Pastors Increasingly Adopt AI in Ministry, Raising Ethical Concerns
A recent survey indicates a significant increase in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by pastors in their ministry, with 93.5% of church leaders actively engaging with or exploring AI tools. This marks a substantial shift from two years ago when only 13% opposed AI use, a number that has now dropped to 2.4%. The third annual 'State of AI in the Church' survey, conducted by AIforChurchLeaders.com and ChurchTechToday.com, found that 43% of church leaders use AI daily, double the 2024 rate, and 78% use it weekly or more. A majority, 64%, utilize AI for sermon research or writing. However, only 9% of churches have a formal policy on AI use. Collin Hansen, editor-in-chief of The Gospel Coalition website, highlights that while AI excels at factual questions, it struggles with ethical and moral dilemmas inherent in pastoral work, such as parenting, careers, marriage, morality, sin, and forgiveness. A Lifeway Research survey of Protestant pastors showed more modest numbers, with less than 50% using AI, 10% a...
