The Church’s Growing AI Dilemma: Caution, Curiosity, and Community

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence presents churches with a critical and complex challenge: how to discern the appropriate role of AI in spiritual life. While the church has historically embraced technology—from the printing press to Bible apps—AI marks a new frontier that’s both powerful and potentially disruptive.

Tools like ChatGPT are already being used to generate sermon outlines, worship lyrics, and devotional material. AI chatbots are even stepping in to offer spiritual “companionship” during late-night soul searches. For resource-strapped churches, the appeal is clear: faster content, multi-language outreach, and increased efficiency. Yet, this convenience raises a fundamental concern—what happens when sacred practices become synthetic?

Dr. Drew Dickens, a theologian and AI researcher, warns that churches must not adopt AI blindly. He argues that unlike traditional tools, AI requires rigorous discernment because it is built on datasets shaped by human (and potentially unbiblical) values. He notes that people tend to form emotional connections with AI chatbots, even offering prayer requests—an interaction that, while seemingly intimate, lacks the depth and presence of true human community.

Dickens doesn’t reject AI outright. He sees real potential for expanding ministry, especially for global evangelism and churches with limited resources. But he emphasizes the importance of setting clear boundaries. Churches must decide where AI fits: for administrative tasks? For sermon outlines but not full sermons? For translation but not theology?

Ultimately, the article argues that AI isn’t just delivering content—it’s shaping formation. When congregants receive spiritual guidance from machines instead of pastors or communities, the role of the Holy Spirit and the value of human connection are at risk.

The church’s dilemma isn’t whether to use AI, but how—and with what guardrails. It must act with wisdom, transparency, and a commitment to keeping community at the center of spiritual life.

For more details, refer to the original article on Relevant.