Faith for Living, Inc. · Bethesda Publishing Group · The D. James Kennedy Institute of Reformed Leadership

Editorial Policy

On the relationship between the author’s voice
and the tools that serve it

The written word carries the weight of the one who sets it down. When a reader encounters an essay, a sermon manuscript, a book, or a Substack post bearing my name, they are entitled to know whose mind shaped the argument, whose memory supplied the illustration, whose convictions stand behind the theology. Transparency about that process is not a bureaucratic obligation. It is a matter of integrity.

The author composes all original material. Editorial staff may employ AI-assisted tools — including Claude (Anthropic) and Grammarly — for editorial tasks: grammar review, condensation, and formatting. These tools serve the author’s voice and intention; they are not substitutes for it. Substance, theology, and expression remain the author’s own.

This policy governs all content produced under the ministry of Faith for Living, Inc., and published through Bethesda Publishing Group, including books, periodicals, digital publications, sermon manuscripts, and the Substack presence at michaelamilton.org.

What this means in practice

Original composition. All theological content, argumentation, narrative, and pastoral application originates with the author. No AI tool generates the substance of what is written.
Editorial assistance. AI-assisted tools may be used for grammar review, light condensation, and formatting — the same functions traditionally performed by a human editorial assistant.
Voice and intention. Any editorial tool is directed by, and accountable to, the author’s established voice, theological commitments, and intended meaning.
Scholarly integrity. Research, citation, and bibliographic work follow standard academic conventions. Sources are verified by the author. AI-generated citations are never used without independent verification.
Disclosure. Where AI-assisted editorial work has been employed in a publication, this policy page serves as the standing disclosure.

I hold this position not merely as a publishing policy but as a conviction about the nature of pastoral and theological writing. The congregation, the reader, the student — each deserves to encounter a real mind grappling honestly with the Word of God and the human condition. No tool can do that work. No tool should.

At the same time, the responsible use of editorial tools — to tighten a sentence, correct a grammatical infelicity, or reformat a document — is no different in kind from the long tradition of authors working with editors, copyists, and research assistants. The test is always whether the tools serve the voice, or the voice is lost to the tools.

Tools currently in use

Claude · AnthropicGrammar review, editorial condensation, and document formatting.

Grammarly · Grammar, spelling, and mechanical style review.

Michael A. Milton, PhD

President-CEO and Senior Fellow
Faith for Living, Inc., a North Carolina 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Corporation
and The D. James Kennedy Institute of Reformed Leadership
Chaplain (Colonel) US Army (Retired)

Faith for Living, Inc. · Tryon, North Carolina