A growing number of pastors are embracing artificial intelligence in their work, yet a new study shows that many still worry the technology could weaken their role in providing spiritual guidance.
According to “Technology for Missional Impact: State of Church Tech 2026,” published by Barna Group in collaboration with Pushpay, about 60% of church leaders report using AI for personal purposes at least several times each month, while 24% say they do not use it at all.
The study also highlighted significant concerns among church leaders, with 51% saying they were “very concerned” about plagiarism and “compromised message integrity,” and another 30% reporting they were “somewhat concerned.” 49% said they were “very concerned” about losing authenticity in preaching, while 83% expressed either strong or moderate concern about data privacy.
Around 58% of church leaders said their church does not currently use AI, while 33% reported some level of adoption, and 8% were uncertain.
Separate findings from Barna’s “State of the Church” initiative, conducted with Gloo, showed that roughly one-third of practicing Christians believe the spiritual advice provided by AI is as valuable as that offered by a pastor, with practicing believers more likely to agree than others.
Although only a small number of pastors fear being fully replaced by AI, many still see potential risks, with 65% concerned that the technology could displace their spiritual leadership and 70% worried it could weaken congregants’ trust.
Researchers emphasized the need for clearer direction, noting, “Clear guidance could help address these tensions. Most church leaders believe it is important for churches to establish policies governing AI use (24% extremely, 40% somewhat).”
They added, “Yet few churches have taken this step. Only 5% of church leaders say their church currently has an established AI policy — revealing a significant gap between leaders’ sense of responsibility and their organizational readiness.”
Despite these challenges, the report also pointed to positive outcomes, with 79% of church leaders saying technology has significantly or moderately improved connections among congregants. Furthermore, 61% said it has helped deepen faith within their communities, and 78% reported that it has made ministry work at least somewhat easier.
