On a Saturday afternoon, just a day before he was set to deliver a sermon, Darrell Stetler II found himself in the sound booth of his church in Oklahoma City. Surrounded by a dual-monitor setup, he juggled his sermon preparation with the assistance of various AI tools, including ChatGPT and Claude, the latter of which welcomed him back with the phrase, “Back at it, Disciple-maker.”
Stetler is in the process of crafting a sermon titled “Forged,” which is part of an extensive exploration of the Book of Proverbs that will continue throughout the summer. Having dedicated over twenty years to developing the Bible Methodist Church, where he serves as the lead pastor, Stetler is no stranger to innovation. He is recognized as one of ChatGPT’s most engaged users, actively leads a Facebook group for 500 fellow pastors examining the use of AI in their ministries, and has even developed a tool that generates numerous sermon illustrations in a matter of seconds.
Despite his technological adeptness, Stetler approaches AI cautiously. “This AI does not enjoy what it finds,” he expresses, indicating his belief that it lacks the capacity for genuine love or emotional depth.
This skepticism is coupled with the financial realities he faces. Stetler, who is a married father of seven, earns $600 weekly along with a monthly housing allowance of $1,500, which doesn’t fully cover his living expenses. His church maintains approximately two months’ worth of financial reserves. To supplement his income, he takes on construction work in addition to running a small business that produces resources like curriculums for fellow pastors. While preparing a sermon used to consume between 10 to 15 hours of his time, the assistance of chatbots has significantly expedited the research and drafting process, allowing him to streamline his efforts.
