Interim Executive Jeri-Lynne Bouterse talks to youth while visiting a congregation in Washington Presbytery.
“Artificial Intelligence,” more commonly known as simply “AI,” is a tool that is contributing to our world more and more each day. This technology – which can understand and translate spoken and written language, analyze data and make recommendations, among other things – is relatively unknown to some and is being used daily by others.
Specifically, AI can listen to an hour-long Zoom conversation, take notes and produce a detailed summary of the meeting that can be used as minutes. AI can also do more complex things. It currently plays a role in self-driving automobiles, enabling vehicles to detect objects, recognize traffic signs and navigate. The limits of AI appear endless.
In Washington Presbytery, Interim Executive Presbyter Jeri-Lynne Bouterse believes creating an AI program to assist her and other colleagues in presbytery work will save time and energy. It’s one of the things she’s hoping to accomplish during her tenure leading the region.
Jeri-Lynne’s vision for AI use in Washington Presbytery would involve Presby AI Chatbot built to include things like the Book of Order, the Glory to God hymnal, the Book of Common Worship and the Book of Confessions, to name a few. Then, if someone at a meeting asks her a question where the answer can be found in one of these resources, she can simply type in or ask the question and the Presby AI will spit out a detailed reply in seconds versus her having to page through books trying to find the answer and possibly not being able to respond until a day or two later.
Washington Presbytery has applied for a Synod of the Trinity Fit For The Future Grant to help fund the program, which the presbytery is calling “Presbytery Virtual Assistant Chatbot Initiative.” Jeri-Lynne said she would volunteer to oversee this after her interim work is completed as the interim EP. Inputting all the material and a subscription to the service that continually improves and updates the technology is where the expense comes to build a specific AI program targeted toward presbytery work.
The AI program would also be a valuable resource for churches who find themselves without a pastor on a Sunday morning.
“If I’m putting together a worship service,” Jeri-Lynne continued, “I can put in a scripture and say, ‘Build me a worship service using the Book of Common Worship and the reformed tradition, plug in hymns from the Glory to God hymnal,’ and it can build me a worship service. Would I need that so much as a pastor? Maybe not. But what if you were a very tiny church and you’re the person who’s putting together the bulletin every week for the guest pastor? That could really facilitate the work of a volunteer in that position.”
Using a sermon that is computer generated and not written by the speaker could be seen as unethical to some. Jeri-Lynne, however, doesn’t feel like there is anything wrong with delivering a message that was prepared by AI.
“The word of God preached is for the people,” she said, “and if you think of it in terms theologically, when you preach the word of God, that’s God’s word, not yours. If people get the message and it’s a good message, then we should share it.”
Clearly, the tasks this AI program can do are endless.
“It’s all brand-new,” Jeri-Lynne said. “I know that it’s kind of scary for a lot of people, but with our declining resources, people and financial, we have to make some kind of adjustment because it may not change. I just feel like we have to make some big, bold moves. Also, our church has always been like 50 years behind everything happening in the world. For once I would just really like us to be ahead of the game – or in the game at the very least.”
The goal would be to create this AI program and share it with others around the region.
“If it goes well, then other presbyteries can start accessing it as well,” Jeri-Lynne said. “We’d get some other presbyteries on board that want to try it out and use it.”
Bruce Hall checks out comments during a Data Walk at Washington Presbytery’s March meeting.
Thinking outside the box was also the mindset behind the “Data Walk” at Washington Presbytery’s March meeting at Chartiers Hill Presbyterian Church in Canonsburg. There, six stations were set up around a room that enabled attendees to examine different areas of focus, which were based off a presbyter-wide survey taken in 2024.
Among the stops were information about presbytery membership, pastor reflections, leadership, critical mass theory, a recap of last year’s survey and a financial overview. By using sticky notes, people were asked to anonymously offer their reactions to the information that was in front of them.
“If they look at the data, and they talk about the data, they come up with ideas and thoughts about it,” Jeri-Lynne said. “So, we’ll take all of those things and bring them back to council in April. The council will take a synthesis of all of that information, and we’ll talk about our strengths, our weaknesses, our goals.
“The reason I did it with the whole presbytery is because I wanted some of the members of congregations to have input and tell us what their perception is. What I’m seeing so far is that they feel like they need more support in the small church ministry. We’re also looking at budget and finances and how we’re using our finances. We’ll figure out two goals to work on for the next year and a staffing model.”
Being creative in an interim setting is something Jeri-Lynne enjoys. She has been doing congregational interim work for the past 12 years, having served churches in Pittsburgh, Ohio and Nebraska before landing back in Washington where she had her first full-time call. Now, she is handling presbytery executive work for the first time.
“It’s all very new to me,” she admitted. “It’s a similar system but a little bit different because you have more entities to work with, with respect to leadership and churches. It’s a little more complicated. I’ve always felt more gifted in administrative work in the church. I like to organize, vision, plan and strategize.
“My job as the interim is to help ministries get through the transition time and then put them in the hands that are going to lead them the rest of the way.
“I like to try new things, and I like change,” Jeri-Lynne said of interim work. “I get bored doing the same thing over and over again. I do like challenges. I like to look at an overall picture, and then if there’s issues, solve them. It’s been a very rewarding experience for me to engage in interim ministry.”
When she looks at Washington Presbytery, she sees the presbytery at a crossroad. Of the 44 churches in the presbytery, half have less than 50 members, and there are less than 25 members in 10 congregations. It’s a grim reality that faces many presbyteries around the country.
“In spite of the grim reality, I see God at work in the people around me,” she said. “I see some of the leadership taking more responsibility. I see them excited about some of the new things, and I think that’s God at work. When I visit the little congregations I see God at work, even in the smallest of ways. If you really pay attention, God is at work everywhere, it’s just sometimes we overlook it.”