American pastors are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to support their ministry work, according to a 2025 survey by AI company Exponential.
But as AI use grows inside churches, so do concerns about where assistance ends โ and outsourcing begins.
How widespread is AI use in churches?
The 2025 State of AI in the Church Survey Report shows a sharp rise in AI adoption among ministry leaders:
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91% of respondents said they support the use of AI in ministry, up from 87% in 2024
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61% reported using AI at least weekly, more than double last yearโs 25%
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25% said they use AI daily, up from 13% in 2024
When asked about their overall view of AI:
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30% said AI is positive for ministry
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5% said it is inherently dangerous
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65% described it as a neutral tool, saying its impact depends on how it is used
Notably, no respondent said AI is irrelevant to ministry.
What kind of AI are pastors using?
The survey asked respondents how they primarily use AI tools:
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Content creation โ 36%
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Research โ 26%
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Administrative work โ 16%
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Image or graphic generation โ 10%
The most common category โ content creation โ is also the most unclear.
Creating website copy or event announcements raises few concerns.
But using AI to generate prayer requests, sermon notes, or sermon content itself pushes into more controversial territory.
When asked which AI tools they had used in the past six months, respondents cited:
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ChatGPT (26%)
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Grammarly (11%)
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Microsoft Copilot (9%)
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Google Gemini (8%)
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Canva Magic Studio (8%)
Some tools have obvious functions โ Canva for graphics, Grammarly for editing โ but tools like ChatGPT and Gemini can perform a wide range of tasks, from research to full sermon drafting.
Is AI being used in sermon preparation?
Among pastors involved in sermon preparation, 64% said they used AI as part of the process, up from 43% in 2024.
But the survey does not distinguish between using AI to look up references or quotations, and asking AI to generate sermon outlines, illustrations, or applications.
This lack of clarity makes it difficult to assess how deeply AI is shaping pastoral teaching.
What are the surveyโs limitations?
The findings also come with important caveats:
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The survey was conducted by an AI company that markets its products to churches, creating a potential conflict of interest
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Method for selecting respondents is unclear โ it is not known whether participants were randomly selected or self-selected volunteers
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With 594 respondents, the sample size is statistically acceptable but still relatively small
The unusually high approval for AI use โ and the absence of respondents who see AI as irrelevant โ may reflect selection bias.
Why this matters
The central concern is not whether AI can help with efficiency, but whether pastors are beginning to outsource core pastoral responsibilities to machines.
Using AI for emails, grammar checks, or administrative tasks is largely uncontroversial. But when AI begins shaping sermons, spiritual guidance, or theological interpretation, critics argue it crosses a line.
Christian teaching holds pastors to a higher standard of accountability, emphasizing prayer, discernment, and direct engagement with Scripture and people โ responsibilities traditionally understood as deeply human and spiritual.
The bottom line
AI is rapidly becoming part of church life, and many pastors see it as a helpful tool rather than a threat. But as its use expands, churches face a critical question: Is AI assisting ministry โ or quietly replacing parts of it?
For many faith leaders, the challenge is not resisting technology, but ensuring that efficiency does not come at the cost of faithfulness.
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