Preparing for convention
RESOLUTIONS FACING Convention 2026
Title: Develop Diocesan-Level Policy Regarding the Usage of Generative AI
Proposed By: The Rev. Madeline Elizabeth Polhill Name, Address, Phone Number of Delegate: The Rev. Madeline Elizabeth Polhill, St. Peter’s, 334 14th Street, Del Mar, CA 92014; mpolhill@stpetersdelmar.net; (858) 755-1616, ext. 107
Convention Delegate Co-Sponsors: Mr. Joseph Augustine Rhodenhiser, The Rev. Paige Blair-Hubert, & The Rev. Jacob Ian Robling
Date: October 5, 2026
Whereas, Generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) has become ubiquitous within much of modern life in the United States; and
Whereas, Jesus gives us the greatest commandment, “‘you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Mark 12:30–31, NRSVUE); and
Whereas, we as Christians are called to examine how modern technologies align (or do not align) with the Christian call to prioritize love of God and love of neighbor.
Resolutions
Now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the 53rd Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego (“EDSD”) hereby directs:
1. EDSD to develop a diocesan-level policy regarding the usage of Generative AI by clergy and congregations within the diocese; and
2. That in the creation of this policy, EDSD consider especially those areas of ministry and church life incompatible with reliance on Generative AI (e.g., sermon preparation, pastoral care, ordination discernment, and other areas that require absolute reliance on the Holy Spirit), as well as issues of privacy and transparency about when Generative AI has been used; and
3. That such policy be developed by an ad hoc committee to be appointed by the Bishop (or her designee) and that such committee be made up of clergy and lay members having a variety of perspectives and backgrounds, including but not limited to technology, creation care, communications, the arts, and theology; and
4. That such committee submit a draft of such policy to the Executive Council for review and consideration at (or before) its meeting immediately following EDSD’s 54th Diocesan Convention in 2027.
Explanation: Proverbs 1:7 tells us, “The fear of the L ORD is the beginning of knowledge” (NRSVUE). God created us mortals; we are but dust (Genesis 3:19). Out of these teachings, we learn our own createdness, our own humanness. We are distinctly human, and we rely ultimately on God for and in all things. We are thus called to turn foremost to God, not to technology, for guidance and asked to test the fruits of any source of knowledge for its compatibility with God’s ways and God’s teachings.
Generative AI relies on culling online data to generate written and image-based content. In doing so, the technology does not give proper credit to the humans whose labor, intellectual property, and artwork were used as data in the creation of AI-generated content. Technology that blurs the lines between human labor and technological creations, particularly without giving credit where credit is due, cannot “respect the dignity of every human being” (BCP, p. 305), as we promise to do in our baptismal covenant.
Our baptismal covenant also asks us to “renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God” (BCP, p. 302). The serious and considerable environmental impacts of data centers, on which Generative AI technology relies, cause concern both for the created world and for those who live in communities most impacted by the environmental impacts of this technology, particularly as we as Episcopalians in this diocese seek to steward the gift that is God’s creation and to respect human dignity.
Theologically speaking, the impetus for taking a diocesan-level stance is clear. From a practical standpoint, clergy, staff, and members of parishes wonder about broader guidance about AI usage as the technological world changes rapidly. The creation of a single diocesan policy will allow individual congregations to move forward with clear action plans and expectations, instead of having to either devote their own resources to developing individual policies or, in the absence of sufficient resources, to acting without their own policies or standards. In addition, having the policy drafted by such a diverse group of people will allow members of every congregation to benefit from the wisdom and insights of an intentionally-created group of faithful people with diverse areas of knowledge and concern.
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