Baptist Church equips youth to navigate AI and digital era with Biblical values

The Association of Northern Ghana Regular Baptist Churches (ANGRBC) has urged its Christian youth to harness technological innovation while maintaining firm adherence to biblical principles. This message was conveyed during a four-day ANGRBC Youth Conference held at Times Baptist Junior High School, under the theme, “Embracing Innovation While Upholding Biblical Values.”

ANGRBC Chairman, Rev. Dr. Timothy Seidu, addressed the attendees and dispelled the notion that modern technological advancements, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), pose a threat to the church or its leadership. Seidu described technology as a divine resource, meant to complement the work of God, while cautioning against the potential perils associated with its misuse.

The preacher emphasized that digital technology should not replace the pulpit, but instead, be another resource, including AI, that the church can leverage to achieve great feats. He cautioned against the dangers of excessive attachment to smartphones, which can erode critical thinking, discipline and personal human connections, particularly for young people who fall prey to online vices such as pornography.

He warned that technology could never replace worship or dependence on God. Similarly, ANGRBC Youth President, Nicodemus Sorikuong, elaborated on the purpose of the conference - to train young believers to become digital evangelists who can responsibly utilize technology. Sorikuong highlighted that the youth are brilliant, creative, and innovative, but also cautioned against the addiction to phones and the abuse of AI and IT tools.

He proposed the training of online missionaries who would leverage AI tools to propagate the gospel and teach the Bible.

Participants at the conference shared their insights on how the sessions altered their perspectives on technology. One youth member, Yelabaahee Esther, expressed that the conference addressed her long-held fear that using digital tools could conflict with spiritual devotion. She emphasized the clarity she gained on how ICT can be used purposefully to glorify God and help others discover Him, as opposed to using phones exclusively for self-pleasing entertainment.

Another participant, Joseph Sebina, underscored the importance of practical discipline and academic productivity, stressing that the value of technology hinges entirely on its usage.