By Brian Cederquist
For pastors, artificial intelligence has quickly moved from the margins of conversation into the everyday realities of pastoral ministry. Some pastors are curious. Others are cautious. Many are simply tired of hearing about it.
Regardless of where our sentiments land, the presence of AI raises questions for those entrusted with preaching the Word.
Preaching: Not a Technical Task to Be Optimized
Discussions around AI in preaching are often dominated by workflows, prompts, and efficiency gains. Those points miss the deeper issue.
At its heart, preaching is not a technical task to be optimized but a Spirit-led calling to shepherd people with Biblical truth. That conviction framed a recent Bridge Fellowship gathering of pastors in Grand Rapids, where the pastors spoke honestly about AI and its place (if any) in sermon preparation and presentation.
Every preacher wrestles with two areas:
- Preparation—prayer, study, understanding the text, forming conviction
- Presentation—clarity, organization, engagement, communication
Rather than debating whether AI is good or bad, let’s ask a more important question, as the Bridge Fellowship pastors did: At what point does a tool begin steering the pastor instead of the pastor steering the tool?
Throughout church history, pastors have used tools to help serve their people: commentaries, concordances, visuals, handouts, media, technology. AI belongs in that category—as a tool for preparation and presentation.
But tools must always remain subordinate to the calling.
For example, AI cannot:
- Replace the Holy Spirit’s leading
- Carry spiritual authority
- Know a congregation’s burdens, fears, and blind spots
- Preach with conviction born from obedience
When a tool shapes conclusions rather than assists clarity, it has crossed a line.
A helpful way to think about AI is to treat it like an intern.
An intern can:
- Gather information quickly
- Organize material
- Offer wording options
- Assist with clarity and structure
But an intern:
- Does not know your church
- Does not know your theology by instinct
- Does not carry responsibility for outcomes
- Must be supervised, corrected, and verified
Used this way, AI can assist without replacing the hard, formative work God intends to do in the preacher.
Timeless Wisdom for Emerging Tools
Scripture offers timeless wisdom that applies directly to emerging tools. Proverbs, in particular, gives us guardrails worth paying attention to:
- Humility: Confidence—whether human or artificial—is not the same as wisdom. Faithful pastors remain teachable and cautious (Proverbs 3:5–7).
- Discernment: Not everything that sounds right is right. Claims must be tested, sources verified, and context honored (Proverbs 14:15).
- Diligence: Shortcuts often bypass the very struggle God uses to form clarity and conviction in a preacher (Proverbs 2:1–5).
- Integrity: Every word preached belongs to the pastor, not the tool. Responsibility cannot be outsourced (Proverbs 11:3).
- Counsel: Wise leaders do not adopt new practices in isolation. Accountability matters (Proverbs 11:14).
Pastors Are Stewards
When used carefully, AI can help with:
- Organization and structure
- Clarifying language
- Exploring illustrative ideas
- Summarizing resources (with verification)
- Post-sermon communication and reinforcement
These uses support the work of preaching without attempting to replace it.
When not used carefully, AI can also:
- Reduce personal understanding of the text
- Dull exhortation and conviction
- Turn Scripture into information rather than revelation
- Create polish without shepherding
These dangers are subtle—and that is why guardrails are essential.
As pastors consider AI, their aim should not be fear or hype but faithfulness. Tools may change. The calling to ministry does not. Pastors are stewards—of the Word and of souls, and of the means they use to serve both.
To connect with fellow pastors, connect with us.
Brian Cederquist is lead pastor of Good News Baptist Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and a former Council of 18 member for Regular Baptist Ministries. He holds degrees from Faith Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv) and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (DMin) and is a certified Biblical counselor with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors. He blogs at shepherdthoughts.com.
