Only 1 in 10 pastors don’t use AI at all, survey says

Pollsters at Barna Group reported on Monday that only about 13% of pastors don’t use artificial intelligence at all, even for tasks such as brainstorming, research, or visual creation. The Christian research group said it surveyed 442 Protestant pastors in December 2025. Even though the vast majority of pastors have at least dabbled in AI, roughly 7 in 10 described themselves as cautious about AI, and 4 in 10 said they felt conflicted about using it, Barna found. Very few pastors described themselves as fearful or overwhelmed when thinking about AI.

How are pastors using AI?

• Roughly 50% use it for brainstorming or idea generation.

• About 37% use it for visual aids and graphic design.

• Around 36% use it for researching Biblical and theological topics.

• Approximately 34% use it for scheduling, emails, document preparation, and drafting small-group questions.

Are pastors using AI to write sermons? In 2024, only 12% of pastors said they felt comfortable using AI to write sermons. In the survey published on Monday, 24% of pastors said they were currently using AI to write their sermons. But most pastors were using AI only as a preparation and research tool, not as an author for their messages, Barna said.

Barna said that AI could function as a time-saving tool. The organization explained that pastors have previously reported that they spend most of their time dealing with unsatisfying aspects of their jobs, like paperwork, scheduling, and other administrative tasks. Meanwhile, the most important and meaningful parts of their jobs composed a smaller part of their workload.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift about Christians’ trust in AI as a spiritual authority.