Your church or ministry
Policy
AI use policy
This policy sets out how our church uses artificial intelligence (AI) safely and openly.
- Adopted
- Reviewed
- every year
1.Purpose
We use AI to serve people better and to give our team more time for the work only people can do.
2.Our principles
- People first. AI supports our team; it never replaces a real person where care or judgment is needed.
- Accuracy. A person checks what AI produces before it is used, especially anything about people.
- Sources. We check every quotation against its original source before we use it.
- Privacy. We protect the information people trust us with, and share only what each tool needs.
- Transparency. We are open about where and how we use AI.
3.Who this covers
All staff and volunteers when they work on behalf of our church.
4.What AI may help with
- Drafting and editing communications, such as newsletters, announcements, and social posts, reviewed by a person before they go out
- Research and study preparation, with every source checked
- Administration, scheduling, and summarizing notes that contain no personal information
5.What AI must never do
- Stand in for pastoral care, counseling, or prayer with a person. Anyone seeking care is met by a real person.
- Make decisions about people, such as hiring, discipline, membership, or who receives help.
- Speak as a pastor, leader, or member of our community, or create testimonies, quotes, or stories that did not happen.
- Give medical, legal, or financial advice to the people we serve.
- Receive personal information in a tool we have not approved.
6.Preaching and teaching
AI may help with background research, such as history, context, and language. It does not write sermons, talks, or lessons; those are prepared by the person who brings them.
7.Protecting people’s information
- We never put personal information into an AI tool that has not been approved for it.
- We use organization accounts for AI tools, not personal accounts, with two-step sign-in.
- Where a tool offers it, we turn off training on our data and review its data-processing terms.
- Information about children and young people never goes into any AI tool.
- Giving and financial records stay in our giving and accounting systems.
- Pastoral care notes and prayer requests never go into any AI tool.
8.Approved tools
Our leadership team keeps a list of approved AI tools and what each may be used for. Using a tool that is not on the list, or using an approved tool for something new, needs their approval first.
9.Being open about AI
We tell people when they are talking with an AI tool. We never present AI-made words or images as a person’s own testimony or work.
10.Questions and review
Questions about this policy go to our leadership team. We review it every year, and whenever our tools or needs change.
A template from Rejoice (rejoice.global/resources) to help you start. It is not legal advice: adapt it to your setting, and check it with your leadership and, where needed, a lawyer.