Reflecting on the growing conversation surrounding artificial intelligence and its relationship to preaching and ministry, I hope to offer a measured and helpful perspective. In recent months, I participated in a discussion with students and ministry leaders on this very topic, and the exchanges revealed both excitement and concern. My aim here is to bring together those interactions in a way that may serve seminary students and pastors as they navigate this rapidly changing technological landscape.
AI as a “Glorified Secretary”
First, I am not among those who instinctively dismiss artificial intelligence as inherently evil or unusable. When understood properly, AI can be a helpful tool in ministry. One speaker I heard described AI as a “glorified secretary,” and I think that is a fairly accurate analogy. It can assist with tasks, help organize information, and save time. For those engaged in the demanding work of preaching, this matters. Faithful exposition requires diligence, but it also requires wisdom in stewarding time.
In my own experience, I have used AI in simple but practical ways. For example, when I could not recall a specific Old Testament reference tied to a phrase, I was able to input the phrase into an AI system and quickly retrieve relevant texts. In another instance, I asked for recommended commentaries on a biblical book that combined exegetical depth with pastoral application. The results, while requiring discernment, provided a helpful starting point. In this sense, AI functions as a research assistant rather than a replacement for serious study.
Where AI Is Limited
However, one of the most important realities to understand is that AI is only as good as the prompts we give it. Its usefulness is directly related to the clarity and precision of the questions we ask. Used wisely, it can accelerate certain aspects of preparation. Used carelessly, it can produce vague or unhelpful results. This means that the responsibility remains firmly with the preacher, not the tool.
The responsibility remains firmly with the preacher, not the tool.
At the same time, we must be honest about AI’s limitations. AI is not sentient. It does not think, feel, or understand in any human sense. It operates through patterns and data, not conviction or spiritual insight. This alone should caution us against overestimating its capabilities. I have observed that AI-generated material, while sometimes coherent, often lacks depth and a certain relational or spiritual substance. It can feel hollow if relied upon too heavily.
Where AI Is Dangerous
This leads to a more serious concern: the danger of unhealthy dependence. If we are not careful, AI can become a shortcut that bypasses the essential work of sermon preparation. Preparing to preach is not merely an intellectual exercise. It is a spiritual discipline. The preacher must first be shaped by the text before attempting to shape a message for others. There is no substitute for sitting with Scripture, wrestling with it, praying over it, and allowing it to confront the heart of the preacher himself.
Preparing to preach is not merely an intellectual exercise. It is a spiritual discipline.
One of my greatest concerns is that AI could encourage what I would call a “professionalized” approach to preaching—sermons that are well-structured but spiritually unformed. It is entirely possible to produce a polished manuscript without ever being personally affected by the Word. This is a danger we must resist. As I often tell students, if there are not moments in sermon preparation where you are compelled to stop, pray, and repent in light of the text, something is missing in your process.
The Puritan John Owen emphasized that no man preaches that sermon well to others which he has not first preached to his own heart. That principle remains profoundly relevant in the age of artificial intelligence. AI cannot replace conviction. It cannot produce repentance. It cannot cultivate spiritual brokenness or dependence upon the Holy Spirit. Only time alone with God and His Word can do that.
We also must remember that preaching is fundamentally incarnational. God has chosen to communicate His Word through human messengers, not machines. The ministry of Jesus Himself affirms this reality. The Word became flesh, not data. Therefore, the personal, embodied nature of preaching cannot be replaced by technological alternatives.
What the Church Does (and AI Cannot)
This does not mean AI has no place in ministry. It does. However, its place must be defined carefully. It can assist in research, provide summaries, and help locate resources. It can function much like a digital assistant. However, it must never become the authority or the source of the sermon itself.
There is also a legitimate role for AI in helping those who may not have access to formal theological education. For students without seminary training, AI can help explain terms, outline interpretive steps, or provide background information. Used in this way, it can serve as a bridge to deeper study rather than a replacement for it. However, even here, discernment is essential, and its output should always be checked against reliable theological sources.
The broader question that often arises is what AI eventually might replace in the church. It is already affecting administrative tasks, bookkeeping, and certain organizational functions. These developments are real and should not be ignored. Yet there remains a fundamental distinction between administrative efficiency and pastoral presence. No machine can replace the act of visiting a hospital room, praying with a grieving family, or looking someone in the eye with compassion and truth. The church is, at its core, a community of embodied relationships.
This is why I remain convinced that while AI will continue to develop and influence many aspects of life, it cannot replace the essential nature of pastoral ministry or preaching. It can assist, but it cannot incarnate. It can process information, but it cannot shepherd souls.
It can process information, but it cannot shepherd souls.
To current and future seminary students, I would stress that the rise of AI should not discourage you from pursuing serious theological education. If anything, it should reinforce the importance of disciplined study, mentorship, and formation within a community. Seminary provides more than information; it provides structure, accountability, and relational formation. These are things no algorithm can replicate.
Even in an age where information is more accessible than ever, wisdom remains the key need. Knowledge can be generated instantly, but wisdom must be formed over time through prayer, study, and faithful practice. If God has called you to preach, then you must take every opportunity to be shaped, refined, and prepared for that sacred task.
To summarize, my counsel is simple. Use AI, but do not serve it. Let it assist you, but never let it replace the sometimes slow, sacred work of sermon preparation. Above all, remain committed to the truth that preaching is not merely the transmission of information, but the proclamation of a Word that must first grip the heart of the preacher before it rightly can be proclaimed to others.
