Current State of AI Adoption in Churches

On of the most comprehensive data on the topic comes from the 2024 State of AI in the Church Survey conducted by Exponential AI NEXT in partnership with multiple organizations. It surveyed church leaders across various denominations and brought some interesting insights.¹

Statistical Overview

An astounding shift has occurred: 87% of church leaders now favour using AI for ministry purposes in 2024, compared to only 8.7% in 2023 who believed churches should embrace AI.² Current usage in different areas of Church ministry has increased significantly, with over 66% of church staff using AI tools occasionally, weekly, or daily, compared to approximately 37% in 2023.³ The survey indicates that that 43% of church leaders make use of AI tools on a regular basis, either weekly or daily, which is applied to different purposes in the church work.⁴

         The data presented in the survey shows that the top AI uses reported are: Sermon preparation, informational/research, article generation, and content production.⁵ Churches are expanding beyond initial focus areas to include audio/video editing, data analysis, and some level of automation in their

administrative processes.⁶

            The tool adoption patterns indicates that mainstream AI tools like ChatGPT (25%), Grammarly (13%), and Canva's Magic AI features (10%) gained significant traction among respondents.⁷ This seems to indicate that many churches are turning from specialized solutions to more accessible, multi-purpose platforms.

Specific AI Applications in Ministry

Sermon and Content Creation

AI can provide nuanced insights into biblical texts and contemporary issues. Drawing on different resources at once, it can, for example, bring together the take of 10 different commentators about a a biblical passage, provide Greek analysis of the pericopes and suggest sermon topics and Scriptures that may connect to community interests and recent world events.⁸

Some of the online tools include:

• Pastors.ai, which repurposes sermons into Bible studies, devotionals, and clips from YouTube links⁹
• SermonAi's Hymn/Worship Song Selector for choosing appropriate hymns or worship songs tailored to specific passages or topics¹⁰
• Pulpit AI, trained on thousands of hours of sermon content to identify the best sermon clips for inspiration, teaching, and application¹¹

Pastoral Care and Administration

In some churches, virtual assistants and chatbots offer 24-hour support and pastoral care, ensuring that church members have access to assistance and direction at all times.¹² Church management software like Church Community Builder, FellowshipOne, and MinistryPlatform utilize AI to automate tasks, manage memberships, and track donations.¹³

Visual and Media Content

Tools like Ideogram, Recraft AI, DALL·E, Google ImageFX, Adobe Firefly, and Leonardo AI can generate high-quality images, logos, and artwork from text descriptions.¹⁴

 

Ethical Considerations and Concerns

Persistent Ethical Challenges

As churches increasingly adopt AI tools, 19% of the respondents were highly concerned about ethical issues related to church AI usage in 2024, while 64% were somewhat concerned about the ethical implications.¹⁵ According to the survey, nearly 83% of respondents had some level of ethical concern around integrating AI technologies into spiritual activities.¹⁶ Key ethical concerns include: Moral and theological implications, replacement of human interactions, privacy and data security, bias and discrimination¹⁷

Need for Guidance and Training

For 58% or the respondents, there is a need for moderate to extensive training on AI to integrate it into their church effectively.¹⁸ Also, 42% shared that the #1 factor that would encourage AI adoption is the availability of training/education for ministry contexts.¹⁹

Policy Development

40% of respondents indicated their church has an AI policy, or is open to considering one, while 35% said they haven't yet, but are planning on leading their teams/staff to discuss the topic of AI in ministry work.²⁰

Implications for Lutheran Congregations

As we did in the past when assessing and adopting novel practices, technologies and tools, we continue to walk on the principles of learning and caution. In one hand, the dramatic shift from 8.7% to 87% acceptance demonstrates the rapid evolution of church attitudes toward AI, which indicates that there is a path for good theological, practical, and meaningful integration. On the other hand, the relevant ethical concerns (83% having some level of concern) highlight the importance of the emphasis on pastoral oversight and maintaining theological integrity. Our Lutheran Identity is grounded in Word and Sacraments, not in external tools, forms or agents. However, content always takes form and shape in order to be communicated. Therefore, we remain committed to ensuring that the forms and channels we use will continue to be faithful to the unchanging content of God's Word.

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References:

¹ "7 Insights On How Churches Are Adopting AI In 2024," Exponential, July 1, 2024, https://exponential.org/7-insights-on-how-churches-are-adopting-ai-in-2024/.

² Ibid.

³ Ibid.

⁴ "Pastors Are Embracing AI More In 2024," Exponential, November 4, 2024, https://exponential.org/pastors-are-embracing-ai-more-in-2024/.

⁵ "7 Insights On How Churches Are Adopting AI In 2024."

⁶ Ibid.

⁷ Ibid.

⁸ "9 AI Tren

ds for Churches to Be Aware Of in 2024," Exponential, February 5, 2024, https://exponential.org/9-ai-trends-for-churches-to-be-aware-of-in-2024/.

⁹ "AI for Churches – Free AI Tools," Pastors.ai, accessed June 27, 2025, https://pastors.ai/.

¹⁰ "Sermon AI 3.0," accessed June 27, 2025, https://sermonai.com/.

¹¹ "Pulpit AI," accessed June 27, 2025, https://www.pulpitai.com/.

¹² "AI and the church: How It be Used, Positive and Negative Impact," Ministry Brands, accessed June 27, 2025, https://www.ministrybrands.com/church/management/ai-and-church.

¹³ "Revolutionize Your Ministry with AI Tools," accessed June 27, 2025, https://newvisionelim.co.uk/top-ai-products-for-christian-ministry/.

¹⁴ "10+ Practical Ways to Use AI in Your Church (Images, Videos, Music, and More) - 2025 Update," May 23, 2025, https://www.faithgpt.io/blog/10-practical-ways-to-use-ai-in-your-church.

¹⁵ "7 Insights On How Churches Are Adopting AI In 2024."

¹⁶ Ibid.

¹⁷ Ibid.

¹⁸ Ibid.

¹⁹ Ibid.

²⁰ Ibid.