Religion

AI Can Support the Church, But It’s Not the Holy Spirit, Expert Warns African Leaders

Chioma Ndukwu 9 months ago 2 min read

By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu

At a major church gathering in Nairobi, tech and ministry expert Adriaan Adams urged African church leaders to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a helpful tool in ministry, but with caution. Speaking at the 13th Africa Evangelical Association General Assembly, Adams explained that while AI can speed up tasks like Bible teaching, leadership training, and administration, it should never take the place of spiritual discernment or human connection. “AI is not the Holy Spirit,” he stressed.

Adams has spent over 25 years working in ministry across more than 40 countries and is now doing a PhD focused on using digital tools for theological education. He shared how AI helped in his research by quickly transcribing interviews and finding key themes, which saved valuable time and helped guide deeper conversations with local church leaders. “Tasks that used to take days could be done in minutes,” he said.

However, he emphasized that AI must be used with wisdom and supervision. It can make mistakes and lacks the ability to truly understand spiritual or cultural context. “It did not replace the actual listening or personal connection,” Adams said, describing AI as a “co-pilot” with humans as the “main pilot.”

He encouraged the Church to use AI for good — such as analyzing ministry feedback, creating local training resources, and improving communication. But he warned that tech should always lead to real relationships and discipleship, not replace them. “It’s a doorway, not the destination,” he said.

Adams also pointed out major challenges in Africa like poor internet access, limited digital literacy, and ethical concerns like data privacy. He advised leaders to adopt five simple guidelines: use tools that serve your mission, start small, learn from experience, train your people, and let faith guide technology use.

In closing, Adams reminded the audience: “Technology and AI are tools. They must serve the mission, strengthen relationships, and help us become better stewards of God’s resources.”