Tending What God Has Given
Protecting Our Rural Communities from AI Data Centers
From the very beginning, God entrusted us with the care of His creation. It continues today in how we care for the land, the water, and the communities that depend on them.
In many rural areas, that calling is being tested. Large AI data centers—facilities that power the tools and technologies we use every day—are being built on farmland and drawing heavily on local water supplies.
This is about more than technology. It is about stewardship. It is about ensuring our neighbors have a voice in the care of the land and water God has entrusted to us. And it is about remembering that every decision we make touches real people—families, farmers, children, and elders—who depend on these gifts for life itself.
Farmers in rural communities are facing new struggles as data centers expand. Valuable farmland is being reduced, leaving less land to grow crops and care for livestock. The rising cost of land and the shrinking availability of farmable property makes it harder for existing farmers to continue their work and discourages new generations from taking up this vital calling.
Even the land that remains can be affected. Transmission lines and other infrastructure associated with these facilities can damage crops, disrupt irrigation, and create risks for livestock. The constant noise and bright lights of industrial operations can stress animals and affect production, while heavy electricity use can drive up costs for the entire community.
Perhaps most urgent is water. Many communities rely on wells, local watersheds, and small town systems to provide drinking water, irrigate crops, and care for livestock. Data centers draw heavily on water—sometimes hundreds of thousands of gallons each day—placing immense pressure on these vital sources.
Scripture reminds us that water is more than a resource—it is life itself, a gift from God. It sustains the people, the land, the crops, and the animals. Protecting it is not simply practical; it is faithful.
As followers of Christ, we are called to protect and care for what God has given—our land, our water, and our neighbors. When decisions threaten the ability of rural communities to thrive, we are called to pray, to speak, and to act as faithful stewards.
May we continue to honor God by tending to the gifts He has entrusted to us, ensuring that families, farms, and communities can flourish for generations to come.
