churches?
Biometric surveillance in churches involves high-speed cameras capturing facial images, which are processed into digital fingerprints and matched against a database. This technology, used in over 200 churches worldwide, transforms entryways into biometric checkpoints, providing headcounts, security sweeps, and attendance logs.
What are the ethical and legal concerns surrounding biometric surveillance in churches?
The use of biometric surveillance in churches raises ethical and legal concerns due to the lack of regulations in the U.S., with Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act being a rare exception. There is a necessity for transparency, consent, and accountability to ensure that personal data collected is secure and used appropriately.
Who are the founders of Gloo and what is their background?
Gloo was founded by Scott and Theresa Beck. Scott Beck is known for his role in expanding Blockbuster and founding Einstein Bros. Bagels, while Theresa Beck is an artist known for eco-minded workshops. Together, they have redefined pastoral care through predictive analytics.
What recent developments have occurred at Gloo?
In March 2025, Gloo announced that former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger would assume an expanded role as executive chair and head of technology. Additionally, Gloo invested in Barna Group, a research firm known for its extensive surveys on worship, beliefs, and cultural engagement.
