Southern Baptist Convention Issues Biblical AI Guidance for Churches
The rise of artificial intelligence carries promise and peril with the general public having little understanding of either. As AI tools such as ChatGPT and Grok are integrated into classrooms, offices and even churches, Christian leaders are debating how to embrace innovation without compromising conviction.
The Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission has released two guidebooks aimed at helping pastors and church members think biblically about AI.
“We saw the need to provide a theologically grounded resource on AI and technology that’s rooted in Scripture and at the same time offer practical scenarios in real-life events that pastors, ministry leaders and churches are going through,” says RaShan Frost, the commission’s director of research.
The guides describe how platforms developed by companies such as OpenAI can generate humanlike responses by synthesizing vast amounts of online data. “We’re able to interact with machines as if they’re persons,” Frost said. “That’s the end goal of artificial intelligence.”
The SBC is not alone in its efforts, having been joined last year by the Vatican which expanded its call for ethical AI development. The Catholic Church is now officially urging safeguards that protect and magnify human dignity. Meanwhile, the World Evangelical Alliance has also encouraged churches to approach the artificial intelligence with greater discernment.
Meanwhile, both the Biden and Trump administrations have issued executive orders directing federal agencies to establish standards for AI safety and transparency, underscoring the technology’s rapid influence across society. The Trump administration, fearing a takeover of AI development by Communist China, has directed the onshoring of the technology.
Frost said the ERLC materials acknowledge potential benefits, including medical research and administrative efficiency in ministry. But they caution against outsourcing spiritual disciplines. “Our sermon preparation is a time for us to be in the word of God,” Frost said. “What are we doing when we insert AI into that? We are circumventing that process.”
The guides also warn about relational and moral risks, particularly as AI chatbots simulate companionship. Frost pointed to growing concerns about social isolation among young people, documented by the U.S. surgeon general, and said churches must foster embodied community.
“God recognized we were created for community,” he said. “We need to cultivate places of community to show the love of Christ where we live, learn, work and play.”
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice
