Meyu Changkiri
Recently, our church’s Youth Ministry organized a debate on the topic “AI: A Boon in Education.” I had the privilege of serving as one of the judges. The students spoke with clarity and conviction, reflecting both academic understanding and the hopes and anxieties of their generation.
Those who supported the motion emphasized how Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made research faster, expanded access to global knowledge, and improved educational opportunities across diverse learning environments. Information that once required books, travel, or libraries can now be accessed instantly on a screen. They explained that AI can adapt to different learning needs, assist students who struggle, and provide equal opportunities for both village and city learners.
Meanwhile, those who argued against the motion raised important concerns. They pointed out that overdependence on AI may weaken critical thinking, reduce creativity, and undermine personal discipline. When learning becomes too convenient, the perseverance and depth required for maturity may diminish. They reminded us that education is not merely acquiring information; it is also the formation of a thoughtful, responsible, and balanced human being.
Both sides presented meaningful perspectives. What impressed me most was not simply the arguments, but the sincerity and maturity with which the youth engaged the issue. They understood that technology is neither completely good nor entirely harmful. The real question is not the tool itself, but how the tool is used.
This led me to reflect: If AI can support education, can it also support Christian ministry? And if so, how should the church respond - not with fear or blind acceptance, but with wisdom shaped by prayer and discernment?
AI Is Not Entirely New
Although public discussions on AI feel recent, AI has quietly been part of everyday life for years. When phones suggest words as we type, AI is assisting our communication. When search engines sort through millions of pages to provide quick answers, AI is organizing and analyzing information. When missionaries, tourists, and pastors use Google Translate across language barriers in the Northeast, AI is supporting those conversations. GPS navigation calculates routes through valleys and foothills using AI.
Online banking, UPI transactions, spam filters, digital classrooms, Bible study apps, and even the way videos are recommended online - all operate with AI support.
Yet, many still feel uneasy or threatened by AI because it is fast, unfamiliar, and difficult to fully understand. Sometimes our discomfort leads us to reject something simply because it is new. It is like the fable of The Fox and the Sour Grapes - when the grapes were out of reach, the fox declared them sour. The judgment came not from truth, but from discomfort and distance.
Rejection without understanding is not wisdom; it is avoidance. Wisdom requires learning, evaluating, and then discerning. The real question is not whether we will use AI - we already do. The real question is whether we will use it carelessly in ways that weaken ministry, or wisely in ways that strengthen it.
Ministry in the Northeast Is Deeply Relational
To understand how AI fits into Christian ministry, we must remember what ministry truly is. Ministry is not merely preaching sermons, running programs, or organizing activities. Ministry is deeply relational. It is born from presence, compassion, listening, and shared life.
In Northeast India, ministry grows in verandas and kitchens over cups of tea. It unfolds in village pathways, student hostels, and neighborhood courtyards. It takes shape during home visitations where stories are told slowly and trust is built carefully. It is found in weddings where joy is shared, and in funerals where grief is carried together. Ministry is woven into rainy evenings, wooden benches, shared meals, and quiet prayers.
AI cannot replace this. AI cannot see pain in the eyes. AI cannot hear the silence of sorrow. AI cannot place a gentle hand on a shaking shoulder. Ministry requires human presence, guided by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, AI must never replace the relational heart of ministry. But it can support the work that surrounds ministry.
How AI Can Support Ministry
Pastors and ministry leaders often spend many hours preparing sermons, researching biblical backgrounds, organizing teaching material, or writing communications. AI can assist by suggesting sermon outlines, locating scriptural cross-references, summarizing commentaries, or generating study questions. This does not replace prayer, meditation, or theological reflection. Instead, it reduces time spent on routine tasks so that ministers can invest more deeply in counseling, visitation, mentoring, discipleship, family ministry, and prayer - the true essence of pastoral work.
Sunday School teachers can use AI to find age-appropriate stories, songs, and activities. Youth leaders can develop guided discussions on identity, media influence, relationships, and faith. Worship leaders can plan songs that connect more closely to sermon themes. Church administrators can organize schedules, manage communication, and prepare reports more efficiently.
When used wisely, AI does not weaken ministry - it strengthens the relational core of ministry by freeing time for deeper human presence.
The Digital Mission Field
Today’s young people live in both physical and digital spaces. Even in remote villages, digital influence shapes identity, behavior, and relationships. Many young adults from Northeast India live away from home for work or studies. Some attend church but silently struggle with guilt, anxiety, depression, or confusion. Often, they search for answers online long before they approach a pastor or elder.
This means the digital world is now a real mission field.
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, when church buildings were closed, worship services, prayer meetings, and Bible studies moved online. People from Shillong, Mokokchung, Dimapur, Guwahati, Bangalore, Delhi, and abroad gathered in one digital space. Technology did not replace the Gospel; it carried it.
We should not forget this lesson. The Gospel remains living and powerful regardless of the medium through which it flows.
Challenges and Cautions
Yet, the value of AI does not mean its use is without danger. Overdependence on AI may weaken personal spiritual discipline. If churches invest more in online visibility than in physical fellowship, community life may suffer. If some members lack digital access, inequality may grow. Sensitive pastoral conversations require confidentiality, and not every digital platform is secure.
There is also a spiritual caution. Technology can tempt individuals to build personal image rather than glorifying Christ. If AI becomes a tool for self-promotion, ministry shifts from service to performance. Worship risks becoming entertainment. Messages are shaped to please rather than to transform.
Northeast India has gifts that must be preserved: community warmth, hospitality, relational closeness, storytelling, shared identity, and deep fellowship. AI should create space for deeper presence - not replace presence.
Wisdom in Teaching and Learning
Some say AI makes people lazy. There is truth in this concern. When learning becomes too convenient, responsibility can weaken. Yet, there are many who use AI to study more deeply, explore more widely, and grow more thoughtfully. The difference lies not in the technology, but in the character and habits of the user.
Children must grow step by step. Their learning must match their maturity. They must first learn to read, reason, reflect, and cultivate discipline. Introducing advanced tools too early can weaken their foundation.
However, those who are already prepared and disciplined should not be prevented from using tools that expand learning. Knowledge grows when readiness meets opportunity. AI does not determine whether one becomes lazy or diligent. Character and guidance determine that.
The Word of God Remains Unchanging
Technology changes. Teaching methods change. Communication mediums shift - from scrolls to handwritten manuscripts, from printing presses to digital screens, and now to AI-assisted study. But the Word of God remains the same. The Gospel does not depend on technology. Truth does not change because tools change.
Therefore, those who serve in the church must remain both grounded and watchful - faithful to Scripture, yet attentive to the context in which God has placed them.
Conclusion
AI has no spirit, conscience, or will. It cannot love, forgive, worship, repent, or feel compassion. It reflects the intentions of the one who uses it. Therefore, the danger is not AI itself, but the way we allow it to shape our hearts, habits, and relationships.
We must use AI, but we must not be used by it. Wisdom and prayer must lead our decisions. Christ must remain the center of our ministry and identity.
The mission of the church remains the same - to love God, to love people, and to bear witness to the grace of Christ. AI cannot shepherd souls or heal hearts. Only people, led by the Holy Spirit, can do that. Yet, when used wisely, AI can strengthen ministry, expand compassion, and help us steward time faithfully.
The world is changing, but the call of Christ remains unchanged. Let us move forward with humility, discernment, and faith.
