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<\/a><\/a>\n\u201cPastors are predominantly using AI for behind-the-scenes work \u2014 as a thought partner, a visual aid,\u201d said Daniel Copeland, Barna\u2019s Vice President of Research. \u201cThey\u2019re using it to prepare for ministry, not to replace what happens when they're actually with people.\u201d<\/p>
\nPastors primarily use AI for brainstorming or idea generation (50%), graphic design or visual creation (37%), biblical or theological research (36%), generating small group discussion questions (34%), and administrative tasks like scheduling, emails and document preparation (34%).<\/p>
\nAI-assisted sermon work is growing, with 24% of pastors actively using it today to write or edit sermons, compared to just 12% who felt comfortable doing so in early 2024. However, this emerging pattern indicates that AI is being used for research and preparation, to surface commentary, explore theological angles, or create a structural outline, rather than to generate the message itself.<\/p>
\n\u201cThe pattern of pastors using AI for preparation rather than people-facing ministry makes sense,\u201d said Nick Skytland, Vice President of Gloo Developers and AI Research. \u201cOther Barna data shows that administrative tasks often dominate a pastor\u2019s schedule, keeping them from their most meaningful work \u2014 like teaching, discipling believers, and developing their teams. AI is helping them reclaim those hours so they can focus on ministering to people. It\u2019s encouraging to see leaders adopting these tools while keeping a clear line between the technology and their calling.\u201d<\/p>
\nDespite their willingness to use the tools, pastors remain significantly more hesitant about the technology than practicing Christians. When asked to identify their emotional response to AI, the top response chosen by pastors was \u201ccautious\u201d (71%). While more than half (52%) reported feeling curious about AI, this is coupled with feeling conflicted (40%) and skeptical (40%).<\/p>
\nThough pastors may be willing to experiment with AI in low-stakes, preparatory contexts, the researchers say that these emotional tensions may cause reluctance to use it for the relational and spiritual aspects of their work. The majority of pastors (79%) worry about AI acting as a replacement for God, and nearly two-thirds (63%) worry about AI replacing the role of pastors or spiritual leaders entirely.<\/p>
\nThis month\u2019s research release<\/a> is part of a yearlong Faith & AI series produced by Barna in partnership with Gloo, as part of the State of the Church initiative. Learn more about the 2026 State of the Church initiative at gloo.com\/stateofthechurch<\/a>.<\/p> \nAbout the Research<\/b><\/p> \nData are from two surveys conducted by Barna Group. The U.S. adults survey (n=1,514) was conducted online in November 2025, utilizing representative quotas for age, gender, race\/ethnicity, region, education, and income. The U.S. Protestant pastors survey (n=442) was conducted online in December 2025, utilizing representative quotas for church size, denomination, and region.<\/p> \nGloo<\/b><\/a> (Nasdaq: GLOO) is a leading technology platform serving the faith and flourishing ecosystem. Gloo helps missional organizations amplify their impact by powering their technology and expanding their reach, so that people flourish and organizations thrive. The company\u2019s values-aligned, AI platform modernizes systems, workflows and data, while its marketing and donor solutions expand reach, awareness, and long-term giving for mission-based organizations. Based in Boulder, Colorado, Gloo serves over 140,000 faith, ministry, and nonprofit leaders.<\/p>