Invite AI to Your Church

by Marvin Smith

When I was invited to write a 300-word article on AI in church administration, my first response was, “Why not have AI write the article? It would only take 30 seconds.” I was wrong; it only took 18 seconds. Instead of using the AI-generated article, I selected a more traditional path to discuss AI in the church (Warning: this article exceeds 300 words).

AI gives you instant access to much of the world’s knowledge and information, which is a compelling reason to use it. However, understanding how to use AI effectively is more challenging. My initial reaction to the idea of AI in the church was discomfort—not because AI shouldn’t be used, but because of the potential controversies that arise when technology enters sacred spaces. Instead of viewing AI in the church as disruptive change, I see it as forward progress, the next natural step in digital technology.

Two years ago, I first encountered AI when OpenAI launched ChatGPT-3.5, a groundbreaking chatbot designed to simulate human conversation. At the time, I was consulting at an HR Tech start-up that integrated AI into its product. The CTO explained that LLMs (Large Language Models), like OpenAI’s models, analyze text and predict the next word based on context, functioning like a guessing game that identifies patterns rather than facts. In other words, if AI understands the subject, it is a valued resource but beware that LLMs might “hallucinate” or fabricate details when uncertain about the topic.

But as a marketing writer at the firm, I faced a moral dilemma: AI tools like ChatGPT felt like cheating, even when their output seemed better than mine. I resolved the tension by using AI for research and exploring marketplace ideas while crafting articles in my voice. To avoid AI’s “hallucinations,” I included prompt requesting sources, ensuring proper attribution for original thoughts. I can use this article as an example.

When researching Invite AI to Your Church, I talked with AI (ChatGPT and Copilot). I began with the simple prompt, “I am researching AI and the church,” followed by “Please link me to articles on that subject.” I used the prompt in both ChatGPT-4.0 and Copilot. Even though both products are built on OpenAI’s LLM, they are programmed differently. For example, Copilot replied with links to three relevant articles. ChatGPT linked me to 10 articles from a wide variety of sources. I had a choice of how much time I needed to spend researching this article.

My first surprise was the prevalence of AI use in the church. According to a 2024 State of AI in the Church Survey, 87% of the respondents support using AI, and 66% currently use it in some capacity. The usage ranges from communications to church administration, member engagement, and sermon preparation. The latter use requires some caution and maturity. There are numerous opportunities to leverage AI in the church; I will focus on three ways to use AI in your church.

Member Engagement: AI can make the average person a wordsmith. This allows member communication to be personalized at scale and makes the recipients feel like they belong. Imagine you were planning an event. Within minutes, AI could provide the steps for each phase of the event and the appropriate messaging to cover each element. AI could be the “cat herder” that assists the volunteers who are so needed to make a community of faith function.

Relevant Outreach: Following the “great commission” requires committing to spreading the good news. Imagine how AI can assist in outreach. AI can become your church marketing consultant by providing demographic information on target segments of the community that you would like to serve and providing the types of messages that resonate with that audience.

Biblical Education: AI can be a valued resource for a Bible class. For example, I am preparing for a class on Heaven. AI allows me to better understand the different views on Heaven, where it is, and how we get there. It summarizes the contemporary writings of Randy Alcorn, NT Wright, and Skye Jethani. It also provides the thinking of the church fathers. It’s not just what the authors think but illustrates their understanding of biblical references to Heaven. AI allows me to be a better teacher by accessing a wider range of ideas. Then, AI can suggest how to communicate the message best.

AI is continuing to evolve rapidly. The next iterations are due out in 2025. It is not a time to fear technological change but to invite AI to your church. You can thoughtfully leverage AI for member engagement, outreach, or Biblical education. AI does not replace the Bible or your faith tradition. However, it will make you more effective in telling the Story of God. And it will make you better at building your community of faith.