AI can help the Church work. It can’t do the work of God’s Spirit.

The global Church has quietly crossed a line in 2026. According to a church technology survey released this year, ninety three percent of Pastors now report using artificial intelligence in some parts of their ministry. The same research found that use of AI in sermon preparation rose from forty-three percent in 2024 to sixty four percent in 2025 where it has now held steady.

The technology is no longer an experiment at the edges of church life. It has now become part of the weekly work of preaching, writing, and discipleship. The most common uses have been found to be quite practical. Pastors and church teams report leaning on AI to draft and edit emails and newsletters, design graphics, prepare Bible study materials, and generate questions for small groups. One researcher who has tracked the trend since 2024 called the latest findings a watershed, noting that AI is no longer something church leaders are considering but something they are doing every day.

It has been found that the shift is not limited to the West. In Nigeria, independent Christian developers are building AI tools designed to work despite the country’s unreliable internet, including applications aimed at supporting live worship. One developer began with sermon transcription before creating a Bible app named Meno which is the Greek word for “abide”. The app uses AI to help explain Scripture. Not every Pastor there has embraced the change; some use the tools only for research and administration, and critics have warned that AI could spread misinformation across the continent if used carelessly and could take away the essence of the Holy Spirit inspiring us.

That caution is being echoed by church leaders elsewhere. Even enthusiasts are careful to insist that AI has not come to replace Pastors or volunteers but to serve them. One major church body has issued formal guidance stating that artificial intelligence should support, and never supplant, the connection between God and His children. As one ministry technology researcher put it, the real work now is building the wisdom to match the speed.

It is here that the Church must hold her ground. These tools can carry the Gospel further and faster than any generation before us has known, and that is no small mercy. But a sermon can be drafted in seconds where a shepherd’s heart is formed over years. A verse can be explained by a machine however we ought to remember that only the Spirit writes the word that is upon our hearts. The branch that bears fruit is the one that abides in the Vine.

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2 NKJV)

So, the Church can move forward confidently, making full use of what these tools offer, if her focus stays on Christ Himself rather than the technology. The end goal will always be to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in all.