Christian churches have answered artificial intelligence with statements, motions, and task forces rather than a single position. An evangelical statement of principles (April 11, 2019) grounds human dignity in the image of God and denies that AI is a moral agent; the Church of England's General Synod endorsed the Rome Call for AI Ethics on February 26, 2024; and the Anglican Church of Canada's governing council voted on June 14, 2026 to build an AI ethics task force. These texts are statements by church bodies, not settled doctrine for all Christians.
Key takeaways
- The 2019 evangelical statement has 12 articles and about 65 initial signatories; it treats AI as a tool for which humans remain morally accountable.
- The Church of England motion of February 2024 linked AI to the dignity of work and added an endorsement of the Rome Call for AI Ethics.
- In Canada, a 2025 General Synod resolution asked for an AI ethics task force; the Council of General Synod took up the matter on June 14, 2026 and set an interim policy.
- Christian bodies differ on method: some publish principles, some act through governance, and some leave guidance to dioceses.
- Catholic and Southern Baptist texts are covered in a separate article on this site; this one looks at evangelical and Anglican sources.
The 2019 evangelical statement of principles
On April 11, 2019, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention released "Artificial Intelligence: An Evangelical Statement of Principles" at an event in Washington, D.C. Christianity Today reported about 65 initial endorsers, among them pastors and scholars. The statement has 12 articles and opens with a preamble that welcomes AI's potential while warning that using it is not morally neutral.
Its theological core is the image of God. Human dignity, the statement says, rests on being made in that image, so technology should not be given human identity, worth, or moral agency. One article holds that humans may use AI to inform their reasoning but cannot hand their accountability to a machine, because AI is not a moral agent. Another article on privacy rejects manipulative or coercive data use and argues that informed consent alone is not a sufficient standard. A closing article says AI does not make people more or less human. The statement also addresses sexuality, and it rejects the use of AI for sexual pleasure.
The Church of England, February 2024
The Church of England's press office reported that on February 26, 2024 the General Synod passed a motion brought by the Diocese of Oxford, "overwhelmingly by a show of hands," according to the release. The motion starts from work rather than from machines. It recognizes meaningful work, paid or unpaid, as central to human flourishing and asks church bodies to pay at least a living wage. It asks two church committees to advise on dignified work in what it calls the current industrial revolution, including biblical wisdom on the subject.
Two amendments were added. A lay member from the Diocese of Southwark added the living wage. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, added an endorsement of the Rome Call for AI Ethics, a 2020 document first signed by the Pontifical Academy for Life, technology companies, and the Italian government. Reports in the Anglican press place the signing for the Church of England in Rome in 2024, during a meeting of Anglican primates.
The Anglican Church of Canada, 2025 to 2026
The Canadian church has moved from discussion to governance. At General Synod 2025, resolution C005, "Artificial Intelligence Use in the Church," was moved by Archdeacon Jordan Haynie Ware and seconded by the Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Metcalfe. It asks the Council of General Synod to convene an AI ethics task force that sets guiding virtues for engagement with generative AI. The resolution page shows it as referred to the council and notes unresolved financial and staffing implications.
The Council of General Synod met on June 14, 2026. According to the church's summary of that meeting, it passed two motions, both brought by Ware. The first directs the Office of the Primate and General Secretary to appoint a working group to draft terms of reference for the task force, to be brought to the council's November 2026 meeting. The second adopts an interim AI policy identical to one already adopted by the Anglican Foundation until the task force reports. The task force mandate includes intellectual property, Indigenous rights, personal data protection, and environmental stewardship.
Three documents side by side
| Document | Body | Date | Type | Main emphasis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evangelical Statement of Principles | Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission | April 11, 2019 | Statement with about 65 initial endorsers | Image of God, human accountability, privacy |
| Work and AI motion | Church of England General Synod | February 26, 2024 | Synod motion | Dignity of work, Rome Call endorsement |
| Resolution C005 and follow-up motions | Anglican Church of Canada | 2025 and June 14, 2026 | Governance resolutions | Task force, interim policy, stewardship and Indigenous rights |
Practice in the pews
The Anglican Journal reported on October 31, 2024 that Canadian Anglicans were divided on generative AI in church work. A priest who directs a church technology project said he uses customized chatbots for research, liturgy lookups, and drafts of sermons and Bible study questions, and described the output as a source of ideas, not a final product. A representative of the Prayer Book Society of Canada said he would trust AI only for simple tasks and argued that it lacks spiritual discernment. A theologian urged churches to write responsible-use guidelines now. The article records a range of views, and none of them speaks for the whole church.
Questions the texts raise but do not settle
Three questions recur. The first is personhood: the evangelical statement answers that no machine is a moral agent, while the Anglican documents reviewed here do not address the point directly. The second is work and dignity, treated at length in the Church of England motion. The third is stewardship, since the Canadian resolution links generative AI to water use. None of these documents settles contested questions such as whether AI might ever be conscious. Readers who want a specific denomination's position should consult that denomination's own authorities, because a statement from one body does not bind another.
This article reports what church bodies have said and does not offer theological, legal, or pastoral advice.
FAQ
What do Christian churches say about artificial intelligence?
No single position exists. Evangelical, Anglican, Catholic, and other bodies have each issued their own statements or motions, and they differ in emphasis and in whether they bind members.
Is there an official Christian view on AI personhood?
Not one for all Christians. The 2019 evangelical statement says AI is not a moral agent and should not be given human identity or worth, but it speaks for its signatories, not for every church.
What did the Anglican Church of Canada decide about AI?
On June 14, 2026, its Council of General Synod directed the appointment of a working group to draft terms of reference for an AI ethics task force and adopted an interim AI policy matching one used by the Anglican Foundation.
Did the Church of England sign the Rome Call for AI Ethics?
Its General Synod endorsed the Rome Call in February 2024 through an amendment by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Anglican press reports say the signing took place in Rome later that year.
Related reading
- Ethical dilemmas AI presents
- Can machines be given morals?
- Contested AI debate topics
- How researchers would test machine awareness
More in AI Policy and Ethics.
Last verified: October 2026
Sources
- Resolution C005, Artificial Intelligence Use in the Church, General Synod 2025, Anglican Church of Canada, 2025
- Highlights from the Council of General Synod, June 14, 2026, Anglican Church of Canada, 2026
- Press release on the General Synod motion on work and AI, Church of England, February 26, 2024
- Evangelicals unveil statement on artificial intelligence, Christianity Today, April 11, 2019
- Anglicans wrestle with potential uses, pitfalls of artificial intelligence, Anglican Journal, October 31, 2024
- Church of England joins Rome's Call for AI Ethics, Diocese of Oxford, 2024