Don Barger Received 2026 Excelerate Award
The International Mission Board director was honored in Orlando for his leadership in artificial intelligence.
Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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Don Barger, the director of innovation and artificial intelligence for the International Mission Board, received the 2026 Excelerate Award in Orlando. The award recognizes his creativity and leadership in advancing missions through technology.
Why it matters
The recognition highlights the growing integration of artificial intelligence in ministry settings. Barger is noted for developing specific frameworks to guide the ethical application of these tools.
Barger created a specific framework to distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate artificial intelligence uses in ministry. He also developed faithbot.tools, a collection of AI resources designed to automate administrative burdens.
The players
Don Barger
He serves as the director of innovation and artificial intelligence for the International Mission Board and has a 29-year tenure with the organization.
International Mission Board
This organization oversees international missionary work and has employed Barger for nearly three decades.
Missio Nexus
This organization presented the 2026 Excelerate Award to recognize leadership and creativity in the missions field.
The details
Barger utilized artificial intelligence to handle time-consuming administrative tasks, effectively freeing up human resources for direct ministry work. His work with the International Mission Board has spanned nearly three decades.
Timeline
September 24, 2026: Don Barger received the Excelerate Award in Orlando.
The Tech Race
The development of faithbot.tools reflects a broader shift toward automating administrative workflows in religious organizations. This transition replaces legacy manual processes with AI tools to optimize ministry time and focus.
The integration of AI tools like those developed by Barger can significantly reduce the time ministry staff spend on administrative tasks. Users of these tools may experience more streamlined operational workflows and greater availability for direct community engagement.
The takeaway
The recognition of Barger shows that AI implementation in mission work is prioritizing human-centric time management over raw automation. Readers can consider evaluating administrative tasks in their own organizations to determine if AI could provide similar efficiency gains.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest innovations in Artificial Intelligence.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Biblical Recorder.
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