Senior leaders–85 of them–from four mainline denominations participated in the third annual AI and the Church Summit held in late August 2026 in Nashville, TN. The four constituent denominations are the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; the Presbyterian Church (USA); The Episcopal Church; and the United Methodist Church.
Over the four days of meetings, keynote speakers centered around exercising Human Agency in the Age of AI. Cited as especially valuable by participants were the breadth and diversity of perspectives, the ten “QuickTalks” (short presentations on specific topics), and the intentional theological and ethical framing of the urgent questions AI raises before the Church.
Online, over 400 participants from ten additional denominations and fellowships, with representatives from the Southern Baptist Church, the Moravian Church in America, the United Church of Christ, and the Uniting Church in Australia and the Presbyterian Church of Canada, among others. People from four seminaries, nine universities, and 12 organizations also participated. Two members of AI and Faith, Daren Erisman and David Hackett, served on the planning team to contribute AIF resources and perspectives.
The central theological question discussed was not whether AI bears the image of God, but how humans, who do bear the image of God, will exercise wisdom, dignity, and agency in an AI-shaped world. Indigenous leaders challenged churches to weigh AI’s environmental and social impacts, arguing that “ancestral intelligence” rooted in relationships, culture, and community offers an important counterpoint to technological innovation. Speakers explored how the future of ministry will be shaped less by the capabilities of AI and more by the Church’s willingness to imagine new possibilities while remaining grounded in relationships, community, and the Gospel.
The Summit debuted a new website, Pastoral Wisdom for the Age of AI, at https://churchaitoolkit.
The Summit concluded with a call for human courage for this hour. The Episcopal Church Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde gave a closing charge to participants: As AI grows more powerful and unpredictable, church leaders must respond not only with technical expertise but with moral courage, spiritual discernment, and faithful action.
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.
