91% of Pastors Use AI. Only 6% Have a Policy. Here’s How to Fix That
91% of Pastors Use AI. Only 6% Have a Policy. Here's How to Fix That | AI For Christians
SEO Keyphrase: church AI policy template
Slug: /church-ai-policy-91-percent-pastors
Meta Description: 91% of church leaders support AI in ministry and most use it daily. Only 6% have a formal AI policy. That is not a technology problem. That is a leadership gap. Read the full breakdown at AI For Christians.
Tags: AI for Christians, Church AI Policy, Brentwood Statement, Manus AI, Faith and Technology, Christian AI Newsletter, This Week in AI
The Number That Should Stop You in Your Tracks
According to a recent survey by Subsplash, 91% of church leaders support the use of AI in ministry — and 78% are using it weekly or daily.
But here is the number that should stop every ministry leader reading this:
Only 6% of churches have a formal AI policy.
That is not a technology problem. That is a leadership gap.
Churches are inviting powerful tools into sacred spaces — prayer requests, counseling notes, children's ministry data, communication with vulnerable members — and doing it with no guardrails, no framework, and no accountability to the congregation they serve.
The Brentwood Statement: A Theological Framework Every Church Needs
On June 8, 2026, Lifeway Christian Resources released The Brentwood Statement on AI and Christian Ministry — the most comprehensive theological framework for AI in American evangelicalism to date. Southern Baptist pastors, professors, and SBC leaders gathered in Brentwood, Tennessee to develop it.
The statement gives every church leader seven principles for navigating AI in ministry:
1. Pursue Wisdom. Christian leaders must engage AI critically — neither rushing to adopt nor rushing to reject. Godly wisdom cannot be gained quickly, and it cannot be pursued alone.
2. Champion God-Given Dignity. Humans are made in the image of God. No machine can replace what the imago Dei represents. AI can assist — it cannot take the throne of what only God creates.
3. Promote Truth and Fidelity. Every piece of AI-generated content must be verified. Misinformation — even unintentional — is a failure of faithfulness to the people in your care.
4. Cultivate Trust and Integrity. Transparency is not optional. Church leadership, staff, and congregation all deserve to know when and how AI is being used on their behalf.
5. Protect Privacy. Churches must be incredibly cautious before uploading sensitive congregational data to any public AI system.
6. Represent and Proclaim the Kingdom of God. AI should augment the Great Commission, never replace it. Counseling, personal discipleship, and mentorship cannot be automated. They require presence, prayer, and the Holy Spirit.
7. Model Faithful Leadership. Technology is deeply formative. Leaders who use AI must do so with wisdom, truth, and grace toward those they shepherd.
Your Church Can Start Building a Policy in 60 Minutes
Church technology platform Subsplash published a practical four-phase guide for any pastor to create a basic AI policy in a single 60-minute staff meeting:
- Phase 1 (0–15 min): Start with values, not rules. Discuss what your church believes about technology, human dignity, and pastoral authority.
- Phase 2 (15–30 min): Audit what you are already using. Have every staff member name every AI tool they use — without judgment.
- Phase 3 (30–45 min): Agree on three non-negotiables. Examples: no member data in public AI tools, no AI content without human review, mandatory disclosure when AI assists in communications.
- Phase 4 (45–60 min): Write the one-pager. Combine your preamble, approved use cases, and three non-negotiables into one clear document.
That is your starting point. A complete, context-specific policy that holds up to scrutiny — one that addresses your denomination's theology, protects your congregation from liability, and actually gets adopted — takes more than a whiteboard session. That is where AI For Christians can help.
Take the Church AI Policy Assessment →
The Theology Behind the Framework
Seven principles. Seven guardrails. But here is the truth that ties them all together: Spirit-led. AI-assisted. The Holy Spirit leads. AI is the tool He may lead you to use. When that order is preserved, AI becomes one of the most powerful equipping instruments the church has ever had. When that order is reversed, it becomes a liability.
The 94% of churches with no policy have not answered this question yet. Your congregation is waiting for you to.
Scripture + AI Insight
"There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord." — Proverbs 21:30
A policy protects your church. But wisdom from the Spirit is what makes the policy live. Every technical guardrail in the Brentwood Statement flows from a theological conviction: God made humans in His image, and no machine changes that. Build your policy on that foundation.
Join the AFC Community
Has AI helped your faith or ministry? Share your testimony →
Want personalized AI guidance for your ministry? Start the free assessment →
Get the only prompt you will ever need: The Shepherd Prompt.
Spirit-Led. AI-Assisted. | AI For Christians