Practicing Christians are using artificial intelligence far more frequently than the general population, and at rates that outpace even their own pastors, according to new research published by Barna in partnership with Gloo. Forty-four percent of practicing Christians report using AI "very often" or "often" in their personal lives, compared to just 31 percent of all U.S. adults and 29 percent of non-practicing Christians. The pattern holds at work as well, where 39 percent of practicing Christians say they use AI frequently on the job, versus 26 percent of Americans nationally. The findings are part of Barna's multi-year State of the Church initiative exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping faith today.
The gap between practicing Christians and pastors is even more pronounced. Only 16 percent of pastors say they use AI "often" in their personal lives, and "very often" barely registers in the data at all. Nearly half of pastors—45 percent—report using AI "not very much" or "not at all," while one-third say they use it only "sometimes." At work, pastors use AI frequently at a rate of 24 percent, well behind the 39 percent of practicing Christians who do the same. When it comes to specific tasks, practicing Christians mostly turn to AI for everyday activities: looking something up, learning how to complete a task, getting advice on a decision, catching up on news, or polishing their writing. Questions directly tied to faith, such as interpreting scripture or seeking spiritual guidance, appear much lower on the list. Even so, nearly half of practicing Christians say they'd trust AI with something as significant as their own spiritual growth, though only about one-third have actually turned to AI for spiritual guidance or Bible-related questions in the past month. Meanwhile, one in three practicing Christians want guidance from their pastor on navigating AI, but just 12 percent of pastors feel ready to provide it.
"Ask people yes-or-no whether they use AI, and the average pastor and the average American look about the same," says Daniel Copeland, Barna's vice president of research. "It's frequency of use where the difference actually shows up." Copeland notes that pastors understand AI exists, but they're not immersed in it the way their engaged congregants may be. "The danger for pastors is underestimating just how normal AI is for the people around them," he adds. For most practicing Christians, AI isn't for occasional use—it's already woven into how they work, learn, and make decisions.
The report suggests that pastors don't need to become technology experts to stay relevant to their congregations. Instead, according to Copeland, the better move is for church leaders to double down on what they already do well: teaching people how to engage scripture, building real relationships, and making space for analog discipleship. That's what people can lean on when AI gives them an answer that's incomplete, misleading, or just wrong. The research points to a shift in mindset rather than workload—the questions people already bring to AI about scripture, relationships, and personal struggles often surface before they ever reach a pastor. Christian leaders who pay attention gain a clearer view of where people are stuck, and one more reason to keep showing up in person for exactly those moments.