There’s no shortage of opinions right now about AI in ministry. Some are excited. Some are anxious. Most are unsure where it fits—or if it should fit at all.
Before jumping to any big conclusions, I’ll be honest: there’s still a lot about AI I’m learning. I tend to jump in and figure things out as I go, so rather than speculate, I thought I’d share how I’ve actually been using AI in my ministry work.
What I’ve learned is this: AI, like most technologies, can accelerate the work we’re already doing. It hasn’t changed what ministry is. But without healthy habits and solid systems in place, AI doesn’t fix problems—it amplifies them.
That’s why I’m cautious about the hype. Used poorly, AI will simply make our mistakes faster and louder. Used well, it can become a helpful tool—much like it would have been for me as a parish employee, and now as a ministry consultant and coach.
AI Helps Me Get Past the Blank Page
One of the hardest parts of leadership—especially for volunteers and part-time ministers—is starting. The blank page can be paralyzing. The first email. The first outline. The first paragraph.
Because of that, I never ask AI to “write a blog post” or “write my newsletter.” Instead, I’ll use a blank document to dump everything out of my head—stream of consciousness, half-formed ideas, questions, frustrations. Then I’ll ask AI to help me identify themes or patterns in what I’ve written.
I do this because when I hit a creative wall, it’s usually because there’s too much noise in my head. Getting it out first matters. AI simply helps me see if there’s anything useful buried in the mess.
I’ve also used AI to support the creative process by generating prompts. If I’m preparing a talk, I might ask it to interview me about my own ministry stories. It’ll ask questions like, “When was a time you struggled to connect with a parent, but eventually had a breakthrough? What changed?”
Whatever AI gives me is a starting point, not a final product. But it often helps me get moving when I’m stuck developing a post, training, or talk.
AI Helps Me Say Less, Not More
When it comes to longer-form content, I actually enjoy editing on my own. I’ll spend time with words and phrases, trying to say things more clearly and honestly.
But emails? Social media posts? Internal communication? I don’t want to waste my reader’s time—and I don’t want to spend excessive energy trying to craft the perfect message. So I’ll take what I want to say, ask AI to summarize it, check for clarity, make sure nothing essential is missing, and move on.
I don’t need help adding more words to ministry. Most of us already have too many. What I need help with is clarity—saying the same thing in fewer, better words.
Used this way, AI becomes an editorial tool. A way to practice restraint. A way to respect people’s time and attention.
AI Protects Energy for People
There’s a category of work in ministry that is necessary, important, and exhausting—but doesn’t actually require my humanity.
- Drafting follow-ups.
- Reworking agendas.
- Repurposing content.
- Summarizing conversations.
When AI helps with those tasks, it’s not about efficiency for efficiency’s sake. It’s about stewardship. Every bit of mental energy I don’t spend on administrative drag is energy I can bring into conversations, coaching, prayer, and discernment.
AI hasn’t replaced relationships in my work. If anything, it’s helped me show up to them less depleted.
AI Still Requires Pastoral Judgment
This might be the most important piece.
I don’t trust AI’s output blindly. Everything gets filtered through theology, experience, and the lived reality of parish and diocesan life. I ask simple but necessary questions: Does this actually serve leaders? Is this faithful? Is this realistic?
AI doesn’t replace pastoral judgment—it depends on it. Without formation, context, and discernment, it’s just words on a screen.
Why This Matters
I don’t think ministry leaders need to become experts in AI. But I do think we need permission to learn, to experiment carefully, and to use tools wisely.
Like most technology, if AI is used poorly, it will show. It will add to the noise and won’t advance the Kingdom. Used well, it can expand our capacity for relational ministry and open doors that weren’t previously accessible.
For me, AI has become a quiet support—not a spotlight. It helps me organize thoughts, write more concisely, and protect energy for what only people can do.
And that feels less like chasing innovation, and more like faithful stewardship in a season where many leaders are simply tired.