Leading Your Church Well in an AI World
In my previous article about AI, we discussed what AI is, its limitations, and how church leaders can think about it. In this article, I want to turn to how AI also impacts the life of the church.
Here are five things to consider regarding the cultural presence of AI and the life of the church.
1. Know your congregation and their experience with AI.
Are members of your congregation already intimately familiar with AI due to work or education?
Students may already be using AI to assist with their schoolwork. Church members may be intimately familiar with AI as software engineers, IT professionals, or using AI to help with their jobs.
Seek their feedback and experience with AI to give them a voice on this matter.
2. Create policies and guidelines for your church and/or staff’s use of AI.
Many organizations have created official documentation to regulate and set agreed-upon standards for AI utilization. The church should also consider writing such policies and guidelines for two reasons:
Ensure proper and wise utilization of AI platforms and
Provide transparency regarding your stance on AI and its utilization within your church.
If you need a place to start, here are a few sample church policies from STBC’s Equip Conference.
3. Determine how often you reference AI.
Be aware of how frequently you use the phrase “This is what AI said about the topic.”
Using AI as a tool can be helpful, but continuing to reference AI can inadvertently give the impression that AI has unmerited authority. The church is not here to proclaim the virtues of AI but to proclaim the glory of the Lord.
4. Be open and honest about AI-generated content.
You may already be using AI-generated content (such as titles or even pictures). There is nothing wrong with using AI-generated pictures for a visual illustration or to come up with ideas for organization and planning. However, we should maintain integrity and admit when the content is not our own work.
5. Focus on the mission.
The church is on mission to make disciples of all nations. AI can certainly assist us in the mission, but we must take care that it doesn’t distract us. The focus should not be on AI but on others. The church proclaims the good news of Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection, not the impressive capabilities of AI. Focusing on the mission does not exclude the church from having a voice in the AI conversation.
Like any other cultural element, we should know AI’s place.
Dr. Eddy Wu works as an IT Operations Manager at NC State University. His interests include Apologetics, Technology, A.I., and Asian culture. He enjoys teaching and mentoring the youth at his church. He is married to Erica, and they have two beautiful and crazy children
Christian accountability is an important part of discipleship. We often hold our Christian brothers and sisters accountable for inappropriate words or acts, but we might neglect one place where we spend a lot of social time.