Artificial Intelligence and the Church: A Tool, a Challenge, and an Opportunity
The presence of artificial intelligence (AI) in everyday life is no longer a distant concept—it’s here, woven into the fabric of how we work, communicate, and even engage in ministry. From AI-assisted sermon preparation to chatbots answering theological questions, from social media algorithms shaping public discourse to deepfake voices reading Scripture, AI is already impacting the Church.
But as with all technological advancements, the real question is not whether AI should exist in ministry, but how it should be used.
AI, Adaptive Leadership, and the Future of the Church
The Rev. John Borthwick poses some of the most pressing questions ministry leaders are asking today, and ChatGPT—acting as a kind of stand-in conversation partner—responds with reflections on leadership, resilience, and innovation. While AI doesn’t have personal experience, its ability to analyze historical and cultural patterns offers a fresh lens on the opportunities and struggles facing the church today.
Elevating Lay Leadership
When I was in Saskatchewan recently, I had some insightful conversations about lay leadership in today’s Church. It’s fascinating how the Church passionately aims to empower the laity in congregational roles, yet over the decades, we’ve marginalized these roles through ordered ministries like the Diaconate or lay missionaries. This has resulted in an over-reliance on ordained clergy, who are now stretched beyond capacity and dwindling in numbers…