Church Leader—You're Getting the AI Backlash Wrong
It's not about AI, it's about you
Artificial Intelligence is here to stay. That much is clear. But how we engage with it and how we address the concerns of those wary of its integration will define how ethical and effective our use of AI in ministry truly is.
Recently, filmmaker Anthony Russo, responding to criticism of AI-generated voices in The Electric State in his interview with The Times, stated, “They don’t understand. But ultimately you’ll see AI used more significantly.” His dismissal of concerns as mere ignorance is a common refrain in the AI conversation.
And, unfortunately, it’s a mindset that is creeping into church leadership as well.
Too often, pastors and digital ministry leaders approach AI with a sense of superiority:
People just don’t understand how good this will be for ministry. They don’t get how much easier this will make my work.
And sure, AI can optimize schedules, automate administrative tasks, and streamline content creation. Even the deepest AI skeptic doesn’t miss the fact that it’s an incredible and infectious tool.
But that’s not the point. The issue isn’t whether AI can be useful; it’s whether we’re listening to the deeper fears behind the backlash.
It’s Not Fear of AI—It’s Fear of Being Ignored
People aren’t resisting AI because they’re anti-technology.
They’re resisting it because they worry they won’t be heard in the process.
They worry that their concerns will be brushed aside, their roles diminished, and their trust in leadership eroded.
One small but telling example?
The sudden, over-the-top use of AI-generated imagery in church blogs, websites, and sermon graphics. Many of these images are clearly AI-generated—awkwardly rendered hands, eerie symmetry, and unnatural facial expressions. But more than that, their overuse signals something deeper: a disregard for human creativity in favor of convenience. It’s a quiet dog whistle that says, We don’t need human designers anymore. We don’t need artists in our congregations. We don’t even need to search for real-world images that better reflect our people.
And here’s the real rub: We don’t care if you even know we’re doing it.
Let’s not forget—every AI image generation comes at a cost. AI tools require enormous computing power, which translates into energy consumption, water use, and environmental strain. Just because we can generate an image in seconds doesn’t mean we should.
If a church is willing to pay the environmental cost of AI, why not invest that same financially and ethically in an actual human artist?
In the entertainment industry, concerns over AI are driving strikes—not against AI itself, but against its unethical use.
Just this week, video game voice actor Ashley Burch said as much to IGN,
“I feel worried not because the technology exists. Not even because game companies want to use it. Of course they do. They always want to use technological advancements. [The] possibility that if we lose this fight, [actors] would have no recourse. They wouldn’t have any protections, any way to fight back. And that possibility, it makes me so sad it hurts my heart. It scares me.“
Workers aren’t demanding AI’s eradication; they’re asking for fair compensation and ethical guidelines. Similarly, church members and faith communities aren’t demanding that pastors swear off AI entirely; they just want assurance that it will be used responsibly.
AI is the Worst It Will Ever Be—And That’s a Problem
There’s a popular saying: AI today is the worst it will ever be. This is both exciting and terrifying.
Right now, AI still has “tells.” If you look closely, you can often spot an AI-generated image. You can read a chatbot-generated paragraph and sense that something is slightly off. But this window is closing.
AI will become nearly indistinguishable from human work. Sermons could be AI-generated, images could be flawless, and church leaders could automate entire ministries without anyone realizing it.
The real risk isn’t AI’s failure—it’s AI’s perfection.
How will they trust their leaders when people can no longer tell the difference between the human and the artificial? How will they know if the words coming from the pulpit were born from prayer, study, and experience—or simply scraped from a database of religious texts?
This is the crux of the issue: are you proving yourself to be a trustworthy practitioner of AI?
If we lose the ability to discern what is and isn’t AI-generated, transparency and earned trust will be our only safeguard. Churches must commit now to ethical AI use—before it becomes too easy to blur the lines.
The Ethical Questions We Need to Ask
If the church is going to integrate AI (and let’s be real, it already has), we need to ask the right questions. Instead of How can AI make my job easier? we should be asking:
Who is AI helping, and how can we hold it accountable?
Who is AI hurting, and how can we mitigate or eliminate that harm?
Who is God calling through AI, and how can we disciple through it?
And beyond that, what is my personal AI policy?
Churches should absolutely develop a formal AI policy, but even if that’s not on the table yet, individuals in ministry need to establish their own boundaries.
Will you disclose every time you use AI in sermon preparation? Will you allow AI-generated prayers? What about pastoral counseling—will you ever rely on an AI tool for guidance?
The problem isn’t AI use—it’s AI dependence. AI is a tool, but tools shape their users. A hammer changes how we build; a car changes how we travel. If we’re not careful, AI will change how we minister in ways we never intended.
Counterpoint: What About Efficiency?
Some might argue, “AI makes ministry more efficient. Shouldn’t we embrace anything that helps spread the gospel?”
And to that, I say: Efficiency isn’t the risk. Overuse is.
Use AI where it genuinely helps. Automate repetitive administrative tasks. Use it to transcribe meetings or brainstorm sermon outlines. But if AI starts replacing the human heart of ministry—if we start generating just because we can—we lose something irreplaceable.
A handwritten letter means more than a mass-produced one. A sermon with rough edges and personal stories means more than a flawlessly structured AI script.
Ministry is about connection. AI can assist with the work of ministry, but it cannot replace the why of ministry.
The Church’s AI Future: A Call to Transparency
The fear of AI in the church is not about technology itself. It’s about trust.
People want to know that their leaders won’t use AI to cut ethical corners, that sermons won’t become AI-generated without disclosure, and that pastoral care won’t be reduced to chatbot interactions.
So, let’s stop dismissing AI concerns as ignorance. Instead, let’s acknowledge them as legitimate ethical dilemmas.
Because the real question isn’t Will we use AI?—it’s How will we use it?
The world is watching. Our congregations are watching. And how we handle AI today will shape the trust they place in us tomorrow.
What’s Next?
If you’re a ministry leader, I encourage you to draft a personal AI policy. Define your boundaries now, before the technology decides for you. If you’re part of a church leadership team, start conversations about transparency and ethical AI use.
This post includes a blanket AI policy for individuals and churches. Take advantage of this as a free resource to start building your own policy.
AI is a tool. Let’s make sure it remains one.
World 3-5 Complete
Q: What’s the AI’s favorite Bible verse?
A: "In the beginning was the Word... and the Word was processed!"
That was probably one of my favorite thought pieces I've heard on this topic in a while -- from env $ vs. growing artists and "we don’t care if you even know we’re doing it" to what God calls via AI -- thank you.