A new survey indicates that the majority of Protestant churchgoers in the United States are uneasy about how artificial intelligence may influence their faith.
According to research conducted by Lifeway Research, approximately 61% of Protestant church attendees say they are concerned about AI’s role in Christianity, including 67% of Evangelicals, compared with 55% of those without Evangelical beliefs.
The findings are based on two separate surveys: a phone poll of 1,003 Protestant pastors conducted in September 2025 and an online survey of 1,200 Protestant churchgoers carried out during the same period.
Opinions were divided on whether pastors should use AI to assist with sermon preparation, with 44% of churchgoers expressing approval and 43% voicing opposition, including nearly a quarter who strongly disagreed, while 13% remained undecided.
Those who attend church less frequently (48%) were generally more open to AI use in sermon development than regular weekly attendees (42%), and non-Evangelical respondents (49%) showed greater acceptance than their Evangelical counterparts (40%).
Concerns about AI varied by denomination, with Presbyterian and Reformed churchgoers reporting the highest levels of concern at 64%, followed by Baptists at 62%, while Methodists were comparatively less worried at 48%.
Demographic differences also emerged, as men (31%) were slightly more likely than women (25%) to report no concerns about AI’s influence, and individuals attending services one to three times a month (31%) were more inclined than weekly attendees (26%) to express comfort with the technology.
When asked about a sermon applying biblical principles to artificial intelligence, responses were again split, with 42% expressing support and 43% expressing opposition, including 25% who strongly disagreed, though younger churchgoers were more receptive to such topics.
Among protestant pastors, 10% identified as regular AI users, while 32% said they were experimenting with the technology. Another 18% reported taking a wait-and-see approach, while 18% said they were actively avoiding AI and 20% indicated they were ignoring it altogether.
Larger congregations were more likely to be led by pastors who are actively experimenting (43%) or regularly using (15%) AI, suggesting that church size may influence adoption trends.
Pastors identified several key concerns regarding AI, most notably the risk of inaccuracies in generated content (84%), challenges in verifying sources (81%), and the potential for bias within AI systems (76%).
Additional concerns included a lack of transparency about AI use (62%), possible plagiarism (59%), and theological considerations, with 55% saying God has always communicated through human beings and that AI is not a person.
Differences also appeared between Evangelical and Mainline clergy, with Evangelicals more likely to raise theological concerns (58% vs. 51%), while Mainline pastors were more focused on issues such as plagiarism (65% vs. 56%).
Resistance to AI was especially strong among Lutheran and Baptist pastors, many of whom reported ignoring the technology (22% each) or intentionally avoiding it (24% and 20%, respectively), while Holiness pastors were more inclined to experiment (43%) or regularly use (18%) AI.
Age also played a role, with 50% of those ages 18 to 29 and 53% of those ages 30 to 49 saying such sermons would be worthwhile, compared with 38% among those ages 50 to 64 and 33% among those 65 and older.
