AI in the Church: Pastoral Use of AI and AI Sermon Writing Explained
Discover how AI in the church is reshaping ministry. Explore the pastoral use of AI, AI sermon writing trends, and the ethical questions facing church leaders.
Pierre Basson
Sep 30, 2026
Something significant is shifting inside the modern church — and it has nothing to do with building programs or Sunday schedules.
Artificial intelligence has moved from speculative conversation to operational reality, reshaping how pastors prepare sermons, how congregations connect, and how ministry leaders understand their calling.
The majority of ministry leaders now report using AI tools in some capacity — a figure that has climbed sharply in just two years.
Nearly two-thirds of preaching pastors incorporate AI into sermon development, using it for research, outlining, and idea generation.
Yet most draw a firm line: AI is a preparation partner, not a pulpit voice.
Deeper questions remain unsettled. What happens when data-trained tools quietly underrepresent the poor, the disabled, or the digitally disconnected?
There is also the danger of efficiency becoming its own theology — with recovered time simply filling with new demands rather than deeper meaning.
Where culture rushes to optimize, the church is being called to something slower and harder: wisdom.

