American Baptist Home Mission Societies - Science for Seminaries

American Baptist Home Mission Societies

https://abhms.org/

3 wavy lines in light blue, green, and blue. Below is the text in blue, "ABHMS Center for" followed by the green text, "Continuous Learning."

“Equipping Congregational Leaders for Science and Technology Engagement” is a groundbreaking 2-year initiative aimed at empowering Christian leaders to engage thoughtfully and ethically with artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies. From January 2025 through December 2026, this program will combine faith, technology, and ethical reflection, equipping leaders to integrate science and tech into their ministry contexts.

The program is organized into three progressive levels. Level 1: Foundations – Equipping Digital Disciples introduces participants to AI concepts, ethical concerns, and real-world applications in ministry. Through biweekly hybrid sessions and guest lectures from AI ethics experts, participants gain a solid foundation for understanding the ethical use of AI. Level 2: Technological Praxis – Workshops & Skill Building focuses on hands-on learning, where participants engage in practical workshops and use tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity AI, and Make.com for congregational management, sermon preparation, and outreach. Level 3: Innovation in Action – Computational Evangelism involves a collaborative project where participants develop a custom AI tool for ministry. This phase culminates in an onsite conference where participants showcase their work and help establish an ongoing ethical think-tank on AI in ministry.

Throughout the program, participants will benefit from regional hybrid meetups, the Center for Continuous Learning’s online course, and the MinistrElife social media community, ensuring ongoing collaboration and support. The program addresses a pressing need for faith communities to become proactive in shaping the ethical use of AI while leveraging its potential for ministry growth and sustainability, particularly for bivocational pastors facing resource challenges.

By equipping leaders with practical skills and a framework for ethical engagement, the program ensures that the church remains a relevant, active, and guiding force in the technological future.

Contact information

Rev. Saeed Richardson
Chief Technology and Information Security Officer
saeed.richardson@abhms.org
Rev. Rebecca Irwin-Diehl
Director of the ABHMS Center for Continuous Learning
rebecca.irwin-diehl@abhms.org
Learn about the other Participant Schools

In furtherance of the AAAS mission of advancing science in service to society, AAAS|DoSER’s role in the Science for Seminaries project is to support efforts to integrate science into seminary education. AAAS|DoSER does not advise on or endorse the theological content of the participating seminaries.