After a concerning lunch conversation with an Elder at my church, I realized we needed to bring the AI discussion to my congregation, LifeFamily. It just so happened that the gentleman I met with had a friend already discussing AI guardrails at a national level. That’s how I met Brendan Steinhauser, CEO of The Alliance for Secure AI.
Read more Trump quietly slashes nearly $1 billion in federal cash for illegals and wokester foreign aid grants
We invited Brendan to a LifeMen’s barbecue, and he and I had a great discussion that highlighted general concerns about AI, companion bots, and a few questions from the audience. The interview was so thought-provoking that the men’s leadership team encouraged me to invite him back, and we did.
If you are a faith leader wondering: Is now the time to discuss AI at my church? The answer is yes, and it should happen as soon as possible.
A recent Barna survey not only showed that Christians are adopting artificial intelligence, but also that they are outpacing non-Christians in its use. According to the findings: “Forty-four percent of practicing Christians say they use AI “very often” or “often” in their personal lives, compared to 31 percent of U.S. adults overall and 29 percent of non-practicing Christians. The same pattern holds at work: 39 percent of practicing Christians use AI often or very often on the job, versus 26 percent of U.S. adults nationally.”
The same survey also brought to light another concern: Many Christians would like guidance from their pastor on how to appropriately use AI, but only 12 percent feel equipped to have the conversation.
Pastors, the people sitting in the seats at your church every Sunday morning, are using AI. They are using it to help them be more efficient at work and for tips on how to grill a steak. Those people in your church are also using it to try to combat loneliness, and even engage in other unhealthy relationships. Perhaps the most concerning, they are using it to ask theological and spiritual questions.
It’s not just your congregants using AI; your staff is too. Church staff, large and small, are using AI for graphic design, curriculum development, administrative tasks, and sermon preparation.
It’s time to start having the AI conversation at your church, but where do you begin? I understand the question, because I asked it as well. I thought, “I am not a technology expert, so how can I have the conversation?”
I soon realized that the people who attend the church I serve aren’t looking at me as the technology expert. They want a pastor, and that’s exactly what I could give them at the time.
Read more Data Centers and the race the U.S. cannot afford to lose
If you are navigating the question, “Where to begin the AI conversation?” I would start with a few folks you trust; maybe a church board or an executive team. Ask them for their feedback, and specifically how they use it.
Then consider two routes: The congregation and the staff. I personally hate separating the two; we are all one church. But for this specific matter, I think it is important to recognize the two audiences.
For the congregation, the approach should include everything from personal conversations over coffee to small-group discussions and even larger gatherings. Start with a listening posture and ask the questions your congregants want you to ask: “How and why are you using artificial intelligence?” The answers will vary, and most will show the usefulness of “AI the tool.”
If the answers move from the efficiencies of a tool to the substitution for things only humans were designed to fill, that’s where the ministry begins.
For the church staff, I encourage pastors to start with an anonymous survey. A list of simple questions asking how and why they use AI. The concerns they have and how they feel about a policy. In my experience, churches long for a policy because guardrails are healthy, and right now, few guardrails exist.
The AI discussion is here, and God has called you to this moment as He called you to every other important moment in time. If you need any assistance getting the conversation started, I would love to help.
Michael Grayston is a campus pastor at LifeFamily Church in Austin, Texas. He serves as a faith and AI fellow with The Alliance for Secure AI.
Read more The Dems double down