I am concerned that much of the church is not ready for the surge of AI that has already started to emerge like a tsunami THIS YEAR (2023).
When I say I'm concerned for the church...Most don't even know what I'm saying when I use the term Artificial Intelligence. Here's what I see happening which moves me to great prayer.
Think back to the last 10 years of the church and how social media and livestreaming only took 5-10 years to make thousands of churches obsolete. AI could do the same in a matter of months. Don’t get me started on the fact that churches are still talking about livestreaming or online giving as if it’s a cutting-edge thing their church is doing. We have to WAKE UP!
So what am I talking about when I say Artificial intelligence and what are the implications of AI on the church? Well first off, I'm not just talking about your services and how your church functions on a weekly basis. There are going to be challenges there too but I’m most concerned about those leaders who you have planted within major industries who are getting ready to have their careers completely upset in a profound way. If this is not being talked about in your church you must urge your leaders to begin researching this topic quickly. Start by sending them this article.
Let’s give some prophetic context for what is going to unfold this year. From a prophetic perspective, 23 is a number that points to IDENTITY. There are many scriptural indicators of this and prophetic markers around us that are letting us know that our battle with identity is now coming to a head this year. This means the struggle in culture with the LGBTQ+ community will come to a head but also with the mass roll-out of AI in every industry, everyone will start to question reality a bit. The third area we will we see come to a head as it relates to identity is the mental health crisis. It’s only going to be magnified with the shutting down of certain jobs as well as the deeper integration of technology into every aspect of our lives. Let me stop and mention here that Elon Musk has applied to start human trials of nuralink this year. Basically, we are on the cusp of artificial intelligence mixed with human DNA. What could go wrong with that, right?
On one front, I’m believing that this crisis of identity will lead to a great revival in the church and among those who struggle with their sexuality and gender. The culture war among the transgender community will be a part of this cultural upheaval and we’ve already started to see some cracks in the foundation of the movement. Right now, the community is cannibalizing itself. The LGB part of the group is separating themselves from the TQ+ parts of the group. We as the church have to be prepared to receive them and to be ready to minister deliverance in love and to able to show a clear example of what it means to understand who we are in Christ. That means we have to have a reckoning with our own identity crisis in the church. Much like the LGBT community uses pronouns and sexual identity labels we too have used titles and positions of leadership and demanded people respect and honor us in those titles. Everyone wants a position or a microphone or to become a Christian influencer now. This is only our attempt to fill the hole in our soul as it relates to our own identity. At this point, we can point a finger outside of the church to those struggling with their identity but we should more so be looking inside the house to see that we are struggling too. I relate it to the story of the prodigal son, who we know went outside of the house but his brother who stayed in the house had just as much of an identity crisis as he did.
So why 2023? Well, let’s start with Psalm 23. This is probably one of the most profound chapters in the bible that deals with the concept of identity. The entire chapter is written by David who had been rejected by his family, yet had a calling from God upon his life. In the midst of wrestling with his own identity, he had a profound revelation that began with, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…” For more on this revelation and how it can help you discover your identity, you need to listen to the latest series in our podcast Needed Conversations. CLICK HERE
For more on the prophetic markers of identity with the number 23, we also know that our biology speaks to this, with our gender being determined by 23 chromosomes from our father and 23 chromosomes from our mother. Finally, this identity crisis that we have been experiencing has a ringmaster and her name is Jezebel. I don’t have time to go into the details of how the spirit of Jezebel operates but in short you should know that she emasculated men and tried to silence prophets. Ultimately she was killed by the eunuchs who she had castrated. Interestingly enough the name Jezebel is mentioned 23 times in the bible. So when I say the LGBTQ community is going to have a revival, I mean they will be the ones to lead the overthrowing of the spirit of Jezebel.
More on this topic will come. Back to Artificial Intelligence…
As we speak, there is an overwhelming amount of AI that is being activated and in turn, has put us on a bullet train of cultural change. One of the primary questions we will raise in the days to come will be, “What does it mean to be human?” This is a question I first heard emphasized a few years ago by Dr. Cindy Trimm. You may think that’s a crazy question today but with a few more years behind us, you may be the very one asking that question from a deep place of confusion. Arrogance will be the very thing than causes many leaders to be swept away by these currents of cultural change.
The good news is that if we are prepared, this could be the finest hour for the church. The outpouring of the Spirit we’ve been praying for is here. I can see it all around as more and more Apostolic leaders are being activated. I see it in my travels as well, people are hungry for the presence of God and it feels as if the rooms I’m preaching in are electric with anticipation.
The reason why the church is in its finest hour yet is because we are the only ones able to provide the answers to these existential questions through preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom. As we move into the rest of this year, we must lean into prayer, be wise and educate ourselves on the effects of AI and ready our congregation both professionally and socially. But first, we must understand how AI will affect the church.
Let’s deal with your members first, many of who are unaware of what’s taking place in their industry. The 5 fold ministry must begin having these conversations with our key leaders. While many people are discussing the downturn in the economy they are not understanding that this is a deliberate economic shift we are experiencing. This is bigger than the recessions of the past. That’s because the recession has already occurred right under our noses. We’re talking about a “coming” recession like it hasn’t happened yet…no it’s actually already occurred. Think of a tsunami that happens suddenly and without warning. Go look up videos and see people sitting on the shore while the waters receded in a quick and strange fashion. Some begin to run but most stand stunned until it’s too late. When waters return they change the shoreline completely and most are swept away by its currents. We are here. Stop looking baffled at what’s going on around you and get moving. All roads are pointing toward an all-digital economy with a government-backed digital dollar being very close to being released. Once this happens the shift will be complete. I have more to say on this as well but let me end this section by saying, in order to introduce a new structure the old has to be demolished. Our current economic climate was a self-induced injury.
Now, when it comes to AI, many people were not expecting the creative and technology sectors to take the first hit but we should have expected it. After all, the arts, marketing, branding, music, and literature are the vehicles that move the culture forward. If you want to shift a culture start there. Now there were hints. The masses were purposely introduced to the power of AI through apps like Lensa at the end of 2022. This should have been an indicator as to things to come in 2023 but many were simply impressed by the super-hero inspired graphics of themselves. You may have used the app or seen your friends on Facebook share their futuristic-looking graphics of themselves. While it is presented to us as entertainment, we as leaders have to investigate the long-term effects of such AI. Not in the way of conspiracy theorists to arouse fear but as apostolic and prophetic leaders to equip the church for our collective calling in this age. The Lensa app with AI-generating art was a calculated introduction. Remember, cultural shifts are always introduced through art first.
With this being the year of identity, in particular, AI will most affect “the creative” and “thought” industries. Designers, writers, marketers, speakers, creators, influencers, and yes…preachers to just name a few. Do you know what ChatGPT is? This is a large language model developed by OpenAI that can generate human-like text based on patterns in a given dataset. ChatGPT is trained on a wide range of text data and can be used to generate responses to prompts in a variety of contexts, including conversation, translation, and summarization. This is a beta program, that in its short introduction to the world through a now-viral beta-testing phase has produced freighting results. Now creative apps like Canva and Jasper AI have introduced their version of the same type of program.
What does this mean in simple terms? Well, imagine our collective dependency on Google. Now magnify that times 1000 or more. Instead of a list of sites generated in a search, we are having complex conversations with AI that not only give us direct responses about our inquiry but can now compile the information and perform tasks based on our questions. That means it will write blogs, give you lists, create outlines of information, solve complex problems, write code, and create original graphic designs and artwork, to just list a few of the things it can accomplish. What about the effects of automation and sending human-like responses to emails and direct messages on social media? That’s already happening too.
Imagine content creators were able to write 1 blog a week now being able to write 4 or more sophisticated blogs per day. The way we use the internet will drastically change because of this. The internet is being absolutely flooded with AI-produced content that is being rapidly distributed by legions of influencers. I would dare say more than half or more of the content you looked at on social media was generated by AI and you didn’t even know it. In addition, the average website which has already been reduced to becoming only as useful as business cards will become irrelevant altogether. Websites were overtaken by funnels and funnels will be overtaken by AI Chatbots. From selling products or having human-like conversations with people to convincing them to come to church…you won’t be able to tell the difference between a human talking to you and a bot. Oh and I haven’t even mentioned deep-fakes. Not only can AI generate photos and video footage of a completely human-like image but now it can give it a voice as well.
Churches are you hearing me yet?
What about a Pastor who no longer does their own sermon prep? They can just ask AI to write a sermon on a specific topic and they simply rehearse and deliver it. No anointing, no discipline, no revelation, and no prayer…. just an onslaught of AI-generated preachers. Yikes. I’ve asked it to write several sermons and to be honest, it’s better than most of the stuff I hear at churches on Sunday mornings. All I know is you better be truly anointed in this season to stand out.
What about people who will be drawn into places and churches through text messaging and DM conversations that seem real? They aren’t talking to a real person….but they don’t know that. AI can generate prayer prompts and more now…If people are catfished online now, can you just imagine? How can you protect the most vulnerable in your congregations? What about our elderly who have already been scammed out of thousands by impersonators online? They have to be told about this.
What about books that are written by AI? What about all the graphic designers that have cropped up in the Christian world who design graphics for events, book covers, etc? What happens when a person can give a few images, dates, and times to an AI and it just generates 10 design options immediately? Are those people out of a job now? On the other hand, what if this is happening and you don’t know it? So you’re paying a designer or company tons of money for work that is generated in seconds or minutes by AI that they are simply promoting?
Yes, this will affect how we do church in key ways but as industries shift to accommodate this wave of AI many individuals in our church will be overwhelmed and will need support and wisdom to make the necessary shifts. As an example, Amazon announced at the beginning of the year it would lay off 18k employees and many think it's because of the economy. Well, that’s what they want you to believe. In reality, Amazon is using this narrative of an economic downturn as an opportunity to shift its agenda. They are letting go of 18k employees because AI is replacing many tasks their executives and creatives were doing. When you look at which roles are being eliminated the story writes itself. The layoffs are primarily affecting the technology and human resources sectors of the company. All these are jobs that are now able to be executed by AI. Yes…even HR can be done by AI now. Facebook/META has done something similar with its recent layoffs as well. Now Spotify, IBM, Salesforce, Godman Sachs, Coinbase, and countless others are following suit. You can best believe they are replacing all of those people with AI and the financial companies are preparing for the soon-to-be-released US Digital Currency.
Listen to the word of the Lord…In the world, 2023 will be the year of explosive AI. In the church, this will be the year of explosive SI (Spiritual Intelligence.) While the rapid dissemination of information and content creation will become, unlike anything we’ve ever experienced before…the value & relevance of the church will be in our ability to access and disseminate REVELATION, demonstrate Biblical Social Structures to the world, and operate a compassionate yet confrontational deliverance ministry.
As these shifts take place there are 2 areas that the church should rapidly invest in. 1. The educational system. 2. The social system.
First, the educational system because let’s face it who is going to need a degree with AI doing all the work? Plus who is going to trust the next 5 years of graduates and believe that they didn’t cheat the system by having AI write their papers for them? Most of the “fluff” degrees have become increasingly irrelevant anyways. So what does that mean for the education of the next generation? Sure we will still need Doctors and Lawyers to a certain degree but honestly….AI is coming for them too. For the first time this year, AI will defend a litigant in the courtroom. Just google it if you don’t believe me. The ads for AI Lawfirm solutions were plastered throughout the airport I was flying through this weekend also. It’s everywhere. Nevertheless, the church should be positioned to take over the educational sector. Apprenticeship-based models will be what will lead education next and we should be masters at that given that the core of what we do is discipleship right? Also, trades like electricians, plumbers, and other similar jobs will be the last to be affected.
Secondly, let’s talk about the social system. This includes marriage, family, mental health, and community connections. With AI moving into every part of our lives there will continue to be a social disconnection. What social media has done to make people more and more isolated will be magnified. My wife and I specialize in marriage and dating coaching and I can tell you what we see with Gen Z when it comes to dating is scary. They don’t know how to connect in ways that were fundamental to most older folks. The church needs to be positioned to help individuals detox from the system, overcome mental health challenges, and represent God’s design for dating, marriage, and family to the world.
There’s so much more for me to say and I’ll have to put more blogs and videos out to cover it in the months ahead but for now, I’ll end this blog by passing the mic over to ChatGPT, the AI chatbot that I talked about earlier. I’ll let it tell you what it thinks will be the pros and cons of AI for the local church.
-Ryan Cole
From this point on this blog is AI-generated.
Take it away AI…
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the world around us and the local church is no exception. As more and more organizations adopt AI, the church must consider how this technology will impact its mission and values. In this blog, we will explore both the positive and negative ways that AI can affect the local church.
Positive Impact of AI on the Local Church
Improved communication and outreach: AI can be used to enhance the church's communication and outreach efforts, through personalized messaging and targeted social media advertisements. AI chatbots can help attract people to services by answering questions and providing information about upcoming events through social media platforms.
Streamlined administrative tasks: By automating tasks such as scheduling, event planning, and member management, AI can free up time for church leaders to focus on more important matters.
Virtual services: AI can also enable virtual services, allowing the church to reach a wider audience and provide an alternative for people who cannot physically attend services.
Spiritual support: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can offer spiritual support and guidance to church members, making it easier for people to connect with their faith.
Sermon notes: Pastors can also use AI to generate sermon notes and outline, allowing them to spend more time on preparation and delivery.
Negative Impact of AI on the Local Church
Decreased personal interaction: The increasing use of AI for tasks such as virtual services and communication may reduce the personal interaction between church members and leaders, leading to a less community-oriented atmosphere.
Displacement of jobs: Automating administrative tasks may result in the displacement of some church staff, leading to financial hardship and reducing the overall capacity of the church.
Dependence on technology: A heavy reliance on AI may cause the church to become too dependent on technology and lose touch with its roots and values.
Ethical concerns: There are ethical concerns surrounding AI, such as issues with privacy, accuracy, and bias in algorithms that may affect the church's mission and values.
In conclusion, AI has the potential to greatly impact the local church in both positive and negative ways. It is important for the church to carefully consider the potential benefits and drawbacks of AI and to use it in a way that supports its mission and values. The use of AI should not be seen as a replacement for human connection and relationships in the church, but rather as a tool to enhance and support these things