Churches Pilfer AI to Outsource Baby Jesus and Christmas Spirit
KEY POINTS
- ā¢Churches nationwide are quietly adopting AI to produce Christmas-themed content amid declining attendance and staffing challenges.
- ā¢Rev. Chris Hope and Greg Cootsona both note AI aids small congregations but risks perpetuating Eurocentric Nativity images.
- ā¢Despite AIās efficiency, clergy like San Franciscoās Grace Cathedral dean report bot sermons to be 'flat' and devoid of heart.
Across the U.S. and beyond, churches are secretly swapping angelic choruses for AI-generated Nativity scenes, children's lessons, and whole Christmas Eve sermons. From Bostonās Hope Group to San Franciscoās Grace Cathedral, the holy hands are easing off keyboards as pastors summon ChatGPT for holiday gigsāthough sometimes the AI-produced sermons come out 'flat' and lacking 'heart,' per Dean Todd Brewer. Meanwhile, online ministries like Church Communications and Gathering Faith Leadership Network hawk AI Nativity visuals, inadvertently turning Jesus into a European tourist. Executive director Greg Cootsona warns AI has 'baked in' Eurocentric biases glorifying whitewashed salvation. So yes, AI might save Christmas workload, but it probably canāt substitute for real hugs or the human flaw of forgetting the kidās story... again.
Share the Story
Source: Axios | Published: 12/14/2025 | Author: Russell Contreras