Missionary evangelism, the core missionary strategy of Christian theology, invites people into a relationship with Jesus Christ through the public proclamation of the gospel.
Proponents of this strategy cite Jesus’ Great Commission as the Biblical 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” 1
Missionary evangelists prioritize the kerygma, or preaching of the gospel by the mouth, over other methods as the primary means of fulfilling the church’s mission.
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But a quarter of the way through 21 years, what does this look like?cent As artificial intelligence (AI) positions itself as a technology that will transform nearly every aspect of human activity, including Christian ministry, what does this century look like?
How do the fundamentals of declarative evangelism intersect with the promise of artificial intelligence?
How can evangelists leverage AI applications without abandoning 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 prayer and the role of the Holy Spirit in Kingdom ministry?
These are important questions to consider when navigating the future of “kerygma” in the AI era.
Biblical commands transcend innovation and require faithful proclamation regardless of medium.
In missionary theology, proclamation is understood as a bold verbal proclamation of the kingdom of God, often (some say always) in public, and a call to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
Religious scholars like Leslie Newbigin describe it in heraldic terms, emphasizing the need for clarity, urgency, and authority. 2 The Bible repeatedly exhorts believers to preach the good news of Jesus Christ.
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus instructs his disciples:Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.3 In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus said:Thus it is written that Christ suffered and rose from the dead on the third day, and that repentance for the remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, starting from Jerusalem.‘ 4
In the book of Acts, Jesus describes the means by which his disciples did it all: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
After Jesus ascends into heaven, the apostles take on the task of proclamation and encourage others to do the same.
In his letter to the Romans, Paul asks rhetorically:How then shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in a Jesus they have never heard of? And how can someone listen without preaching? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?‘ 6
Later, Paul writes to Timothy and exhorts him:Preach your word. Be prepared both in season and out of season. Rebuke, rebuke, and exhort with perfect patience and instruction.‘7
Proclamation is therefore a non-negotiable aspect of the Christian witness, linking the personal, verbal proclamation of the gospel directly to God’s plan of salvation for humanity.
So how will AI, a disembodied, computationally constructed human conglomerate, change anything, let alone everything?
First, fundamentally, missionary evangelism will not change in the age of AI because the gospel has not changed.
While Biblical commands transcend technological innovation and require faithful proclamation regardless of medium, proponents of AI argue that AI can offer unique affordances to evangelists. for example,
- AI systems can translate scripture into almost any language in seconds, helping us fulfill our mission to evangelize “all nations” with less time and effort.
- Generative AI models can create culturally relevant biblical content that helps missionaries bring the story of Jesus to people in the “ends of the earth” in a socially sensitive way.
- AI algorithms can target audiences with the gospel message by delivering content to social media feeds “in season and out of season.”
- AI algorithms could also help those serving in restricted countries and protect Christian workers preaching the gospel in hostile environments by analyzing online interactions and identifying potential threats.
- AI can be seen as a mission multiplier, automating time-consuming administrative tasks and giving evangelists more time for prayer, personal witness, and deeper relational work of discipleship.
These are just some of the possible applications of AI in declarative evangelism. As technology advances, more will come.
Despite the benefits of AI, the human voice plays a unique and irreplaceable role in evangelism. From Jesus to the apostles to us, sent people are God’s chosen instruments to share the good news, and AI will not change that.
Jesus, the Word made flesh, 8 proclaimed the kingdom through his incarnate presence. Incarnated, indwelt, and empowered humans by the Holy Spirit connect with other humans in ways that machines can never do.
Evangelism involves the testimony of a “lived experience” with Jesus. Machines cannot reproduce life, no matter how well they simulate it.
Relationally speaking, AI calls into question the validity of God’s design. Theologically, AI calls into question the sufficiency of God’s ways. These challenges must be faced and prayerfully considered.
While the Church has historically embraced new technology, albeit cautiously, for the sake of Christian witness, its focus must never shift from dependence on God to dependence on human invention.
AI may have attractive applications for evangelists, but in an increasingly artificial and dematerialized world, it is real, physical humans who bring the tangible love of Christ to the lost and lonely.
Our presence shows that we cared enough to show up in person to “proclaim good news to the poor” and “proclaim liberty to the captives.” 9
It is hard to imagine that AI will not have an ecological impact on our world and become a ubiquitous technology used even within Christian contexts.
In that sense, what is the tension for evangelists like everyone else? The church is called to “test everything,” so hold fast to what is good.” 10 We must approach the use of AI in missionary evangelism with deep theological, ethical, and practical insight.
AI may enhance capabilities, but it must always serve, not replace, our Spirit-filled human pioneers in preaching the Good News and fulfilling the Great Commission.
Gretchen Huizinga He is a researcher and director of AI and Faith.
This article was originally published in the November issue 2025 edition of the Lausanne Global Analysis, published here with permission. To receive this free bimonthly publication from the Lausanne Movement, subscribe online at www.lausanne.org/analysis.
Endnotes
1. Matthew 28:18-20
2. Leslie Newbigin An 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
