Navigating AI in Church Ministry: Balancing Technology and Spiritual Growth

There’s a growing conversation in ministry circles about whether AI belongs in the church. Yet, American churches already use a lot of technology. We dim the lights during worship and brighten them during the sermon to guide the room’s atmosphere. We use vocal and instrumental tracks to support musicians, helping the worship portion feel more professional and accessible for guests and members. This removes spontaneity and relieves pressure from vocalists and bands, as the tracks can fill in any missing parts.

We project lyrics onto screens instead of using hymnals, making it easier for congregants to sing along and keeping the music contemporary. QR codes provide quick access to sermon notes and digital check-ins for children’s ministry, improving convenience for families and guests alike.

In short, the church is no stranger to technology. We understand the cost, and we’re willing to pay it. But with the rise of generative AI, I find myself wondering: Are we using this tool in ways that truly draw people closer to Christ?

⸻

The Hidden Costs of AI

I recently listened to a podcast about worship leaders and their use of AI, and a few points really stood out to me.

First, not understanding how AI works makes it harder to recognize the less obvious costs of using it.

AI doesn’t create like a human. It’s not a search engine. AI is a pattern-recognition algorithm trained on large datasets, user input, and external information. It generates responses based on what most closely aligns with your previous behavior, not necessarily what is most accurate or most helpful.

Take this example: a sermon written with implicit bias, then uploaded to a generative AI tool. That AI registers the content as appropriate because it reflects the user’s preferences. By contrast, when we spend time in God’s presence, we’re convicted by His Word. Bias is revealed, and hearts are transformed.

I can’t help but think of 1 Timothy 4:1–5, where Paul warns Timothy that a time will come when people “will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires.” AI is designed to give us more of what we already want. Paul continues, “They will turn their ears away from truth and be turned aside to fables.”

There’s already ongoing litigation about AI’s hallucinations and errors. These fables so to speak, are easier to believe when you do not understand how they are created. We accept the risks of technology for the sake of convenience. But do we also recognize the spiritual risk?

⸻

Seeking God vs. Seeking Shortcuts

This isn’t coming from a place of fear. I use AI daily in my professional work and teach others how to use it in creative and innovative ways. Like fire, AI can be powerful when handled with care and understanding.

But there’s a real risk in replacing God’s instruction with AI-driven direction.

In the same podcast, a minister shared how he feeds his sermon topics into AI and asks it to generate relevant scriptures. He mentioned that instead of spending nine hours studying the Word, AI could do the work in seconds.

This raises two issues. First, proof-texting—the practice of pulling verses out of context to support a predetermined idea. When you input a sermon into AI and ask it to suggest scriptures, it may (or may not) return verses that are theologically and contextually sound.

Second, and more importantly, is the issue of spiritual growth. When we bypass time in God’s presence in favor of quicker results, we miss what He may want to reveal. Maybe there was a scripture He intended to speak directly to your personal circumstances. Maybe the process of studying was the very moment He wanted to meet with you.

When we outsource the sacred work of communion with God, our spiritual growth suffers.

David understood this. In Psalm 119:162–163 (NLT), he writes:

“I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure. I hate and abhor all falsehood, but I love your instructions.”

One of the beauties of spending time in God’s word is discovering the treasures that feel like they are just for you.

⸻

Using AI Wisely

I hate to raise an issue without some helpful resolution. There are many helpful and thoughtful ways to use AI in ministry.

• It can assist with troubleshooting tech like soundboards or projection systems. Save your team energy and money by downloading product manuals to a customized church GPT, then asking it to act as tech support when you run into challenges.

• It can organize or adapt sermon notes for different audiences: youth, children, or non-native speakers. No need to have someone spend time and energy altering your sermon notes to make them more digestible to the various groups at your church AI can do that.

• It can highlight patterns or gaps in data, helping us improve how we serve. While you never want to put sensitive information like church financials or a member roster into your generative AI, you can put in things like attendance numbers, small group engagement, church inventory, and more to find patterns you may otherwise miss. The aggregated data can support the church’s efforts in everything from event planning to social media messaging.

Even in the utilization of this tool in an ethical and safe way, we must continue to be discerning. Efficiency is not always the goal. If the information you are getting from AI is what you would usually seek in God’s presence, then it shouldn’t be outsourced. If we prioritize speed and output in the sacred areas where we should be seeking God, we risk turning AI into an idol.

Let’s use the tool, but not forget The Source.

---