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Trip Lee Discusses "Rise", His Faith & T.I.'s Role In Promoting Fatherhood in Hip Hop

Coming off the success of Lecrae having the number one album in the country, Reach Records has another bomb to drop on the music industry: Trip Lee’s album Rise.

In April 2012, the Dallas-bred rapper released The Good Life , his fourth studio album. It peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 chart. Soon after, Trip became uncertain about his future and announced in September that he was taking a leave from making music. And he did, sort of. In December of that same year he returned, claiming he never formally used the “R” word: “retirement.” He then kept his loyal 116 fan base in suspense for a year and a half before announcing Rise in August.. 

“There’s stuff I wanna say,” he says. “I listen to good music whether it’s Hip Hop or whatever, really inspired by it and wanna make good stuff. There’s a burden in me to make new music.” 

So he got back in the studio with Reach’s own Gawvi, who’s responsible for creating Lecrae’s hit single “Nuthin” from his chart-topping album Anomaly . But he doesn’t want to be compared to any other artist. As a man who is very open about his faith, he has garnered the sometimes-dreaded label of “Christian rapper,” but he doesn’t want people to have preconceptions about his music and he insists  Rise won’t disappoint.

Trip Lee Explains His Return To The Spotlight 

DX: What made you decide to make a new album and come out of what people thought was your retirement? 

Trip Lee: Just the love for music is a huge part of it. I’ve loved music my entire life. Music is, I think for some people music is like something you like play in the background while you’re washing dishes. Music is like if you’re in the car and you’ve got nothing else to do, turn it on. For me, music is much more than that. The way people might sit down and watch a movie, I sit down and listen to an album, my favorite album top to bottom, record music. I love music to a degree that I feel so grateful that I get to create music and it’s a burden in me to create stuff. There’s stuff I wanna say. I listen to good music whether it’s Hip Hop or whatever, really inspired by it and wanna keep doing stuff. There’s a burden in me to make new music. I was, I’d been on staff at my church in DC and I just thought, “Man, I think I can do another record if I just go really slow working on it.” Instead of like a quick burst, I was just kinda chipping away at it slowly for a little over a year and I think that actually ended up working better for me in some ways because I was able to perfect it over the year. 

DX: We know your song with Sho Baraka you did, “I Love Music”, that’s definitely something that’s stood out to us about you, and your love for the artform is evident…

Trip Lee: Yeah, I do. Hip Hop, I think a lot of people sleep on how beautiful the artform of Hip Hop is. I think Hip Hop has unique ways that we use words, unique ways that we use metaphors. We have more words, so we’re able to communicate more stuff whether that’s for good or for bad. There’s an aggressiveness to it that I think is unique about Hip Hop. There’s a way that it connects with your soul and makes you dance. There’s so many unique things about the artform of Hip Hop, man. I hope as Hip Hop continues to mature, the more and more people continue to see the beauty of the artform. That’s why I appreciate artists like a Kanye who is so meticulous about his art that it’s hard to sleep on it like some random jumbled words over drums. He’s inspired me a lot over the years in the way he’s approached his music and his production, very artful and I appreciate that about him. 

DX: Even though you never explicitly used the word retirement, was there ever a time when you thought you were done with Rap? 

Trip Lee: Yeah, so in 2012, a little bit after my fourth album The Good Life came out, I did say, “Hey I’m gonna step away from music.” And the main reason was that I wanted to be a pastor. I wanted to give my time to doing that, which I know a lot of people say I was crazy like, “You’re a rapper and you want to be a pastor. What in the world? You’ve had some success.  The Good Life was number three Rap album in the Billboard charts the week it came out. Why in the world?” And people especially can’t put together a dude who’s a pastor and rapper. That seems so absurd ‘cause when people think pastor they think he’s like dude in the robe, real churchy, screaming in the mic, or they think like whatever pastor or preacher they’ve seen on TV. And so people can’t really put those two things together, but for me, I’ve always had a passion for helping people to see the truth, helping people to see the truth of God and I wanted to use my life to do that as a pastor. When I did that, when I stepped away, for that, for 2013 I almost didn’t do much of anything. I wasn’t writing much, anything like that. It was a huge shift for me. I thought maybe it could be my last album. I thought it was a very real possibility, but I didn’t know for sure. So that’s why I never said I was retiring. I was like, “I don’t know. It could be, but I wanna see how stuff kinda shakes out.” So, I am happy to be making another record. People are happy about it, so I’m glad for that. 

Trip Lee Explains The Meaning Of The Album Title 

DX: Why the album title Rise ?

Trip Lee: I wanted this album to in a lot of ways just kind of a challenge and a call to action. When I say Rise , it kind of has three meanings. One is to rise from your slumber and live, get up the dead and live and rise above low expectations people have for us. So, especially in Hip Hop, if I was to make a record about hitting the strip clubs and making as much money as I can and cars, well that’s fine. People, that’s what people expect from rappers often. So one of the meanings of Rise is rise above low expectations. I want to say, instead of just what people expect and what’s accepted, I want to say what are things supposed to be like. Not that my music is like the best and how everything’s supposed to be. What I’m saying, I’m trying to think carefully about, ok, what is life really about? How can I stay true to that? How can I point to help people value the right things? And how can I do it with extremely dope music?

So Rise is kind of a challenge and a call to live the way we were made to live. To put, to talk about things that matter, in the context of really dope music, I think is a powerful thing. So that’s why I worked so hard on this album to make sure the music is dope. People are gonna count us out like, “Ah, you talk about God sometimes. It’s corny and it’s a couple strikes and it’s out.” So people sometimes are being more and more open. It’s something about being a Christian or being a strong Christian or even [having] some of the Christianity comes through in your music, it makes people automatically think it’s corny. So I feel like I’ve gotta work even harder than your average artist to make sure the music is dope from the second you hear it so that you’ll give it a chance. And I think once people hear it, I think they do say, “Oh, this is dope.” And I think at the end of the day, I want to make music, not just for a little segment of people, I want my music to be for everybody. I try to do my music in a way that connects with everyone. I’m always working to make sure it’s dope and I’m also working to make sure that the things I say on the album are true. 

DX: Do you think the power of the message is just as important as the music? 

Trip Lee: Yeah. If I just wanted to say true things, I could be just a public speaker or a pastor. But if I want to do music, I want to do art, that’s what I’m doing. I want to do incredible music. I want to do incredible art. I don’t expect people to care about my music just ‘cause of the message. I don’t expect to like put out an ok album and send it to HipHopDX to review and they give me amazing reviews ‘cause the stuff I said was true. This is music. It’s an artform. Especially Hip Hop. Hip Hop is competitive. So I expect if people are gonna pay attention to the music, the music has to be dope. 

Trip Lee Illustrates Why Hip Hop Needs More Examples Of Family Like T.I. 

DX: We got to listen to Rise . What made you decide to do “Beautiful Life”?

Trip Lee: The first song, “Beautiful Life” was on the very weighty topic of unwanted pregnancies and abortion. On that song, the main message I was trying to get across was, how beautiful the life that God gives is, how beautiful a gift that is and to cherish that beautiful life. Since that album came out, there’s a song on there where I talk about my wife being pregnant, but since that album has come out, I have two kids now. I have a two-year old and a two-month old. So I wanted to just talk about in my life, the beautiful life that I’ve seen in them. On that song, producer Gawvi is playing some chords in the studio. I was like, “Ooo, I like that.” It just made you feel happy. You know when you heard Pharrell “Happy” the first time? It just made you feel good. These were just some happy sounding chords and the beat felt good, so I thought that was the perfect one to write the song to my kids and just talk about how grateful I am for them, the joy they bring to my life. I think that’s a good thing to talk about in Hip Hop, too. There’s more sides and one of the sides is I’m glad to be a father of two kids that I love very much and I’m glad to be married.

DX: How has fatherhood been for you?

Trip Lee: Fatherhood has been amazing and hard (laughs). I’ve been married for five years. I’m very grateful for my wife Jessica. She’s an amazing mom and that’s been obviously the biggest thing me and her have done together which is raise little people. I think probably every day, ‘til the sun goes down in my home, every day the most frustrating part of my day is something that my kids did and probably the most joyous thing, the happiest moment, the thing that makes me smile or laugh the most is something my kids did. It’s very interesting because there’s some really hard things about parenthood, but most of the smiles and laughs and joy in my life right now are from my kids and my wife and I’m so grateful for ‘em. It was hard for me to grasp the kind of love that a father can have for his kids until I was really there and they just have my heart. I just want to be a good dad and love on ‘em and that’s an area for me to grow in, but I’m so grateful for my kids and my wife raising ‘em with me. 

DX: You started to touch on this a little bit, but those are themes that are kind of aren’t really present in Hip Hop. Why is that important to you to bring that message? 

Trip Lee: Yeah, I think we see very few pictures in Hip Hop of the man who’s committed to his wife and parents and children. You got like a T.I. who you see some good images there just to see “Hey, this is a rapper. Here’s his wife and his kids on a reality show.” I think that’s a dope image to see. I don’t watch the show, so I don’t know what the show is like, but I think that in itself is dope. But I think it’s really important because I think so many of our communities are suffering from a lack of fathers in the home. So many of us have daddy issues because our dads weren’t around and that’s impacted our lives. Many of us, now I did have my dad around, but I’m a rarity. Even I sit around the table with my friends, these are the dudes I rap with, and I’m like “Oh, I’m the only dude whose dad was around.” It’s so rare and I think it’s so important for young men to have their fathers in their lives, young women have their fathers in their lives and so if I can paint this picture like, “Hey this isn’t some weird thing, this isn’t some rare thing. This is how it should be.” Then, that’s a way that I can encourage fathers to be in their children’s lives and show them the joy of fatherhood. It’s hard but it’s very joyful. And it’s also for those of us who didn’t have fathers, I can paint a new picture by saying here’s something that we cans strive towards together.

Trip Lee Explains Why Artists Like To Incorporate Texan Influences 

DX: “Shweet” was the first single from the album. Why did you choose that one to be the first of your new music? 

Trip Lee: “Shweet” that was a joint that I thought was a cool one to come back on. Content-wise it fits in with kinda a lot of what I talk about, bragging, not bragging on myself and then it was just kinda fun and playful. It feels like right now, like how the track is and the track was just a good one to kick the door out with “Shweet.” People have loved it. It’s really caught on “Shweet” I think that’s kinda catchy and people enjoy it, so I was excited about that particular song and that people have responded to it in a great way.

DX: Why do you think the Texas vibe is really popular and how do you represent that?

Trip Lee: I love the music, man. When I was growing up, Swisha House was a big influence on me and a lot of Texas Hip Hop. There was like a time when Houston was kinda popping. Swisha House, Paul Wall , Lil Flip, Chamillionaire was getting a little bit of love and those are dudes, I was with these dudes through middle school. They were just kinda getting going. I think there’s a lot of cool, unique things about Texas music and Texas Hip Hop. It’s really cool and you can incorporate, I think. We’ve even seen Drake incorporate some Houston-type stuff. Like you said, A$AP dudes incorporating some. I think there are really cool things to kinda bring into it. I enjoy bringing that into my music, my roots growing up in Texas and Dallas. 

Trip Lee Talks Being Open Minded; Working on “Manolo” With Lecrae 

DX: Your overall work has been pretty diverse from fast songs like “No Worries” to more reflective songs like “Fallin.” But overall this seems to be your most diverse project so far. What inspired this diversity or range on Rise ? 

Trip Lee: I wanted to do a record that didn’t sound like nothin’ else. I don’t want it to sound like, I don’t want it to be like “Aw yeah, that one sound like Drake. That one sound like Kendrick. That one sound like..” yeah. I wanted it to be kinda like it’s own sound. Me and Gawvi the producer I worked with we tried to kinda create our own sound for this one. It feels relevant. It feels like right now, but it is unique and I think we were able to accomplish that. And as we were working on it over this year, we had lots of time to sit and think, “Ok, we have these kind of joints. We’re missing more of these. We’re missing more like turn-up songs. Oh, ok we’re missing the vulnerable song. We’re missing this and this and this.” Until we were able to fill in those gaps to give kind of the full experience. So that’s what I always shoot for with a record. I’m glad that we succeeded with that this time around. 

DX: Yeah, there’s a little bit of everything. But “Manolo”, what does that mean? 

Trip Lee: Manolo means “God is with us.” The funny story with that song is we were just like mumbling stuff in the booth and it sounded dope on the track. So Gawvi was like, “nuh nuh nuh nuh Manolo.”  We were like, “dang, I wonder if Manolo’s a real place.” It sounds like an Italian city or something. So we looked it up and we found out it means “God is with us.” We were like, “Oh snap.” So we kept that “Manolo”. Then kind of the rest of the hook, the rest of the song we talk about fighting lies with truth and a lot of weapon imagery in there, talking about the truth is a weapon you fight lies with. It’s a fun joint. Lecrae killed it. Loved his verse on there and I think, we put that song out yesterday or the day before and people have been wilin so I’m glad people love it. I thought they would.

DX: Gawvi I know produced the whole album. Did you know going in that he was going to produce the whole album or how did you work that out? 

Trip Lee: I’ve always wanted to do a record with one producer. I’ve tried it in the past and it hadn’t worked out. Gawvi when I brought the idea to him, he was so excited about it and so from the beginning we were intending to do this whole record together and so we really pushed each other. He’s an incredible producer. I don’t know anybody who’s messing with him. I think he’s my favorite producer period right now. I’m privileged to work with him and I think we work really well together. We’ve been working together since like ’07. He’s done stuff on all of my albums except my very first one. So we go way back. We work well together and so I think this may not be the last record we do together because I think it worked well for us.

DX: That’s awesome. Is there anything else you want to say?

Trip Lee: I think one thing, and I touched on this some, but I think I would love Hip Hop lovers to not discredit the music because they put somebody in a box, but instead to judge music off of whether or not it’s dope. So give the music a chance, see whether it’s dope. If it’s dope, then listen to it, if not, then don’t. I do try to have truth in my music, but I think people assume it’s going to be something else and don’t give it a chance. So I would say, hey listen to the music. Give it a chance. If it’s dope, keep listening to it. If not, then move on.

RELATED:  Trip Lee Breaks Down “The Good Life,” Meeting LeCrae In 2004 [Interview]

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About Trip Lee

As a solo artist and member of the group 116, Christian rapper Trip Lee uses elements of Southern hip-hop to spread his message of faith. • Lee started rapping at age 12. He devoted his life to religion as a teenager and spread the gospel via his music and the sermons he began delivering at age 17. • He signed with Reach Records and released his debut album, If They Only Knew, in 2006, right after his high school graduation. • Three of his albums—2010’s Between Two Worlds, 2012’s The Good Life, and 2014’s Rise—have reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart and crossed over to the Billboard 200. • Lee also works as a pastor, and in 2015, he released the book Rise: Get Up and Live in God's Great Story.

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Trip lee reveals why he quit being a pastor: 'trying to be faithful looks different in different seasons'.

Christian minister and recording artist Trip Lee, whose birth name is William Lee Barefield III, revealed that he recently “stepped away” from pastoring due to an incurable illness.

During a recent interview with Faithfully Magazine , the 33-year-old artist disclosed that his 12-year battle with chronic fatigue syndrome has made it too difficult for him to continue serving as a pastor. 

"When I think of calling, I think of desire, gifting, and opportunity, basically. I had the desire to want to do it. When I would preach and serve and help people, I see the Lord using this and the Lord opened doors for me to do it,” Lee explained.

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"I think [my] calling has been affected by my own health and things that seemed good and that I feel called to, they don't work out the way I expect because I have an illness that is the hardest part of every part of my life and things don't always work out the way that I think they supposed to or I felt they would, but nevertheless, I'm just trying to be faithful in the season,” he added.

The husband and father-of-three released his debut album in 2005 and quickly became a household name in Christian hip-hop. He stepped away from music in 2012 to pursue training as a pastor. 

He went on to preach at several Christian conferences and pastor local congregations. He led Cornerstone Church West End in Atlanta for four years, and in 2019 became a young adult pastor at Concord Church in Dallas, Texas. During that time he authored two books, The Good Life and Rise: Get Up and Live in God’s Great Story, and also released two albums, Rise and The Waiting Room.

Lee said he's thankful for the opportunities he's had to serve as a pastor, adding: "I love the Church."

"For many years, it was me trying to pastor in this season," he said. "I'm actually not pastoring anymore. I've actually stepped away in the past few months because of my health. It's made it hard, It doesn't seem like the most faithful way for me to serve the Church in the season. ... But yeah, trying to be faithful looks different in different seasons."

Lee now has a new single titled, “You Got It." He told Faithfully Magazine he plans to keep creating music. 

At the Gospel Coalition’s 2019 National Conference,  the artist preached on Matthew 8:1-13 , a passage in which Jesus heals a leper.

“To read passages like these, if I’m honest, can be difficult for a sick person,” he reflected. “Because it just seems so easy. It seems like ‘just believe and you’re healed.’ … It seems like faith just takes care of it. So what can happen — and I know I’m not the only one who has an illness or who has friends and family who have illnesses — the question can be, ‘Why isn’t God willing to heal me?’ It can be confusing, especially when you have false teaching that’ll say, ‘Look, if you’re sick, it’s a lack of faith. Faith always leads to healing.'” 

Nevertheless, the artist affirmed his faith in Christ and His ability to heal.

“If we want to present our brokenness to Jesus … the question is never about God’s ability,” Lee said. “It’s a question of whether or not it’s in His will. That’s how we should bring our brokenness to a Savior as amazing as ours — with an open hand, saying, ‘I know you can. I’m asking if You will.’"

Jeannie Ortega Law is a reporter for The Christian Post. Reach her at: [email protected] She's also the author of the book, What Is Happening to Me? How to Defeat Your Unseen Enemy   Follow her on Twitter: @jlawcp  Facebook: JeannieOMusic

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William Lee Barefield III (born December 17, 1987), better known by his stage name Trip Lee, is an American Southern Christian rapper, singer, poet, and author. Signed to Reach Records, he has recorded both as a solo artist and as a founding member of the 116 Clique. Originally from Dallas, Texas, he now resides in Atlanta, Georgia, and is a teaching pastor at Cornerstone Church. He first gained recognition after appearing on the Reach Records website at the age of 16. His third album, Between Two Worlds , was nominated for two Dove Awards and won the Stellar Award for Best Hip Hop Album in 2011.

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We affirm that AI will continue to be developed in ways that we cannot currently imagine or understand, including AI that will far surpass many human abilities. God alone has the power to create life, and no future advancements in AI will usurp Him as the Creator of life. The church has a unique role in proclaiming human dignity for all and calling for the humane use of AI in all aspects of society.

We deny that AI will make us more or less human, or that AI will ever obtain a coequal level of worth, dignity, or value to image-bearers. Future advancements in AI will not ultimately fulfill our longings for a perfect world. While we are not able to comprehend or know the future, we do not fear what is to come because we know that God is omniscient and that nothing we create will be able to thwart His redemptive plan for creation or to supplant humanity as His image-bearers.

Genesis 1; Isaiah 42:8; Romans 1:20-21; 5:2; Ephesians 1:4-6; 2 Timothy 1:7-9; Revelation 5:9-10

Article 11: Public Policy

We affirm that the fundamental purposes of government are to protect human beings from harm, punish those who do evil, uphold civil liberties, and to commend those who do good. The public has a role in shaping and crafting policies concerning the use of AI in society, and these decisions should not be left to those who develop these technologies or to governments to set norms.

We deny that AI should be used by governments, corporations, or any entity to infringe upon God-given human rights. AI, even in a highly advanced state, should never be delegated the governing authority that has been granted by an all-sovereign God to human beings alone. 

Romans 13:1-7; Acts 10:35; 1 Peter 2:13-14

Article 10: War

We affirm that the use of AI in warfare should be governed by love of neighbor and the principles of just war. The use of AI may mitigate the loss of human life, provide greater protection of non-combatants, and inform better policymaking. Any lethal action conducted or substantially enabled by AI must employ 5 human oversight or review. All defense-related AI applications, such as underlying data and decision-making processes, must be subject to continual review by legitimate authorities. When these systems are deployed, human agents bear full moral responsibility for any actions taken by the system.

We deny that human agency or moral culpability in war can be delegated to AI. No nation or group has the right to use AI to carry out genocide, terrorism, torture, or other war crimes.

Genesis 4:10; Isaiah 1:16-17; Psalm 37:28; Matthew 5:44; 22:37-39; Romans 13:4

Article 9: Security

We affirm that AI has legitimate applications in policing, intelligence, surveillance, investigation, and other uses supporting the government’s responsibility to respect human rights, to protect and preserve human life, and to pursue justice in a flourishing society.

We deny that AI should be employed for safety and security applications in ways that seek to dehumanize, depersonalize, or harm our fellow human beings. We condemn the use of AI to suppress free expression or other basic human rights granted by God to all human beings.

Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-14

Article 8: Data & Privacy

We affirm that privacy and personal property are intertwined individual rights and choices that should not be violated by governments, corporations, nation-states, and other groups, even in the pursuit of the common good. While God knows all things, it is neither wise nor obligatory to have every detail of one’s life open to society.

We deny the manipulative and coercive uses of data and AI in ways that are inconsistent with the love of God and love of neighbor. Data collection practices should conform to ethical guidelines that uphold the dignity of all people. We further deny that consent, even informed consent, although requisite, is the only necessary ethical standard for the collection, manipulation, or exploitation of personal data—individually or in the aggregate. AI should not be employed in ways that distort truth through the use of generative applications. Data should not be mishandled, misused, or abused for sinful purposes to reinforce bias, strengthen the powerful, or demean the weak.

Exodus 20:15, Psalm 147:5; Isaiah 40:13-14; Matthew 10:16 Galatians 6:2; Hebrews 4:12-13; 1 John 1:7 

Article 7: Work

We affirm that work is part of God’s plan for human beings participating in the cultivation and stewardship of creation. The divine pattern is one of labor and rest in healthy proportion to each other. Our view of work should not be confined to commercial activity; it must also include the many ways that human beings serve each other through their efforts. AI can be used in ways that aid our work or allow us to make fuller use of our gifts. The church has a Spirit-empowered responsibility to help care for those who lose jobs and to encourage individuals, communities, employers, and governments to find ways to invest in the development of human beings and continue making vocational contributions to our lives together.

We deny that human worth and dignity is reducible to an individual’s economic contributions to society alone. Humanity should not use AI and other technological innovations as a reason to move toward lives of pure leisure even if greater social wealth creates such possibilities.

Genesis 1:27; 2:5; 2:15; Isaiah 65:21-24; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-16

Article 6: Sexuality

We affirm the goodness of God’s design for human sexuality which prescribes the sexual union to be an exclusive relationship between a man and a woman in the lifelong covenant of marriage.

We deny that the pursuit of sexual pleasure is a justification for the development or use of AI, and we condemn the objectification of humans that results from employing AI for sexual purposes. AI should not intrude upon or substitute for the biblical expression of sexuality between a husband and wife according to God’s design for human marriage.

Genesis 1:26-29; 2:18-25; Matthew 5:27-30; 1 Thess 4:3-4

Article 5: Bias

We affirm that, as a tool created by humans, AI will be inherently subject to bias and that these biases must be accounted for, minimized, or removed through continual human oversight and discretion. AI should be designed and used in such ways that treat all human beings as having equal worth and dignity. AI should be utilized as a tool to identify and eliminate bias inherent in human decision-making.

We deny that AI should be designed or used in ways that violate the fundamental principle of human dignity for all people. Neither should AI be used in ways that reinforce or further any ideology or agenda, seeking to subjugate human autonomy under the power of the state.

Micah 6:8; John 13:34; Galatians 3:28-29; 5:13-14; Philippians 2:3-4; Romans 12:10

Article 4: Medicine

We affirm that AI-related advances in medical technologies are expressions of God’s common grace through and for people created in His image and that these advances will increase our capacity to provide enhanced medical diagnostics and therapeutic interventions as we seek to care for all people. These advances should be guided by basic principles of medical ethics, including beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice, which are all consistent with the biblical principle of loving our neighbor.

We deny that death and disease—effects of the Fall—can ultimately be eradicated apart from Jesus Christ. Utilitarian applications regarding healthcare distribution should not override the dignity of human life. Fur- 3 thermore, we reject the materialist and consequentialist worldview that understands medical applications of AI as a means of improving, changing, or completing human beings.

Matthew 5:45; John 11:25-26; 1 Corinthians 15:55-57; Galatians 6:2; Philippians 2:4

Article 3: Relationship of AI & Humanity

We affirm the use of AI to inform and aid human reasoning and moral decision-making because it is a tool that excels at processing data and making determinations, which often mimics or exceeds human ability. While AI excels in data-based computation, technology is incapable of possessing the capacity for moral agency or responsibility.

We deny that humans can or should cede our moral accountability or responsibilities to any form of AI that will ever be created. Only humanity will be judged by God on the basis of our actions and that of the tools we create. While technology can be created with a moral use in view, it is not a moral agent. Humans alone bear the responsibility for moral decision making.

Romans 2:6-8; Galatians 5:19-21; 2 Peter 1:5-8; 1 John 2:1

Article 2: AI as Technology

We affirm that the development of AI is a demonstration of the unique creative abilities of human beings. When AI is employed in accordance with God’s moral will, it is an example of man’s obedience to the divine command to steward creation and to honor Him. We believe in innovation for the glory of God, the sake of human flourishing, and the love of neighbor. While we acknowledge the reality of the Fall and its consequences on human nature and human innovation, technology can be used in society to uphold human dignity. As a part of our God-given creative nature, human beings should develop and harness technology in ways that lead to greater flourishing and the alleviation of human suffering.

We deny that the use of AI is morally neutral. It is not worthy of man’s hope, worship, or love. Since the Lord Jesus alone can atone for sin and reconcile humanity to its Creator, technology such as AI cannot fulfill humanity’s ultimate needs. We further deny the goodness and benefit of any application of AI that devalues or degrades the dignity and worth of another human being. 

Genesis 2:25; Exodus 20:3; 31:1-11; Proverbs 16:4; Matthew 22:37-40; Romans 3:23

Article 1: Image of God

We affirm that God created each human being in His image with intrinsic and equal worth, dignity, and moral agency, distinct from all creation, and that humanity’s creativity is intended to reflect God’s creative pattern.

We deny that any part of creation, including any form of technology, should ever be used to usurp or subvert the dominion and stewardship which has been entrusted solely to humanity by God; nor should technology be assigned a level of human identity, worth, dignity, or moral agency.

Genesis 1:26-28; 5:1-2; Isaiah 43:6-7; Jeremiah 1:5; John 13:34; Colossians 1:16; 3:10; Ephesians 4:24

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Trip Lee is an author, teacher, hip-hop artist, and thought leader. He regularly preaches and teaches at Christian conferences and events, and has performed his music for thousands of listeners around the world.

In his first book, The Good Life, Lee points to the abundant life available only in Christ – a life beyond anything the world can offer. His second book, Rise, calls a younger generation not to wait to follow God, but to get up and live now.

As a hip-hop artist, Lee’s music has received critical acclaim, while reaching a large and growing audience. He’s won a Stellar award and been nominated for several Dove Awards. His last three albums have debuted at #1 on the Billboard Gospel charts.

Trip’s deepest desire in his writing, teaching, and performing is to declare the goodness and glory of Jesus Christ.

To book Trip Lee to teach, preach, or perform at your event,  contact WME .

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House of Lee

Action fantasy series where Bruce Lee battles to gather his Dragon Warriors before the world falls too deep into darkness and shadows. Action fantasy series where Bruce Lee battles to gather his Dragon Warriors before the world falls too deep into darkness and shadows. Action fantasy series where Bruce Lee battles to gather his Dragon Warriors before the world falls too deep into darkness and shadows.

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