Holy Moly: Bible App ‘YouVersion’ Hits 50 Million Downloads

Newfangled social and gaming apps are popular and all, but it turns out that content dating back thousands of years can still more than hold its own in today’s tech landscape. YouVersion, a Bible reading app made by nationwide Christian megachurch LifeChurch.tv, has crossed the 50 million download mark across the variety of mobile devices on which it’s available.

That’s clearly a pretty big milestone, and YouVersion is pretty unique as far as most TechCrunch stories go — since the app is totally free and run by a religious non-profit, no venture capital raises, revenue generation plans, or “exit strategies” are part of the picture. So we were happy to be able to hear more about it from YouVersion’s founder Bobby Gruenewald when he was in San Francisco recently.

Watch the video embedded above to see Gruenewald talk about his personal evolution from a business and tech guy, to a full-time pastor, to his current blend of the two today, the app’s growth since its inception in 2008, and plans for future growth.