Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping communication practices, including Christian preaching, as tools such as ChatGPT are explored for sermon preparation. While these tools can enhance efficiency and structure, they also raise theological, pastoral, and ethical concerns related to accountability, interpretation, and spiritual formation. Despite growing interest, there remains limited field-tested evidence on how AI-assisted sermon preparation is experienced and evaluated in live congregational settings. This study reports a practical-theological field experiment using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. Across four consecutive Sundays, eleven pastors preached sermons prepared with ChatGPT as an assistive drafting tool guided by structured prompts. Data were collected from three sources: 480 congregational evaluations of clarity, relevance, and personal impact; ten ordained elders who assessed forty sermons for doctrinal faithfulness, Scripture handling, clarity, and pastoral tone—both groups unaware that the sermons were AI-assisted—and the participating pastors' weekly reflections on usability and spiritual-pastoral connection. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, and qualitative responses were examined through thematic analysis. Findings indicate that AI-assisted sermons were generally perceived as clear, relevant, and spiritually encouraging, particularly when pastors actively shaped and contextualized AI-generated drafts. However, limitations emerged regarding exegetical depth, doctrinal precision, contextual illustration, and pastoral ownership. Interpreted through a Wesleyan lens, the results suggest that AI can function as a bounded drafting aid but cannot replace Spirit-led discernment and accountable proclamation. The study concludes by offering a field-tested AI Prompt Guide to support responsible pastoral use of ChatGPT.
Cesar Taqueban Reyes Jr. (Thu,) studied this question.