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The name came from a little-referenced Old Testament verse about rooftop safety. The vision emerged from two days of prayer, debate, and collaborative design. The result? A bold framework for certifying AI in Christian contexts that could change how ministries navigate the most transformative technology of our generation.
When Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Challenge
“No pressure,” someone joked on Day One, “but today’s devotional created a name.”
John Dyer had opened the AITAC design sprint at Dallas Theological Seminary with Deuteronomy 22:8: “When you build a new house, make a parapet around your roof so that you may not bring the guilt of bloodshed on your house if someone falls from the roof.”
The command seems oddly specific until you remember that ancient Near Eastern homes used flat roofs as living spaces. God’s instruction? Build a protective wall. Create a safety barrier. Take responsibility for those who might be harmed by what you’ve constructed.
“It’s not about whether kids should be on the roof,” one participant later observed. “It’s about making sure they don’t fall off.”
The metaphor landed with force: AI is here, and churches are using it. The question isn’t whether to engage, but how to build protective barriers around the technology we’re deploying at scale.
Thus: Parapet.
The ‘Big Rocks’ Problem
By Day Two, the group had wrestled with what participants called the ‘big rocks won’t show up’ problem. Major ministries and denominations need assurance from credible certification. But they won’t commit to an unproven standard. Classic chicken-and-egg.
The solution? A graduated pathway: free self-assessment tools to build community (‘join the club’), pilot programs with carefully selected partners, and a rigorous four-level certification framework built on IEEE technical standards with biblical theological depth.
“My dad just wants to know,” one participant explained, “does it have the ‘Parapet seal of approval’? That’s all he cares about. Click, go.”
From Castle Towers to Trust Frameworks
The AI-generated logo initially showed a castle tower — the defensive, military meaning of the word ‘parapet’. Someone pointed out the irony: “The more common use is fighting behind a parapet on a castle wall.”
But that misses the biblical point: the Deuteronomy parapet isn’t about warfare, it’s about building something new whilst taking responsibility for human flourishing. It’s about anticipating harm before it happens. It’s about loving your neighbor enough to protect them from dangers they might not even see.
“We’re not turning into one more bureaucracy,” the group insisted. The approach should be guiding, serving, and coming alongside. “We might tell you that you have spinach in your teeth, but we’re not going to do it in a way that’s accusational .”
What’s Next?
Three immediate priorities emerged:
- Market Analysis: Before committing significant resources, validate assumptions about demand, pricing, and the factors that actually drive adoption.
- Founding Partners: Recruit 10 ‘big rock’ organizations to solve the credibility problem. Early prospects include RightNow Media, Dallas Theological Seminary, and Gloo.
- Level 1 Launch: Release the free self-assessment tool within 3-6 months to build community whilst developing more rigorous certification levels.
We are targeting a public launch with all four certification levels available within 18 months.
The Stakes
The design sprint took place against a sobering context. Exponential’s survey data shows 90% of pastors already using AI for discipleship activities. Ethical concerns are actually decreasing year over year, even as AI becomes more powerful and pervasive.
“This is like nuclear technology,” one participant observed. “We need to talk about containment.”
Another pushed back: “Are we just defensive? Or are we advancing Christian values through AI?”
The answer is both. Safeguard whilst you innovate, and protect whilst you pioneer. Build the protective wall precisely so people can safely inhabit the new spaces we’re constructing.
A Name with Weight
By the end of Day Two, participants had created organizational DNA, defined a four-level certification model, mapped stakeholders, and committed to concrete next steps. But the most powerful moment might have been that opening devotional on day one.
Someone securing a domain name doesn’t usually warrant biblical reflection. Launching a standards-based organization typically doesn’t require wrestling with the Word. But Parapet isn’t typical. It’s an attempt to do something ancient (build protective barriers) for something radically new (AI in Christian contexts).
As the closing prayer put it: “We commit ourselves to extension of Your kingdom, an extension of what You are wanting to do in this AI world, extension of how You want us to be Your effective image bearers in this place and at this time.”
When you build a new house — or launch transformative technology in ministry contexts — make a parapet. Create the protective barrier. Take responsibility for human flourishing.
The work has begun!
Get Involved: Monthly check-in calls begin shortly. Those interested in advisory roles, founding partnerships, or pilot participation should reach out to Quintin McGrath.
About Parapet: An independent AI trust and certification organization incubated by AI & Faith, adapting IEEE Ethically Aligned Design standards with theological depth to serve the global church.
Design Sprint Organizations: Our thanks go to the twelve AI experts, business leaders, theologians, and faith tech builders from Global Media Outreach, Gloo, XRI Global, DiscipleIQ, FiveQ, House 337, Dallas Theological Seminary, Bakke Graduate University, World Evangelical Alliance, and AI & Faith, who joined us in the intense two-day design sprint.
Draft by Digital Claude. Refined and updated by Yvonne Carlson (CTO of Global Media Outreach) and Quintin McGrath
Views and opinions expressed by authors and editors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of AI and Faith or any of its leadership.
