A California pastor has developed an artificial intelligence version of himself designed to provide members of his congregation with guidance when he is unavailable.
Pastor Justin Lester of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Vallejo created what has been described as “an AI digital doppelganger,” allowing church members to interact with an AI-generated version of their pastor around the clock for advice and answers to questions.
Lester told a local television station that he built the system by feeding it material from across his ministry and online presence. “I connected on YouTube, TikTok, my Instagram and everything I’ve ever written, so all the way back to every sermon I’ve ever preached. Books, all of that are in there. Every single day it evolves.”
The project comes as Christian leaders and organizations are launching new efforts to help churches respond to the rapidly expanding role of artificial intelligence in ministry and everyday life.
One such initiative, the Church AI Toolkit, presents itself as offering “pastoral wisdom in the age of AI.” The project was convened this summer by the TryTank Research Institute at Virginia Theological Seminary “to develop practical, theologically grounded resources for ministry in the age of AI.”
The toolkit was developed by an ecumenical group of clergy, chaplains and other practitioners representing Episcopalian/Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian traditions.
Its resources include case studies, prayers, liturgies and pastoral guidance for responding to people affected by AI, with attention to “the recurring human struggles underneath AI-related situations: grief, loneliness, fear, and meaning”.
Another initiative, the AI Christian Partnership, brings together U.K.-based Christian organizations, theologians, technologists and academics to examine how artificial intelligence could affect churches, ministries and workplaces.
The organization states, “All our members share a common concern on how AI will impact the church, work and ministry. We believe that, managed well, AI can be used to promote human flourishing and further the gospel.
“Our focus is to encourage AI literacy among Christians. We aim to help Christians formulate a practical response to AI, whether that is in ministry or in your workplace.
The partnership seeks to address practical questions such as what AI is, when Christians should use it and how it can be used responsibly.
It also aims to help Christian organizations coordinate, share resources and support believers navigating the missional, pastoral, theological and ethical implications of AI, while tracking broader developments in the AI-and-faith space.
