The Opportunity
As we look to the future, we believe the best way to prepare the church is not to reinvent the wheel but to help renew and unify the contemporary church in the ancient gospel. There’s a lot we don’t know about how the AI revolution and the crisis of truth will unfold, and how it will challenge the church. What we do know is God’s Word stands forever (Isaiah 40:8).
The answers aren’t new. But the innovative applications are. The message is timeless, but the medium is ever changing. To prepare the church for the future, we need to equip the church leaders of the future: purposefully engaging Gen Z and Gen Alpha Christians and providing them the ministry tools and gospel bearings they need to faithfully navigate an uncertain future.
With your help, over the next three years we can accomplish four key initiatives.
Leverage and Provide Accountability to AI
Invest in a New Faith and Work Initiative
Reach and Equip Gen Z
Strengthen the Foundation
“We wanted to create something that would help pastors and church leaders remain faithful to the gospel, deeply rooted theologically, and missionally engaged in the world. That’s what The Gospel Coalition is about."
The Challenge
TGC’s mission—to help renew and unify the contemporary church in the ancient gospel—is more urgent than ever.
Crisis of Truth (Epistemological and Theological). Digital technology, combined with institutional skepticism and expressive individualism, has ushered in a “post-truth” era. Algorithmic “answers” are easier than ever to find but unifying consensus and trusted truth are harder than ever. For the church, the internet—and soon AI—presents challenges because people in pews turn to Google, distant “influencers,” and now AI chatbots as sources of truth, sometimes over/against their own pastors or leaders.
Crisis of Humanity (Anthropological and Relational). Confusion about what it means to be human—including our embodiment as male or female—was already a problem. The age of AI is about to make it worse. Defenses of human-to-human relationships and embodied community will be more pressing as AI-companions become normalized and declining marriage and fertility rates create problems globally. Digital fragmentation will continue to erode established networks and accelerate tribalism, disunity, and loneliness.
Crisis of Pragmatism (Ecclesiological and Technological). Pragmatism—favoring “what works” over what’s wise—is a perennial temptation for the evangelical church. Our era of rapid technological development—the emerging AI revolution—will aggravate this problem. Pastors and church leaders will have to carefully consider how technology can enhance but not undermine the nature of the church, the pastoral calling, and mission. The pragmatic temptation also continues to tempt the church to compromise on challenging issues (e.g. marriage, sexuality, complementarianism) because “what works” in reaching the most people seems to require revisionism.
The way people search for and find answers is about to be radically altered. Young people already go straight to AI for inquiries, bypassing Google and other search bars. Within the next few years, most people won’t use their phones at all for search; they’ll simply speak a question and an AI will speak back an answer.
Launch AI Christian Benchmark Project through the Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics. Do we want our kids and grandkids getting heretical answers when they ask AI about the gospel, Jesus, and ethics? Currently there are no ministries providing accountability to AI platforms about what kind of answers their LLMs give to mission-critical questions. We will change this by undertaking research/testing and then publishing a report (accompanied by publicity campaign) that assesses the theological reliability of major publicly available LLMs.
Rebuild and Redesign TGC.org, integrating AI-powered search and foregrounding theological resources for ministry leaders and pastors. This will include an AI content assistant capable of answering theological questions using TGC’s trusted content. We want TGC to be a leader in leveraging AI to smartly synthesize our existing content to provide trustworthy answers to any question related to Christian life or ministry.
Among the areas of life likely to be most disrupted by the AI revolution are work and vocation, as well as micro and macroeconomics. We want to make sure the church is well equipped to disciple people in these critical areas at a time when new challenges and questions will arise. To do this, TGC will:
Launch New Faith and Work Podcast and Resources. These resources, for Christians will provide wise advice and Christian perspectives on questions related to work, personal finance, economics, and how this relates to the local church experience. It’s TGC’s “Thorns and Thistles” advice series reimagined as a podcast and with a particular focus on local church conversations.
Launch TGC Advisory Group with 20-30 business leaders representing diverse industries and regions. These top Christian leaders model how to integrate Christian faith in a variety of secular vocations. We’ll glean wisdom from them by convening this group quarterly for input and ideation. We’ll incorporate members of this group into expert guests on TGC podcasts and faith/work breakout sessions / panel discussions at national conferences with a particular focus on integrating the Faith and Work conversation into the local church context.
Interest in Christianity and church is rising among young men and women across the Western world. As Gen Z rediscovers church or come to faith for the first time, we want TGC to be a resource that helps them grow toward maturity, becoming godly men and women, church leaders who carry forward the gospel-centered movement into the next generation. To do this, TGC will:
Invest in More Robust Multimedia Teams. TGC will continue to produce excellent content to resource Gen Z, but without savvy and effective presentation and marketing, it will be hard to reach them. The content landscape is noisy and glutted. In order to capture the next generation’s attention, TGC needs to hire young talent who can help us up our game in video and marketing—particularly email marketing—as well as podcasts, YouTube video, and Instagram Reels.
Launch New Intergenerational Men’s Podcast. This men’s podcast will match the quality and reach of our women’s podcasts and feature 4-5 Christian men discussing a range of topics related to life, church, relationships, family, theology, ethics, and current trends. The regular “hosts” will include two younger men (20s or early 30s) and two older men (40s or 50s), modeling intergenerational discipleship and the impartation of wisdom from one generation of men to the next.
Organizations often lose their historical mission in the second and third generation. To prevent this “drift,” it’s critical to intentionally invest in the less apparent but important foundations of a ministry. This “internal renewal” will allow TGC to weather the storms of culture and adapt to the changing landscape without compromise or stagnation.
Deepen Strategic and Local Church Leader Connections. Strong relationships create the venue for robust dialogue about the most critical issues and a basis for encouragement in the loneliness of ministry. As an entirely online ministry, TGC council and staff face weekly challenges related to a lack of proximity. Investing in strategic gatherings, relationship development, and younger leader focus groups will create a powerful gospel-based network of relationships, along with funding for 25 regional chapters with incredible potential to connect and care for one another.
Broaden the Base of Support. TGC is blessed with over 4,000 faithful donors who deeply believe in our mission. With a new season of ministry in front of us, there is both an opportunity and need to engage new donors, foundations, and organizations. Through strategic staffing, including hiring a VP of Development, and hosting donor events, we will be positioned for long-term sustainability and growth.
Three-Year Plan at a Glance
New Strategic Initiatives (3-year totals)
| Leverage and Provide Accountability to AI | $850,000 |
| Faith and Work 2.0 Initiative | $550,000 |
| Reach and Equip Gen Z | $500,000 |
| Strengthen the Foundation | $825,000 |
| TOTAL | $2,725,000 |
Sustaining Effective Ministry (3-year totals)
| Content (articles, publications, podcasts, and resources) | $3,600,000 |
| Networks: Regional Chapters & International Partners | $1,740,000 |
| The Carson Center for Theological Renewal | $765,000 |
| The Conference Scholarship Fund | $150,000 |
| The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics | $1,245,000 |
| Women’s Initiatives & Resources | $1,035,000 |
| Administration & Operations | $2,865,000 |
| TOTAL | $11,400,000 |
| TOTAL 3-YEAR FUNDRAISING GOAL | $14,125,000 ($4,708,333/Year) |
Our Lord can provide this God-sized goal any way he chooses, but history tells us that a successful effort will require commitments as represented in this table. With committed financial partners, we can embrace both the ancient gospel and the future church. Here’s how:
| Number of Gifts |
Total Gift Amount |
Yearly Commitment (3 yrs) |
Total | Cumulative Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,000,000 | $333,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| 3 | $500,000 | $166,667 | $1,500,000 | $2,500,000 |
| 6 | $250,000 | $83,334 | $1,500,000 | $4,000,000 |
| 8 | $150,000 | $50,000 | $1,200,000 | $5,200,000 |
| 12 | $100,000 | $33,334 | $1,200,000 | $6,400,000 |
| 20 | $50,000 | $16,667 | $1,000,000 | $7,400,000 |
| 30 | $25,000 | $8,334 | $750,000 | $8,150,000 |
| 50 | $10,000 | $3,333 | $500,000 | $8,650,000 |
| Many | < $10,000 | $5,475,000 | $14,125,000 |
A Strategic Moment
What began as a vision of Tim Keller and Don Carson has grown into a global ministry with nearly 30 million annual website users, a council of 45 pastor-theologians, annual conferences with over 7,000 people, and regional and global chapters of TGC in 25 US cities and 18 countries.
TGC was founded at the dawn of the internet and social media age. 2025 is arguably at the dawn of another new technological era. AI stands ready to revolutionize the world, accelerating change and forging a future we can’t even imagine. The daunting challenges we already face—cultural confusion about identity, distrust of institutions, disillusionment with “truth,” algorithm-fueled echo chambers and fragmentation—will only be exacerbated in this new technological frontier.
Yet for all that has changed and will change, the truth of the gospel remains the same. Whatever shape the future church takes— and whatever challenges and crises she faces—the ancient gospel will always be her most crucial and life-giving anchor.
The best way the church can prepare for an uncertain future is to reinforce its grounding on the certain past: the finished work of Christ and his revealed truth in Scripture.
TGC wants to serve the church’s current needs while also preparing and strengthening the future church by shoring her up in the ancient gospel. In January of 2025, the TGC board selected Mark Vroegop, a pastor, author, and TGC Board Member as the next President. With a passion for the local church and a ministry deeply affected by TGC, Mark is charged with leading TGC into the next chapter—moving from a “founder” generation into the future.
But in order to do this, we need investors who share our conviction that the way forward is not reinvention but recommitment; not redefinition of the gospel but renewal in its unchanging truth and power.
If you have questions or want to learn more about the Ancient Gospel, Future Church campaign, reach out to Stephen Schindler (Vice President of Development) using the form below. He will get back to you and answer any questions.
Ways to Give
Thank you for your support of The Gospel Coalition. We are happy to discuss any of your gift planning needs.
Please contact our Donor Ministries team at 1-844-448-3842 or giving@thegospelcoalition.org.
Online
Payment types include credit or debit cards, ACH, PayPal or ApplePay www.thegospelcoalition.org/donate
Checks
Make checks payable to The Gospel Coalition. Special designations should be noted on the check memo line.
Checks can be mailed to:
The Gospel Coalition
PO Box #1637
Columbia, MO 65205
Bank Wire Transfers
Bank Name: JPMorgan Chase Bank NA
Bank Address: 270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017 USA
Bank Phone: 1-800-935-9935
Account Number: 750908741
Routing Number: 071000013
Beneficiary Name: The Gospel Coalition
Beneficiary Address: 3703 Southland Dr. Columbia, MO 65201
Stock and Security Transfers
Brokerage Name: J.P. Morgan
Brokerage Account Number: 42035596 DTC # 352
(Agent ID: 64495, Institutional ID: 64495)
Brokerage Mailing Address: 100 Crescent Court
Suite 1300 Dallas, TX 75201-4775
Organization Contact: Stephen Schindler
Gifts through Foundations, Donor Advised Funds (DAF) and Qualified Charitable Distributions from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
The ministry should be identified as:
EIN# 01-0892431
The Gospel Coalition
3703 Southland Drive
Columbia, MO 65201
Legacy Gifts
A legacy gift can include supporting TGC through your will, trust or beneficiary designation. Gifts through wills (bequests) will normally be placed in TGC’s endowment fund as designated by the Board.
The ministry should be identified as:
EIN# 01-0892431
The Gospel Coalition
3703 Southland Drive
Columbia, MO 65201
International Gifts
Donations made outside of the United States can be made through TrustBridge Global.