Helping your congregation decide

Organizational Preparation

Values exercises and sample policies for congregations discerning how AI should — and should not — be part of their common life.

Exercise

Naming Our Values

A congregational exercise for more thoughtful AI discernment

A facilitator guide in two formats — a single 90-minute session or a day retreat — that helps a congregation’s leadership move from vague agreement to a working values filter that real AI decisions can be run through.

Includes download ↓

Policy

Sample AI Policy (PCUSA)

A starting point for congregational policy

A sample artificial-intelligence policy prepared within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), offered as a starting point for congregations and councils drafting their own.

Includes download ↓

Policy

AI in Digital Ministry: Guidelines

Norms for AI-assisted communication and online presence

Guidelines for the use of AI in digital ministry settings — a reference for leaders developing norms around AI-assisted communication, content, and online pastoral presence.

Includes download ↓

Policy

Guidance on Generative AI (GTS & VTS)

Guidance for ministers and scholars from General and Virginia Theological Seminaries

A statement on the use of generative AI from General and Virginia Theological Seminaries: technology in service of the common good and human dignity, honest cautions, and practical guidance for appropriate use.

Includes download ↓

Policy

AI Incident Response & Consultation Team

A local template for legal, ethical, and boundary-related concerns

A fill-in template for establishing an AI incident-response team: contacts, roles, evidence preservation, initial commitments, referral resources, boundaries, policies, and an annual review.

Includes download ↓

Policy

Deepfake, Impersonation & Fraud Response Kit

Authoritative sources and church-ready response patterns

Government and security sources for callback verification, dual authorization, emergency-request checks, impersonation incidents, fraud bulletins, tabletop exercises, communications, reporting, and financial recovery.

Policy

Pastoral AI Crisis & Referral Protocol

Authoritative foundations for listening, escalation, referral, and follow-up

A U.S.-focused sourcebook for AI-related pastoral crises: listening, theological discernment, mental-health referral, emergency escalation, safeguarding, documentation, follow-up, and limits of clergy competence.

Policy

Children, Youth & Family AI Safeguarding Standard

Church-ready guidance for literacy, covenants, prevention, response, and care

Authoritative child-safety guidance for church policy, parent and youth covenants, age-appropriate AI literacy, ministry training, synthetic-image and sextortion response, reporting, trauma-informed care, and AI-companion risks.

Policy

Church AI Governance & Procurement Standard

A practical framework for selecting, governing, reviewing, and leaving AI services

A source-based standard for vendor assessment, data retention, sensitive church information, human review, doctrinal and factual testing, accessibility, bias, cybersecurity, cost, exit planning, and annual policy review.