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Disruption isn’t coming—it’s already here. The question is: are you ready for it?

Technology is reshaping the world faster than most churches are prepared for. But with timely insight and thoughtful leadership, you can stay grounded and lead well through the storm.

Early Warning is a strategic guide for pastors and ministry leaders navigating the seismic shifts of technological change. From AI and blockchain to the metaverse and autonomous systems, ministry technologist David J. Swisher equips readers to anticipate disruption, discern opportunity, and lead faithfully in a rapidly evolving world.

The pace of technological change is accelerating—and the Church is feeling the pressure. Livestreams became lifelines during the pandemic. Artificial intelligence is reshaping communication. Blockchain is challenging how we handle authority and trust. And digital presence is no longer optional. The question is no longer if these innovations will impact ministry—it’s how prepared we are when they do.

In Early Warning, ministry technologist and veteran leader David J. Swisher offers a bold yet practical guide for navigating disruption with theological clarity and strategic foresight. Drawing from nearly four decades of dual experience in ministry and educational technology leadership, Swisher acts as a kind of storm chaser—tracking emerging innovations, forecasting their impact, and helping church leaders respond wisely before the storm hits.

From the pandemic’s digital pivot to the promises and pitfalls of AI, blockchain, metaverse church, and even autonomous delivery systems, Swisher explores five critical shifts already shaping the future of ministry. With each chapter, he offers not only analysis but also grounded, actionable guidance rooted in biblical reflection and real-world practice.

Help lead the church and culture through technological change with wisdom, discernment, and hope.

Whether you're a senior pastor, denominational leader, tech director, or ministry strategist, Early Warning will help you understand the times, prepare your people, and turn today’s disruptions into tomorrow’s opportunities for faithful innovation.


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David J. Swisher

David J. Swisher is an AI Trainer and Consultant and ordained Wesleyan minister with almost four decades of bivocational ministry experience, nearly all of it utilizing technology and multimedia to communicate the gospel effectively. Recently, he trained thousands of T-Mobile employees nationwide on ChatGPT and generative AI applications and has also done AI training workshops for district and denominational groups. 

Swisher previously served as Senior Learning Experience Designer and Technology Integration Specialist at Indiana Wesleyan University, and for nearly a decade was the Director of Learning Management Technologies at Tabor College. With more than 24 years in leadership roles involving educational technology, innovation, and online learning, he has helped multiple institutions and ministries adopt cutting-edge tools with strategic intentionality, including major online learning and LMS platform transitions.

Swisher earned his Doctor of Ministry (D.Min) in Semiotics, Church, and Culture from Portland Seminary at George Fox University, where he studied under author and futurist Leonard Sweet. He also holds a Master’s in Instructional Design & Technology, a Bachelor’s in Christian Ministries, and a certificate in Practical Theology. He is a past chair and active leader in Colleague2Colleague, a regional professional association equipping educators to navigate the challenges of instructional technology and distance learning.

A practitioner and scholar, Swisher developed and taught a first-of-its-kind Technology for Ministry course at Tabor College and founded a focus group for the Wesleyan Theological Society on technology and ministry. He researches and implements strategies for the effective use of generative AI, virtual reality & metaverse platforms, and multimedia learning in ministry and education, and he regularly collaborates with innovators and pioneers in these fields.

Swisher’s published research, “Top Writer” designation on Quora (where his answers have drawn over 4.7 million views), and extensive training experience all highlight his ability to convey complex technology concepts with clarity. He has successfully guided multiple organizations through major technology transitions and continues to help pastors and ministry leaders face technological disruption with wisdom, clarity, and strategic insight.


Photo courtesy of MJ Bales Imaging & Design.

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Reviews

What People Are Saying

Rapid change happens. Change raises questions. What is happening? Can I live with it? Is it to be shunned or embraced? AI and other technological changes are rapidly transforming society, churches, the economy, research, writing, and mundane daily tasks. To what future should leaders lead? Swisher provides a remarkably useful tome that demystifies the origins and development of diverse technologies, discusses applicability, and offers constructive guidance for leaders and organizations: look for the new opportunities! The volume is multi-disciplinary: historical, theological, technological; an important contribution to cultural history. It is informative, provocative, and a fun read!
David Bundy
David Bundy
Manchester Wesley Research Centre

David is a great storyteller with a talent for weaving church history with modern-day scenarios that drive home important ideas and cement them into reality. If you're feeling uncertain about technology in the church, this book is your guide. Prepare to be inspired and equipped.

Mike Jones
Mike Jones
MFA, Assistant Director, IWU Future Learning Lab

Dr. David Swisher has a deep and palpable love for the local church. His focus on mission drives him to help churches use technology to enhance their work to make the world a more just and beautiful place. That passion for mission along with expertise in technology and change makes this work a must read for leaders seeking to be good stewards of the organizations they lead.

Joel Liechty
Joel Liechty
Kairos University

Today, the church is faced with a technological storm of immense proportions. We struggle to understand, much less how to engage, this multifaceted challenge. Fortunately, we now have a reliable guide in David Swisher, who brings his extensive background in emerging technology and Christian ministry to gift us with this outstanding book. If, like me, you know little about the myriad technologies found on the internet, you will learn much from David's clear presentation. But more than that, his theologically sound insights help us navigate the pitfalls and embrace the opportunities for ministry in these new technologies. This is an enormously helpful book, and I cannot recommend it enough!

Henry H. Knight III
Henry H. Knight III
Emeritus Professor of Wesleyan Studies and Evangelism, Saint Paul School of Theology, Leawood, Kansas

I had the honor of working with David at Tabor College. He knows his stuff when it comes to educational technology. Early Warning proves it.

Jules Glanzer
Jules Glanzer
Author, The Sound of leadership

Swisher has written a book of practical wisdom that will help all leaders navigate the emerging features of our technological culture with biblical fidelity, theological sensitivity, and missional ingenuity. He avoids the traps of unreflective optimism and unwarranted pessimism by steering a wise path through the risks and opportunities of current innovations for the future of the church. What we are given is not just a primer on developing technologies, nor merely advice on how to incorporate them into ministry settings, but a compendium of principles that help us discern the signs of the times and respond with faithful confidence.

Phillip R. Meadows
Phillip R. Meadows
Sundo Kim Professor of Evangelism and Practical Theology, Asbury Theological Seminary

We all can see the technology storm coming, but the church has adapted to technological storms in every era. My hope is that we can not only adapt this time but even thrive in coming years in what might be our greatest challenge so far. David Swisher's book offers church leaders a clear, hope-filled guide for navigating technological disruption with both wisdom and courage as we "lead proactively rather than reactively" as he advises. After reading Swisher's work, I hope we can all feel like we've got an “early warning system in place.…" As he says, "You can not only thrive, but even offer your congregation hope and peace in the midst of the storm.” The tech analysis and practical ministry experience combined in Early Warning promises to show church leaders how to face disruption faithfully, and without fear.

David Drury
David Drury
Founder, church planter

Dr. David Swisher’s many years of professional experience and hands-on use of technology in varied and diverse settings makes him a prime resource for this type of book. His historical perspective gives important foundational insights along with scripture reference. Yet to me, one of the most powerful aspects of this book are his interesting vignettes that really make the information come alive with realistic examples and pragmatic descriptions of effective technological use. This is a much-needed book for any one that wants to lead with insightful wisdom in a world dominated with fast-paced and ongoing technological change.

Brent A. Anders, PhD
Brent A. Anders, PhD
University Lecturer and Researcher, Director of the Sovorel Center for Teaching & Learning

As a district superintendent working with more than 100 churches, I am pleased to endorse Dr. David Swisher's insightful book on navigating disruptive technology innovation for pastors and ministry leaders. This timely resource offers a compelling and practical guide for integrating technological advancements into ministry with wisdom and purpose. Dr. Swisher skillfully blends deep understanding, actionable strategies, and a heartfelt commitment to ministry, providing church leaders with a clear framework to address the challenges and opportunities of our rapidly evolving landscape. I strongly recommend this book to ministry professionals seeking to lead their congregations with confidence and foresight in an age of technological transformation.

Mark Gorveatte
Mark Gorveatte
District Superintendent, Crossroads District of the Wesleyan Church

David Swisher's Early Warning is a wonderfully interesting, insightful, and wise look at the technologies of our times, with historical insights, biblical frameworks, and sober analysis. Ministry leaders would do well to read and discuss it.

Quentin Schultze, PhD
Quentin Schultze, PhD
Author of Habits of the High-Tech Heart: Living Virtuously in the Information Age

Early Warning is more than a book—it’s a lifeline, a lightning rod, and a lighthouse. David Swisher doesn’t just help us “weather the storm” of technological disruption; he trains us to become storm chasers for Christ. With the eyes of a historian, the heart of a pastor, and the imagination of a futurist, Swisher offers not gadgets and gimmicks but guidance and grace. This book is not about running from disruption but running toward it with faith, courage, and hope.

Swisher shows that the storms of AI, blockchain, the metaverse, and autonomous tech are not threats to be feared but thresholds to be crossed—opportunities to reimagine ministry for a new generation. If you want to help your people not just survive disruption but sing in the storm, this is the book you’ve been waiting for. David Swisher is the early warning system the church desperately needs.

Leonard Sweet
Leonard Sweet
Author, professor, preacher, publisher, proprietor

I've watched David Swisher guide educators and ministry leaders through technological disruption for years, and Early Warning distills that rare wisdom into essential reading for pastors. His chapters on VR and metaverse ministry opened my eyes to mission fields I'd walked through and been unsure of. The care he puts into talking about potential pitfalls as well as opportunities for every topic is something that will challenge your assumptions and equip you to lead faithfully through the digital disruptions already reshaping ministry.

Andy Mage
Andy Mage
Creative Pastor, Lux Digital Church
Disruption isn’t coming—it’s already here. The question is: are you ready for it?

For Church Leaders by a Church Technologist

Written by a bi-vocational leader with decades of experience in both ministry and emerging technology.

Disruption isn’t coming—it’s already here. The question is: are you ready for it?

Timely and Forward-Looking

Covers the technologies already reshaping ministry: AI, blockchain, decentralization, metaverse, and automation.

Disruption isn’t coming—it’s already here. The question is: are you ready for it?

Rooted in Biblical Leadership

Draws on the metaphor of the “tribe of Issachar”—those who understood the times and knew what to do.

Disruption isn’t coming—it’s already here. The question is: are you ready for it?

Practical Guidance

Equips pastors and leaders with frameworks for evaluating technology theologically, missionally, and strategically.

Disruption isn’t coming—it’s already here. The question is: are you ready for it?

Case Studies and Scenarios

Real-world insights to help leaders adapt, innovate, and shepherd well in the face of constant change.

earlywarning cvr 3d

Technology is reshaping the world faster than most churches are prepared for. But with timely insight and thoughtful leadership, you can stay grounded and lead well through the storm.

Order Early Warning today and become the kind of leader your church needs—discerning the signs, navigating disruption, and turning technological change into kingdom opportunity.

Order Now