At a Glance
- Most pastors are already using AI in ministry—only 13 percent say they don’t use it at all—with brainstorming, biblical research, graphic design and other behind-the-scenes work leading the way.
- Still, nearly three-quarters of pastors (71%) describe feeling cautious about AI, and 40 percent say they feel conflicted—a combination that shapes not just whether they use AI, but precisely where they allow it.
- Sermon writing with AI has nearly doubled since 2024, when just 12 percent of pastors said they were comfortable doing so. Today, nearly a quarter (24%) report actually writing or editing sermons with AI’s help, although they use it more as a research and preparation partner than as an author.
New Barna research, as part of its ongoing State of the Church initiative, paints a picture of pastoral practices that have integrated artificial intelligence (AI) into ministry life. Only 13 percent of pastors in the U.S. say they don’t use it at all. But the ways in which pastors are using AI reveals something important about how they understand their calling.
How Pastors Use AI
Half of all pastors (50%) say they use AI for brainstorming or idea generation. More than a third (37%) use it for graphic design or visual creation. About the same proportion (36%) use it to research biblical or theological topics, and roughly one in three (34%) use it for generating small group discussion questions or for administrative tasks like scheduling, emails and document preparation.
