AI in Church Statistics 2027: Latest 2026 Data and Trends
How are pastors and churchgoers using and judging artificial intelligence? The latest sourced figures from Barna Group, Lifeway Research and American Bible Society, plus what the data says about online church. Every figure links to its original study. Updated October 2026.
AI statistics at a glance
How are pastors using AI?
- How pastors approach artificial intelligence 32% experimenting, 20% ignoring, 18% waiting, 18% avoiding, 10% regular users · Lifeway Research, 2026
- Most common ways pastors use AI in ministry 50% brainstorming, 37% graphic design, 36% research, 34% small group questions, 34% admin · Barna Group, 2026
- Pastors who write or edit sermons with AI's help 24% · Barna Group, 2026
- Pastors who use AI for Bible study 41% · Barna Group, 2026
- Pastors who do not use AI at all 13% · Barna Group, 2026
- Pastors comfortable using AI, by task 88% graphic design, 78% marketing, 58% communication, 12% sermons, 6% counseling (2024) · Barna Group, 2024
What concerns do pastors have about AI?
- Pastors' concerns about AI 84% edit for errors, 81% reliable sources, 76% bias, 62% disclosure, 59% plagiarism, 55% not a person · Lifeway Research, 2026
- Pastors concerned about AI misinterpreting scripture 94% · Barna Group, 2026
- Concern that AI will misinterpret Scripture 94% pastors, 83% practicing Christians, 74% U.S. adults · Barna Group, 2025
- Pastors preferring AI to present multiple theological viewpoints with citations 60% · Barna Group, 2026
- Pastors who think AI should entirely avoid contested Scripture passages 5% · Barna Group, 2025
- Pastors who feel cautious about AI 71% · Barna Group, 2026
- Pastors' emotional responses to AI 71% cautious, 52% curious, 40% conflicted, 40% skeptical · Barna Group, 2026
- Pastors who believe God can use AI 77% · Barna Group, 2026
What do churchgoers think about AI?
- Practicing Christians who would trust AI with their spiritual growth 48% · Barna Group, 2026
- How practicing Christians use AI for faith and growth 49% personal growth, 45% Bible study, 41% prayer (2025) · Barna Group, 2025
- Practicing Christians worried AI will replace pastors or spiritual leaders 72% · Barna Group, 2026
- Americans who agree AI can assist them in understanding the Bible 14% · American Bible Society, 2026
- Churchgoers interested in pastor guidance on using AI wisely 42% · Barna Group, 2025
- Practicing Christians who want pastoral guidance on navigating AI 31% · Barna Group, 2026
- Christians who feel hopeful about AI's potential for good 28% · Barna Group, 2026
- Tasks where Christians say a human does it better than AI 86% spiritual counseling, 84% mental health counseling, 63% writing sermons (2024) · Barna Group, 2024
What about online and digital church?
- How churchgoers primarily attend services 72% in person, 16% combination, 12% mainly online (2025) · American Bible Society, 2025
- Acceptable reasons to watch a worship service online instead of in person 69% sick, 48% traveling, 38% too far, 29% to learn, 26% anytime, 24% getting up late (2025) · Lifeway Research, 2025
- If church were only online 40% unlikely to attend, 32% disappointed, 27% disconnected, 25% hopeful, 11% excited (2022) · Barna Group, 2025
- Christians who see value in their church offering a digital resource hub 74% · Barna Group, 2026
- Digital tools Christians say churches could benefit from 75% online giving, 74% resource hub, 70% social media, 68% digital communication (2024) · Barna Group, 2024
- Churches that do not use online giving at all 69% (2015), 50% (2020), 31% (current) · Lifeway Research, 2025
- Young people who would consider joining a totally online spiritual community 28% · Springtide Research Institute, 2024
Looking ahead to 2027: what the latest data points to
No 2027 statistics have been published yet. Here is what the newest readings suggest. We update this page as new research arrives.
- Most pastors now use AI, but most are cautious. In Barna Group's 2026 research with Gloo, 13% of pastors do not use AI at all and 71% describe feeling cautious. Lifeway Research's 2026 survey of Protestant pastors found 32% experimenting and 10% regular users, so the two surveys measure adoption differently. See the data.
- Concern centers on accuracy and Scripture. 94% of pastors told Barna Group they are concerned about AI misinterpreting Scripture, and 84% of Protestant pastors told Lifeway Research that AI content must be edited for errors. See the data.
- Churchgoers are open to AI and uneasy at once. 48% of practicing Christians would trust AI with their spiritual growth, while 72% worry it will replace pastors or spiritual leaders (Barna Group with Gloo, 2026). Only 14% of Americans agree AI can assist them in understanding the Bible (American Bible Society, 2026). These come from different surveys and populations and should not be added together. See the data.
AI statistics: common questions
How many pastors use AI?
It depends on the survey. Barna Group with Gloo found 13% of U.S. pastors do not use AI at all in ministry in 2026, and 24% write or edit sermons with its help. Lifeway Research's 2026 survey of Protestant pastors found 32% experimenting with AI and 10% regular users, with 18% intentionally avoiding it.
What do pastors use AI for?
Barna Group with Gloo (2026) found the most common uses are brainstorming or idea generation (50%), graphic design or visual creation (37%) and biblical or theological research (36%). 41% of pastors report using AI for Bible study. In a separate 2024 Barna Group survey, pastors were most comfortable using AI for graphic design (88%) and least for counseling (6%).
Are pastors worried about AI?
Yes. 94% of pastors told Barna Group they are concerned about AI misinterpreting Scripture (2026) and 71% describe feeling cautious. In Lifeway Research's 2026 survey, 84% of Protestant pastors said AI content must be edited for errors and 81% said it is hard to ensure AI uses reliable sources.
Do Christians trust AI with faith questions?
Views are split. 48% of practicing Christians say they would trust AI with their spiritual growth, and 72% worry about AI replacing pastors or spiritual leaders (Barna Group with Gloo, 2026). Among all Americans, 14% agree AI can assist them in understanding the Bible (American Bible Society, 2026).
How many churchgoers attend church online?
American Bible Society's 2025 State of the Bible found 72% of churchgoers primarily attend in person, 16% use a combination of in person and online, and 12% attend mainly online. In a 2022 Barna Group survey, 40% of Christians said they would be unlikely to attend if their church were solely online.
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About this data
Leader Insights collects statistics about U.S. churches from published research. Every number is checked against the wording of the original source before it is published, and each statistic links back to the study it came from. Different studies define the same topic differently, so figures from different sources are not directly comparable; each is labeled with its publisher and year.