65% of Pastors Worry AI Could Displace Their Spiritual Guidance, Study Finds

April 8, 2026

A new study shows that a growing number of pastors are embracing artificial intelligence in their work, yet many still worry the technology could weaken their role in providing spiritual guidance

Christianity Daily reports that “Technology for Missional Impact: State of Church Tech 2026,” published by Barna Group in collaboration with Pushpay, shows 60% of church leaders say they use AI for personal purposes several times each month, while 24% say they don’t use it at all.

The study revealed 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.”

83% expressed either strong or moderate concern about data privacy, while 49% said they were “very concerned” about losing authenticity in preaching.

According to Christianity Daily, 58% of church leaders said their church does not currently use AI, while 33% reported some level of adoption.

Roughly one-third of practicing Christians believe the spiritual advice provided by AI is as valuable as that offered by a pastor, according to separate findings from Barna’s “State of the Church” initiative, conducted with Gloo.

Only only a small number of pastors feared being fully replaced by AI, but many still see potential risks, with 65% expressing concern that the technology could displace their spiritual leadership and 70% worried about it weakening congregants’ trust.

Researchers say the study emphasized a need for clearer direction, writing, “Clear guidance could help address these tensions. Most church leaders believe it is important for churches to establish policies governing AI use.”

“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.”

Photo: top, Credit: Unsplash/Diana Polekhina