Every church staff team needs clear guardrails before handing AI tools to well-meaning volunteers and pastors. This policy draws the line between helpful and harmful — so your team can move fast with AI and still sleep at night.
**[CHURCH_NAME]** **Effective Date:** [EFFECTIVE_DATE] **Policy Owner:** [POLICY_OWNER] **Review Date:** [REVIEW_DATE] ---
AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and others represent a significant opportunity to support ministry work at [CHURCH_NAME]. These tools can help with drafting communications, researching topics, brainstorming sermon illustrations, creating training materials, and much more. This policy exists not to restrict AI use, but to ensure it is used wisely, ethically, and in ways that strengthen rather than replace authentic ministry. We believe AI is a tool — like a word processor or a concordance — and that the human pastor, leader, and servant remains irreplaceable. ---
This policy applies to all staff and volunteers at [CHURCH_NAME] who use AI tools in any aspect of their ministry role, whether on church-provided devices or personal devices while doing church work. ---
The following uses of AI tools are encouraged and approved: ### 3.1 Communication and Administration - Drafting emails, newsletters, announcements, and letters (with human review and editing) - Proofreading and improving clarity of written communications - Creating templates, checklists, and administrative documents - Summarising long documents or meeting notes - Translating materials into other languages (with verification by a fluent speaker where accuracy is critical) ### 3.2 Sermon and Teaching Preparation - Researching historical background, cultural context, and biblical commentary - Generating sermon illustrations, analogies, and examples to consider - Creating discussion questions for small groups or life groups - Drafting sermon outlines as a starting framework (not as final content) - Summarising theological resources and books - Helping overcome writer's block with idea generation ### 3.3 Content Creation - Drafting social media captions for human review - Creating first drafts of blog posts, devotionals, or study guides - Generating ideas for events, programmes, or campaigns - Writing scripts or talking points for videos and presentations ### 3.4 Ministry Research - Exploring ministry best practices and approaches - Researching topics for pastoral care (mental health resources, addiction support, etc.) - Summarising research for leadership team discussions ---
The following uses are not permitted: ### 4.1 Confidential Information **Never enter the following into any AI tool:** - Names, contact details, or personal circumstances of congregants or counselling clients - Financial information about individuals or the church - Personnel matters, disciplinary issues, or HR-sensitive information - Details shared in pastoral counselling, prayer requests, or confidential conversations - Login credentials, passwords, or access keys - Any information that a person shared with the expectation of confidentiality Note: Most publicly available AI tools (including free versions of Claude and ChatGPT) use conversations for training unless explicitly opted out. Treat these platforms as semi-public — never share private information. ### 4.2 Deceptive Use - Do not represent AI-generated content as entirely your own original work in contexts where authenticity is expected (e.g., claiming a sermon is fully your own when it was generated by AI) - Do not use AI to impersonate another person - Do not use AI to generate misleading or false information ### 4.3 Theological Shortcuts - Do not rely on AI as a substitute for biblical scholarship, prayer, and personal study - AI tools do not have the Holy Spirit and should not be treated as a source of revelation or authoritative theological guidance - Always verify theological claims from AI against trusted biblical sources ### 4.4 Legal and Compliance - Do not use AI to generate legal documents, contracts, or formal complaints without professional legal review - Do not use AI-generated images of real people without their consent - Respect copyright — AI-generated content based heavily on a specific existing work may still carry copyright concerns ---
[CHURCH_NAME] recognises that AI can assist in sermon preparation. The following guidelines apply: 1. **Prayer and study first.** AI should supplement, not replace, personal time with Scripture and the Lord. 2. **AI-assisted outlines are starting points.** Preachers must personally develop, verify, and own the content they deliver. 3. **Illustrations from AI must be verified.** AI sometimes fabricates historical details or misquotes sources. Check every illustration before using it in a sermon. 4. **Disclose if asked.** If a congregation member or colleague sincerely asks whether AI was used in preparing a message, answer honestly. 5. **The voice must be yours.** Edit and personalise all AI-generated content so it reflects your genuine voice and pastoral insight — not generic AI text. ---
All content produced with significant AI assistance and intended for public use (sermons, website, social media, publications) must: 1. Be reviewed and edited by the responsible staff member 2. Be checked for theological accuracy against Scripture and [CHURCH_NAME]'s statement of faith 3. Have any factual claims (quotes, statistics, historical facts) independently verified 4. Be approved through the normal content approval process before publication ---
[CHURCH_NAME] recommends the following AI tools for ministry use: [APPROVED_AI_TOOLS] Staff are responsible for understanding the privacy settings and data handling policies of any AI tool they use. When in doubt, consult [POLICY_OWNER]. ---
When using AI tools: - Use the highest available privacy settings - Where possible, opt out of data being used for model training - Use work email addresses rather than personal email to create accounts on approved tools - Do not share accounts between staff members ---
[CHURCH_NAME] is committed to helping staff use AI tools effectively. Training resources are available at [TRAINING_RESOURCE_LOCATION]. Staff are encouraged to share what is working and what is not — we are learning together. ---
AI technology is changing rapidly. This policy will be reviewed every [REVIEW_FREQUENCY] months to ensure it remains relevant and helpful. Staff feedback on this policy is welcome and should be directed to [POLICY_OWNER]. ---
If you are unsure whether a specific use of AI is appropriate, ask [POLICY_OWNER] before proceeding. This is a learning process for all of us, and no question is too basic. --- *This policy was adopted by [CHURCH_NAME] on [EFFECTIVE_DATE].*