A recent survey is revealing that a startling number of pastors are now using artificial intelligence (AI) to prepare their sermons. The study, “AI in the Church 2025” conducted by aiforchuchleaders.com, found that 61% of pastors who prepare sermons use AI tools weekly or daily for sermon preparation. That’s nearly a 20-point jump from 43% in 2024. “Overall, the survey depicts a church that is increasingly open to the ministry possibilities of artificial intelligence, while still grappling with the weighty ethical and practical considerations involved. Most churches seem to believe that AI can be beneficial if used as a tool, but not a replacement for human connection and spiritual discernment,” researchers noted. 64% rely on AI for sermon preparation. Many pastors used AI for research, consistency checks, text analysis, and outlines.

Examples of AI use include 11% who use Grammarly for 11% for things like “polishing emails, newsletters, blog posts, and other church communications.” Nine percent said use Microsoft’s AI-powered search engine Co-Pilot for research along with another 8% using Google Gemini. AI is also used for design purposes, with 8% of the church leaders using Canva Magic Studio, for things like presentations slides, social media, flyers, etc.

Pastors did express some concerns about AI use, with misinformation and a lack of theological accuracy being primary concerns. Pastors were also concerned about AI replacing or diminishing personal, spiritual guidance or impacting the quality of human relationships, as well as concerns over privacy and security. Pastors, however, were optimistic about the technology and learning to overcome such obstacles, with 87% being willing to invest in AI education and training for themselves. The study emphasized that pastors looked at AI as more of a tool than a replacement. While AI was used as a tool for preparation and research, less than a quarter were still using it for actual sermon and devotional development, with the main focus being on content generation.

Reaction to the report on social media showed a concern that that may not always be the case. “God has ordained preaching to be done by biblically qualified men. Preaching necessitates the active work of God’s Holy Spirit. The text must saturate and impact the heart of the preacher before it can do the same for the hearer,” wrote one user on X with an image of a pastor preaching a sermon while an AI bot writes the sermon behind him. “Sermons written by AI are lifeless, flat and dead. They are devoid of the blessing of the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit indwells men, not machines. AI has some benefits, but under no circumstances should the preacher ever – ever – use it to replace his time of study in the text. Don’t be this guy.”