The Use of AI in Proclamation Evangelism

Proclamation evangelism, a core missional strategy in Christian theology, invites people into a relationship with Jesus Christ via the public declaration of the gospel. Advocates of this strategy cite the Great Commission of Jesus as the scriptural mandate for Christian witness on a global scale: ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.’¹

Proclamation evangelists prioritize ‘kerygma’, or the verbal proclamation of the gospel, over other methods as the primary means of fulfilling the church’s mission. But what does this look like, a quarter of the way through the 21^st century, as artificial intelligence (AI) is being positioned as a technology that will transform nearly every aspect of human endeavor, including Christian ministry? How do the foundations of proclamation evangelism intersect with the promises of artificial intelligence? How can evangelists make use of AI applications without relinquishing the role of the embodied human voice in Christian witness? And how might the increasing role of AI systems in our daily lives impact our understanding of the role of prayer and the Holy Spirit in kingdom ministry? These are critical questions to consider as we navigate the future of ‘kerygma’ in the age of AI.

In missional theology, proclamation evangelism is understood as the bold, verbal announcement of the kingdom of God and a call to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, often (some say always) in public settings. Missiologists like Lesslie Newbigin describe it in heraldic terms and emphasize the need for clarity, urgency, and authority.² The Bible repeatedly exhorts believers to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus instructs his disciples to ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’³ In the gospel of Luke, Jesus says, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.’⁴ 

In the book of Acts, Jesus explains the means by which his disciples will carry it all out: ‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’⁵ Once Jesus ascends, the apostles take on the task of proclamation and exhort others to do so as well.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul asks, rhetorically, ‘How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?’⁶ Later, writing to Timothy, Paul urges him to ‘Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.’⁷ Proclamation, then, is a non-negotiable aspect of Christian witness, directly linking personal, verbal declaration of the gospel to God’s redemptive plan for humanity.

So how does AI—a disembodied, computationally constructed composite of humanity—change anything, let alone everything?

First, and foundationally, proclamation evangelism remains unchanged in the age of AI because the gospel remains unchanged. Biblical commands transcend technological innovation and demand faithful proclamation, regardless of medium. But proponents of AI claim that it could provide unique affordances for evangelists. For example,

• AI systems can translate the scriptures into nearly any language in seconds, helping to fulfill the call to preach the gospel to ‘all nations’ in less time, with less effort.
• Generative AI models can create culturally relevant biblical content that could help missionaries relate the story of Jesus in socially sensitive ways to people at ‘the end of the earth’.
• AI algorithms can target audiences with the gospel message by delivering content to social media feeds both ‘in season and out of season’.
• AI algorithms could also help those who minister in restricted nations by analyzing online interactions and identifying potential threats, protecting Christian workers who are proclaiming the gospel in hostile environments.
• AI could be seen as a ministry multiplier, automating time-consuming administrative tasks thereby giving evangelists more time for prayer, personal witness, and the deeper relational work of discipleship.

These are but a few possible applications for AI in proclamation evangelism. As the technology progresses, there will likely be many more.|

Yet despite AI’s proposed benefits, the human voice holds a unique and irreplaceable role in evangelism. Sent ones, from Jesus to the apostles to us, remain God’s chosen instruments for sharing the good news and AI does not change that. Jesus, the Word made flesh,⁸ proclaimed the kingdom through his incarnational presence. Embodied humans—ensouled, indwelled, and empowered by his Holy Spirit—connect with other humans in ways a machine never can and never will. Evangelism involves testimony of ‘lived experience’ with Jesus. Machines, no matter how well they simulate life, can never replicate life.

Relationally, AI challenges the efficacy of God’s design. Theologically, AI challenges the sufficiency of God’s methods. These challenges must be confronted and considered prayerfully. The church has historically, if cautiously, embraced new technologies to Christian witness but it must never shift its focus from dependence on God to reliance on human invention. AI may offer some compelling applications for evangelists, but in an increasingly artificial and disembodied world, it is the authentic and embodied human that brings the tangible love of Christ to the lost and lonely. Our presence says we cared enough to show up in person to ‘proclaim the good news to the poor’and ‘proclaim liberty to the captives’.⁹

It’s difficult to imagine that AI will not have an ecological effect on our world and that it will not become a ubiquitous technology used even within Christian contexts. In that sense the tension for evangelists, like everyone else, is how? Since the church is called to ‘test everything; hold fast to what is good’,¹⁰ it is with profound theological, ethical, and practical discernment that we must wrestle with the use of AI in proclamation evangelism. While AI may augment, it must always serve, not supplant, the spirit-filled human herald in proclaiming the good news and fulfilling the Great Commission.

Endnotes

1. Matthew 28:18-20
2. Lesslie Newbigin, The Open Secret: An Introduction to the Theology of Mission, revised edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1989).
3. Mark 16:15
4. Luke 24:46-47
5. Acts 1:8
6. Romans 10:14-15
7. Timothy 4:2,
8. John 1:14
9. Luke 4:1810.1 Thessalonians 5:21
10. 1 Thessalonians 5:21