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Church TechnologyOctober 29, 202513 min read

The AI Awakening: How the Church is Embracing Technology to Reach a Digital Generation

In just two years, Christian leaders' adoption of AI surged from 43% discomfort to 90% support. This quiet revolution—powered by algorithms—is transforming ministry. But with great potential comes profound questions about humanity, theology, and the irreplaceable human element of Gospel work.

Rev. John Moelker

Rev. John Moelker

Founder & Theological AI Architect

A quiet revolution is transforming Christianity—and it's powered by algorithms

Rev. John Moelker | October 2025


The numbers tell a remarkable story. In just two years, the Christian community's relationship with artificial intelligence has undergone a seismic shift.

📊 KEY STATISTIC

2023: 43% of church leaders expressed discomfort with AI 2025: Nearly 90% now support using AI in some form of ministry

This isn't just adoption—it's a mandate from the majority, signaling what may be the most significant technological transformation in church leadership since Gutenberg's printing press democratized Scripture.

But this revolution comes with profound questions. As AI tools proliferate through every aspect of ministry—from sermon preparation to pastoral care to evangelism—faithful leaders are wrestling with an essential tension: How do we harness these powerful tools for the Kingdom without losing the irreplaceable human element that makes the Gospel transformative?

From Skepticism to Strategy

The transformation has been swift and dramatic. Today, 61% of church leaders report using AI tools daily or weekly—up from 43% just a year ago. Even more telling, 64% of pastors now use AI for sermon preparation, a statistic that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

Pastor Justin Lester of Friendship Baptist Church in Vallejo, California, represents this new wave of tech-enabled ministry. He uses an AI responder trained on hundreds of his sermons and writings that can respond to emails, schedule meetings, and handle administrative tasks—all sounding authentically like him. "It just automatically knows what I would say," he explained.

This isn't laziness; it's multiplication. 82% of church leaders believe AI will make their churches more effective in the next five years, with only 4% predicting it will make them less effective. These leaders see AI not as a replacement for ministry, but as a force multiplier that frees them to focus on what matters most: genuine human connection and spiritual guidance.

The Great Commission Goes Digital

The implications for evangelism are staggering. For the first time in history, the Church has tools that can break through barriers that have existed for millennia.

Technology expert Adriaan Adams, speaking at the Africa Evangelical Association General Assembly, outlined how AI can enhance evangelism, fast-track theological education, and supercharge church administration. But he issued a critical caveat that every ministry leader should internalize: AI "is not the Holy Spirit."

"Technology in evangelism must always be a tool that leads to genuine human connection, relationship and discipleship," Adams emphasized. "It's a doorway. It is not the destination."

Consider the practical applications already transforming ministry:

Breaking Language Barriers: AI-powered translation tools can instantly translate sermons, biblical texts, and evangelistic materials into hundreds of languages, something that would have taken armies of translators decades to accomplish.

Reaching the Unreached: AI algorithms can help churches identify and connect with demographics previously beyond their reach—those who would never walk through a church door but are searching for meaning online.

Personalizing Discipleship: AI agents can help translate complex theological concepts, track spiritual growth, and provide customized devotional content, meeting people exactly where they are in their faith journey.

Amplifying Impact: 90% of church leaders see value in using AI for discipleship activities, recognizing that one sermon can automatically generate small group discussion guides, children's lessons, daily devotionals, and social media content—one message, infinite applications.


A Pope's Warning: The Human Cost

Yet amid this technological enthusiasm, some of Christianity's most influential voices are sounding notes of caution that demand our attention.

💭 PAPAL WARNING

Pope Leo XIV recently refused to create an AI version of himself, calling the technology "an empty, cold shell" and warning about the risk of losing humanity as wealthy people invest in this technology.

His concern cuts to the heart of the matter: "It's very difficult to discover the presence of God" in AI.

In his first major interview as pope, Leo XIV warned that "extremely wealthy" people are investing in AI while "ignoring the value of human beings". When someone proposed creating an AI version of him for virtual papal audiences, his response was unequivocal: "If there's anybody who should not be represented by an avatar, I would say the pope is high on the list".

The Pope expressed deep concern about AI's impact on human dignity and employment: "If we automate the whole world and only a few people have the means with which to more than just survive, what kind of society are we creating?"

His concerns aren't merely technological—they're profoundly theological. As the Vatican stated in its recent document on AI, "Like any tool, AI is an extension of human power, and while its future capabilities are unpredictable, humanity's past actions provide clear warnings". The document, released on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, soberly noted that "the atrocities committed throughout history are enough to raise deep concerns about the potential abuses of AI".


Finding the Sacred Balance

So where does this leave the Church? Paralyzed between enthusiastic adoption and fearful rejection? Not at all. The path forward requires wisdom, discernment, and a thoroughly biblical understanding of both technology and humanity.

🎯 THE CORE CHALLENGE

Russell Moore, editor-in-chief of Christianity Today, frames it perfectly:

"The crisis of our age is a radical reducing of human life to a flow of data and information, so much so that some tech pioneers suggest eternal life can be achieved by uploading our minds to a digital cloud."

The Church's response must be rooted in understanding humanity as imago Dei—made in the image and likeness of God. We are not, Moore argues, reducible to code or information. There is a mystery to human life, to the soul, to the work of the Holy Spirit that no algorithm can replicate or replace.

🔨 PULL QUOTE

"AI is like a hammer in the toolbox, not a doctrine in the pulpit."

— Kenny Jahng, Pastor & Tech Expert

Used wisely, AI can serve the Church's mission without supplanting it.

Practical Wisdom for Ministry Leaders

As churches navigate this new landscape, several principles emerge from those leading the way:

1. Transparency is Essential

Over half of U.S. Christians say they would be disappointed to learn their church is using AI. The solution isn't to hide AI use, but to be upfront about it. Churches using AI should do so cautiously and openly, treating it like an intern rather than a push-button vending machine.

2. Never Replace the Irreplaceable

AI may be able to predict the next best word in a pastoral prayer, but can it really pray for a congregation? Programs trained on massive sets of language can write a sermon in less than a minute, but can they deliver the Word of God?

The answer matters. Christianity is not just a theological vocabulary; it's a world its disciples inhabit, constructed through language but also built through communal action and relationship.

3. Prioritize Human Flourishing

Companies like Gloo are building Christian AI platforms based on Harvard's Global Flourishing Study, which defines human flourishing across six dimensions, with a seventh added specifically for faith and spirituality. The goal isn't technological sophistication—it's genuine human and spiritual thriving.

4. Ask "Should We?" Before "How Do We?"

Pastor and writer Bonnie Kristian challenges church leaders to ask a more fundamental question: not "How can we use it?" but "Should we use this technology at all?"

Drawing on Pope John Paul II's teaching about intrinsically evil actions, she argues we must also recognize "intrinsically evil technologies" that cannot be redeemed for moral purposes. Not every technological capability should be employed, even if it's efficient.

5. Focus on Relationships, Not Algorithms

Adams emphasized that better administration using technology "reduces burnout, increases efficiency, and allows leaders and volunteers to spend more time with people and improve actual ministry work". The purpose of AI should be freeing humans for more meaningful ministry, not replacing them.

A Real-World Test Case

Perhaps nowhere has this tension been more visible than in Germany, where the first large-scale AI church service took place in 2023 as a Protestant Christian worship event. The AI-led service, conducted under human supervision, attracted considerable media attention and diverse reactions from participants.

While most responses were skeptical, participants also reported having spiritual experiences. The event crystallized a crucial insight: people can encounter the sacred even in unexpected contexts, but that doesn't mean AI should replace human pastoral presence.

The Path Forward: Technology as Ministry Tool

The emerging consensus among thoughtful Christian leaders is clear: AI is a powerful tool for Kingdom work, but it requires careful, prayerful deployment.

Matthew Potter, co-founder of Pray.com, put it this way: "As Christian leaders, we have a responsibility to engage with this technology thoughtfully—ensuring it aligns with biblical values and serves as a tool for discipleship, evangelism, and outreach".

"If we don't take an active role in shaping AI's use in Christian communication," Potter warns, "we risk allowing secular perspectives to dictate how technology impacts faith-based content".

This is why conferences like the AI and Church Summit and resources like the new book "AI Goes to Church" by Todd Korpi are so vital. Korpi's work provides both theological foundation and practical application, helping ministry leaders understand how AI intersects with Christian theology while exploring its implications for human identity, the image of God, and the church's mission.

The Biblical Precedent

Critics sometimes suggest that embracing new technology compromises theological integrity. But history tells a different story.

Every major communication medium—from the printing press to radio to television to the internet—initially faced skepticism from church leaders who questioned whether God could work through these "worldly" technologies. Some even questioned whether the Holy Spirit could work as effectively through words transmitted via radio waves as opposed to those spoken face-to-face.

Yet each time, pioneering Christian leaders demonstrated that these mediums could effectively convey the Gospel without compromising its integrity. The question isn't whether God can use technology—it's whether we'll be faithful stewards of the tools He's placed in our hands.

As The Apologist Project notes in their white paper on AI evangelism: "God has always preserved a faithful remnant among His people. History suggests that He also redeems a portion of every new technological medium for His glory, ensuring that even amid corruption and misuse, new technologies ultimately serve to advance His truth and further His Kingdom".

A Call to Thoughtful Engagement

The AI revolution in the Church isn't coming—it's here. The question facing every ministry leader, every congregation, every Christian engaged in digital spaces is not whether to engage with AI, but how to do so faithfully.

The Vatican's recent document on AI provides helpful guidance: "Technological progress is part of God's plan for creation," but people must take responsibility for using technologies like artificial intelligence to help humanity and not harm individuals or groups.

This requires more than technical know-how. It demands theological depth, ethical clarity, and an unwavering commitment to human dignity. As Pope Leo XIV reminded us, "Our human life makes sense not because of artificial intelligence, but because of human beings and encounter, being with one another, creating relationships, and discovering in those human relationships also the presence of God".


The Bottom Line

📈 MINISTRY IMPACT

AI presents the Church with an unprecedented opportunity to fulfill the Great Commission at scale, breaking through barriers of:

  • Language (instant translation to hundreds of languages)
  • Geography (reaching the unreached digitally)
  • Accessibility (meeting people where they are)

Used wisely, it can multiply ministry impact, free leaders for more meaningful pastoral work, and reach people who would never encounter the Gospel through traditional means.

But it also carries genuine risks: the temptation to replace human connection with algorithmic efficiency, the danger of losing the irreplaceable mystery of faith in a quest for optimization, and the potential to serve technology rather than having technology serve the Kingdom.

The path forward requires discernment. As Barna research shows, 42% of U.S. adults describe AI as "concerning," while 35% call it "exciting". Both responses contain truth. AI is concerning—and it's exciting. It's powerful—and it's dangerous. It's a tool for Kingdom advancement—and it's a test of our theological clarity about what it means to be human.

🙏 FAITH IN ACTION

77% of pastors believe God can use AI

This faith isn't naïve—it's rooted in a conviction that the same God who has used every previous technology for His purposes can use this one too, if we approach it with wisdom, prayer, and a commitment to keeping human dignity and divine truth at the center.

Where Do We Go From Here?

For church leaders considering how to integrate AI into ministry, the invitation is clear: Learn, experiment, but never compromise on what makes Christianity transformative—the personal presence of the Holy Spirit, the irreplaceable value of human relationships, and the mystery of divine grace that no algorithm can replicate.

Resources for the Journey

Organizations are emerging to help churches navigate this landscape wisely. ChurchWiseAI (churchwiseai.com), founded by Rev. John Moelker, embodies this balanced approach with their vision of helping others "Seeing Jesus through Wise Ai."

"Any new technology brings plenty of anxiety along with it and rightfully so," Moelker acknowledges, "but at ChurchwiseAI, we hope to help Christians, pastors and the church understand AI better and use it for the good of the church and for the building of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ."

With numerous apps rolling out in the near future, ChurchWiseAI represents the kind of thoughtful, Kingdom-focused approach to technology that the moment demands—not rushing headlong into innovation, but not fearfully retreating either. Instead, moving forward with wisdom, discernment, and a clear focus on serving Christ and His Church.

As one Adventist leader put it: "The goal is reaching people with the unchangeable, inspired truths of God's Word. The goal is not contemporary programming, it is effective discipleship and evangelism. The ultimate question is not how many people viewed a program but how many have become disciples of Christ through the digital ministry".

The technology will continue to advance. The algorithms will become more sophisticated. But the mission remains unchanged: to know Christ and make Him known. AI can be a powerful ally in that mission—as long as we remember that the message we carry is not information to be processed, but a Person to be encountered.

In an age of artificial intelligence, pointing people to the living God may be stranger than ever before. But as Russell Moore reminds us, that strangeness might be exactly what saves us.


The future of ministry is being written right now, in the decisions faithful leaders make about how to deploy these powerful new tools. May we choose wisely, always remembering that our hope is not in algorithms, but in the One who spoke the world into being—and who still speaks life into human hearts today.


Related Articles in This Series

  1. The AI Awakening: Church Embracing Technology (you are here)
  2. AI Tools for Ministry: A Practical Guide for Church Leaders
  3. The Image of God in an Age of Algorithms: Theological Reflections
  4. The Dangers We Must Not Ignore: Church Leaders Sound the Alarm
  5. A Framework for Faithful AI Engagement: Implementation Guide

Sources & References


© 2026 ChurchwiseAI | Seeing Jesus through Wise AI

Rev. John Moelker

Rev. John Moelker

Founder & Theological AI Architect

John is a pastor, software engineer and theologian passionate about making AI accessible and theologically faithful for churches of all traditions. But most importantly, John wants to see others come to know Jesus better.

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