About Us
Letter from the Vicar
We are already living in the sci-fi future we’ve seen in movies. Artificial Intelligence, is transforming our world as much as the internet did. In June, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullaly, opened a debate in the House of Lords about AI. She pointed out that God made us creative beings, and AI and wider technologies are a remarkable product of human creativity which have led to extraordinary discoveries and breakthroughs at speeds that we could never have imagined. Technology has connected us across the globe and opened up endless new opportunities for working, creating, learning and travelling. We now carry vast information, processing power and connectivity potential in our pockets with us every day.
But this extraordinary product of human creativity, and the power it places in our hands, also raises urgent new questions. What are the implications for our human relationships, for our connections with family and friends? How does it impact on our working lives – the existence of, or the quality of our jobs? What are the implications for warfare, for climate change, for our engagement with information and democracy? Just because we could create something or deploy technology in a certain way, does that mean we should?”
The archbishop spoke of the decline in child literacy and skills in critical thinking. Of fake news, shaping opinion and presenting fiction as fact. One study found that Chatbots invent information, sometimes up to 27% of the time. There is a serious risk of a fundamental breakdown in trust across society. The real danger is not in our rising gullibility, but in our rising cynicism, that we will believe nothing. Perhaps it’s not surprising that some people are turning to chatbots rather than other human beings for comfort or wisdom in moments of loneliness, loss, anxiety or pain.
It all sounds pretty hopeless but Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross offers profound hope to all humanity, in every season and circumstance. It also offers us a model for living a sacrificial lifestyle, one where with him at work in us, we can choose to sacrifice our own personal ends in service of others and begin to see his Kingdom come on earth. Within this, lies the hope for our relationships, families and societies.
Chrisitan faith is not in a predictable future, but in a faithful God who has guided His people through the fall of empires, the chaos of plagues, and the upheaval of revolutions. Yet the church has stood the test of time, trials and upheavals. This historical resilience gives us confidence to face the age of AI not with anxiety, but with faith-filled action. During a 16th-century plague, Martin Luther argued against fleeing, articulating a theology of service and a duty to care for one’s neighbour. In the 20th century, figures like Dietrich Bonhoeffer stood against tyranny, showing a faith that compelled action even at great personal cost. This legacy reminds us that faith provides a source of strength and resilience within crises, not an escape from them.
The archbishop concluded, that above all, we must put people - our common, glorious humanity - ahead of profit, convenience or technological progress at all costs. To ensure that we harness AI to serve humanity, to be an extraordinary tool in the creation of a more just, abundant and hope-filled world.