AA History - Christian Recovery Movement: Dick B. Talk

The 2010 Annual Christian Addiction Professionals Conference was held this year November 19th to 21st at Palm Springs, California.

A.A.'s Leading Christian Historian Dick B. of Kihei, Hawaii, was a principal speaker at the Conference. His major subject was Alcoholics Anonymnous History and The New Christian Recovery Program Movement - the New Wave.

Synopsis of the Dick B. Talk:

Four Stories about the Gap in Alcoholics Anonymous History:

A young alcoholic John asked Dick if he knew A.A. came from the Bible. Answer: No
Dr. Bob's son "Smitty" was asked by Dick to endorse his forthcoming book on Rev.
Sam Shoemaker's role in A.A. and with the Steps. Smitty said: "Who is he"
The author of "Not-God" recently explained that no signficant research had been
made into the Akron scene due to financial limitations and the thought that
the facts were primarily to be found in the East.
Dr. Robert Schuller was on the "Hour of Power" program and went into great lengths
to point out that he had searched long and hard to see if A.A. had Bible
roots; and said he had found the answer in Dick B.'s The Good Book and The Big
Book: A.A.'s Roots in the Bible www.dickb.com/goodbook.shtml

The heavy price paid by Christians in recovery because of the A.A. history gap:

Due to the abysmal lack of research, there is little knowledge of the full history
Into the vacuum have flowed idolatry, "spirituality," "choose your own conception
of a "god," absurd concepts of an "higher power"--light bulb, door, radiator.
More on the way toeday: Literature telling AAs they don't need to believe in
anything at all, and now that there should be new literature telling how
atheists can "take" and "work" the 12 Steps.

The Alcoholics Anonymous History which is the focus of Dick B. research and books

Role of God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible in the recovery movement.
Origins of Christian recovery movement and "Old School" A.A. original program
Applying the foregoing historical facts in recovery today.

The call for a stronger, broader, licensed, well-trained cadre of Christian Counselors

Dick B. was never introduced to this resource - through psychiatry, Alcoholics
Anonymous, therapy, a treatment program, or a VA psychiatric organization
The need is for a complete Christian Recovery Program today:
Qualifying the newcomer, hospitalization, orientation, routing; and this is
the area of opportunity for the Christian counselor.
There is a new Christian Recovery Movement wave in process, and it offers hope!

On Christian Counseling:

There is a call for expanding this realm because:

Growing distance from Almighty God in 12 Step movements; danger of seizures and DT
the absence of God in most treatment programs; and the diminishing support for
Alcoholics Anonymous in the growing psychological treatment ideas.

Opportunities for Christian counseling: (1) Initial assessment - qualifying the
newcomer, introducing to God and Jesus Christ, assuring detox or medical help,
routing the Christian after initial assessment. (2) Orientation to what early
A.A. was about: "Introductions to Christian Recovery" www.dickb.com/IFCR-
Class.shtml; and "The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide," 3rd ed, 2010
www.dickb.com/Christian-Recover-Guide.shtml. (3)The need of the Christian newcomer
today--intervention; explanation of the 12 Steps, Bible, history; what
Christianity offers to recovery; what the Bible offers; and what prayer offers;
(4) Routing to the complete Christian recovery resources.

What the Christian counselor can do: (1) Explain the original, successful
Christian Fellowship program of Akron. (2) Counter the distortions today --
idolatry,"higher power" nonsense, lack of need for belief, New Age spiritality
words and ideas; and real program and purpose of the 12 Steps as Dr. Bob saw
them.(3) Saturate the newcomer with a genuine, tolerant, service-oriented
Christian recovery program

On an effective Christian Recovery Program;

KNOWING where the early A.A. Christian Fellowship program in Akron came from;
(1) No Steps. (2) Christian organizations. (3) Boyhood Christian upbringing of
Dr. Bob and Bill W. (4) How the first three got sober. (5) The original program
summary in DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers. (6) The 14 practices of the early
fellowship. (7)The astonishing 75% success rate.

KNOWING the origins of the 12 Steps better to understand and to avoid distortions:
(1) Dr. Bob said the basic ideas came from the Bible and that the three essential
parts were the Book of James, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 1 Corinthians 13. (2)
The language and ideas of the Big Book and 12 Steps came primarily from the
teachings of Rev. Samuel M. Shoemaker, Jr. (3) How the proposed 12 Step program
was changed in order to appease atheists and agnostics.

KNOWING how to "take" the Twelve Steps.

LEARN THEIR PLAIN OBJECTIVE: (1) Relationship with God. (2) Attaining recovery.
(3) Being cured by the power of God.

AVOID INVENTING NEW 12 STEP PROGRAMWS - the influence of the Adversary in detours.
Why "recovery" Bibles; Why so many different "Step Guides;" substituting the
"Beatitudes" for the 12 Steps; claiming a bogus "back to basics."

SATURATE the Christian newcomer--just as they did in Akron--with Bible, prayer,
testimonies, events.

UNDERLINE SIMPLICITY: Abstain from liquor; submit to God and come to Him through
Jesus Christ; Obey God's will; Grow in fellowship through Bible study, prayer,
God's guidance, Christian devotionals, and literature; Help others; Pattern the
program on First Century Christianity as described in the Books of Acts.

On growing a new wave Christian recovery movement:

Participating in the rapidly growing International Christian Recovery Coalition
www.ChristianRecoveryCoalition.com

Christian Recovery Fellowships such as those now bursting in San Diego, Costa
Mesa, Huntington Beach, Antioch, Livermore, and Oroville, California

Christian Treatment Programs such as those in ABC Sober Living Soledad House,
Calvary Ranch, New Life Spirit Recovery, Inc., and Dunklin Memorial Church.

Christian alcoholism and addiction counselors - such as Association of Christian
Alcohol and Drug Counselors Institute

Christian Residential Treatment such as those conducted by CityTeam Ministries

Christian Sober Living Facilities - such as ABC Sober Living in San Diego

Conducting or outsourcing to conversion meetings, Bible teaching and
studies, prayer groups and meetings, religious gatherings, speaker meetings.

Embracing church and recovery pastors

Establishing Christian Recovery Centers which can handle the newcomer, route that
newcomer, provide resources, and link the Christian recovery movement elements.
There are a variety of locations possible: ACADC Institute Centers, Christian
treatment programs like WonWayOut, Manna House Ministries, Church sponsored
Christian Recovery Fellowships, rescue missions, Teen Challenge locations.

Conclusion:

Counselors urged to obtain and use "Introductory Foundations for Christian
Recovery" class www.dickb.com/IFCR-Class.shtml; and "The Dick B. Christian
Recovery Guide," 3rd ed. www.dickb.com/Christian-Recover-Guide.shtml

ACADC Institute urged to broaden the role for its counselor training and ministry
facilities through partnerships and expansion--with advertising and publicity

Pilot Christian Recovery Programs should be established such as the one we are
undertaking in partnership with the County of Maui Salvation Army.

Conference participants urged to help us grow the new Christian Recovery Movement
worldwide - with a book, website, facebook, twitter, blog, articles, newsletters,
radio shows, forums, funding of expenses, donations.

God Bless, Dick B. dickb@dickb.com