dickb
05-25-2009, 10:48 PM
A New Way Out Leadership Conference with Dick B.!
Mid-July 2009 in Southern California
Please Join Us and “Be a Part of Something Great—to the Glory of GOD!”
Many people have already told us that “A Nationwide Recovery Conference with Dick B.”, May 15-16, 2009, really blessed their lives and have been asking, “What’s next?” As a result, Dick B. and Ken B. will be returning to the Southern California area July 12-18, 2009, and staying at the Fairmont Newport Beach Hotel in Newport Beach. [We are asking for your input, ASAP, as to whether this Conference should be a full day (preferably) or a half day; and as to which day would work best for you between Monday, July 13, and Friday, July 17. Based on the feedback we receive over the next several days, we will select the conference length and date, and let you know the final details.]
Our (Tentative) Mission Statement
Our mission: (1) To glorify God by providing historically-accurate information about the roles God, Jesus Christ, and the written Word of God (the Bible) played in the astounding, documented, 75% and 93% success rates (in Akron and Cleveland, respectively) among “seemingly-hopeless,” “medically-incurable,” “real” alcoholics who thoroughly followed the early A.A. program Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob and Anne Smith developed in the summer of 1935 in Akron, Ohio. (Please see, for example, key points from the Frank Amos report to John D. Rockefeller, Jr., set forth on page 131 of the A.A. General Service Conference-approved book, DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers.) (2) To work with Christian leaders and workers in developing tools incorporating Dick B.’s research that will help Christians in the recovery arena become more effective in “carrying the message” to those who still suffer.
Pre-Conference Survey
(Please complete and return ASAP)
[Synopsis of Questions and points raised: At “A Nationwide Recovery Conference with Dick B.” in May 2009, attendees had an opportunity to introduce themselves and tell us about their interests. Those sharings were a high point of the Conference that resonated well. Now, we would be very thankful if you would: (1) consider the following questions; (2) provide us with your input and suggestions as a Christian recovery leader; and (3) and tell us how we can help each other reach people in recovery with the Christian message that our Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Word of God played a major role in the astonishing, documented, 75% success rate in early A.A. in Akron. Appendix 1 below summarizes and documents the early Akron A.A. program. Appendix 2 below presents the remarks of Dr. William D. Silkworth’s on early A.A.’s success rate of permanent cures. And an historical message that we believe needs to be learned, told, and applied in the recovery arena today. We have 19 years (and counting!) of research that proves what the original program was, and my 34 published titles, hundreds of articles, and audio talks provide that proof. We would like to know in advance of “A New Way Out Leadership Conference with Dick B.” in mid-July 2009 exactly how you view your recovery role, program, and efforts; whether and how you believe our materials can be incorporated in your recovery efforts; and the methods of dissemination and cooperation you suggest. To assist, we have added Appendix 3 which provides a broader statement about the Conference. The following are the questions we’d like you to answer and comment upon]
Survey Questions
1. What is your own area and preferred field of Christian recovery outreach?
2. Please give us your views on whether the history, program, approach, and successes of early A.A. and its predecessors can be of assistance in your outreach.
3. If so, how?
4. Given Dick B.’s experience in working with others, documenting the history of A.A., and specifically reporting the role of God, Jesus Christ, the Bible, conversion, prayer, Quiet Time, Christian literature, and A.A.’s predecessors (e.g., the YMCA, the Salvation Army, Gospel Rescue Missions, the United Christian Endeavor Society, evangelists and revivalists, the Oxford Group, Rev. Samuel M. Shoemaker, Jr.), and the Christian literature and devotionals used in early A.A., would you like to learn more about this material, incorporate it in your own work, and disseminate it to others?
5. If so, what are your suggestions as to how best to do this?
6. Do you see value in Rev. Samuel M. Shoemaker’s remarks at the A.A. International Convention that every spiritual awakening involves four elements—conversion, prayer, fellowship, and witness; and do you see a relevance of these ideas in your work today.
7. If so, what?
8. Do you find relevance in: (a) the details of Bill Wilson’s decision for Christ at Calvary Rescue Mission in New York; (b) his declaration that he had been born again; (c), his call to the Great Physician for help; and (d) his white light experience at Towns Hospital, during which, he said, he had been conscious of the presence of the God, the God of the Scriptures.
9. If so, what?
10. Do you find relevance in the details about Bill Wilson’s initial witnessing in the Bowery, flea bag hotels, mental wards, Towns Hospital, Calvary Rescue Mission, Oxford Group meetings and elsewhere—Bill carrying a Bible under his arm, declaring that the Lord had cured him of his terrible disease, that the hearers needed to give their lives to God, and that he just wanted to keep telling people about the Lord’s having cured him?
11. If so, what?
12. Do you believe that a knowledge of the extensive Christian training and Bible study that occurred in Dr. Bob’s youth in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, and in Bill Wilson’s youth in East Dorset and in Manchester, Vermont, are relevant to understanding the elements of successful Christian recovery used in early Akron A.A.’s Christian Fellowship?
13. If so, how?
14. Do you believe that this early history, program, and success record have applicability in any, each, or all of the areas of misery today—alcoholism, addictions, self-destructive behavior, at-risk behavior, homeless situations, jails and drug courts and prisons, treatment centers and rehabs and detox, therapy and counseling and pastoral assistance, bridge groups, Christ-centered recovery groups, organizations such as Celebrate Recovery, Teen Challenge, Overcomers Outreach Inc., Alcoholics Victorious, rescue missions, urban ministries, intervention, therapy counseling and care groups and one-on-one soul care and pastoral care and spiritual care and family care, and the work of clergy, recovery pastors, recovery fellowships, 12-Step fellowships, para-church groups, psychologists, psychiatrists, and physician, as well as seminary training?
15. If so, what areas do you consider beyond such work?
16. If so, which areas arrest your own interest and work and mission and ministry?
17. If so, how, if at all, would you limit the effort?
18. What specific means would you like to share and present concerning the foregoing?
19. What methods of dissemination do you favor, would you support, and can you handle?
20. Will you be able to join us at “A New Way Out Leadership Conference with Dick B.” in mid-July and give us the benefit of your ideas, meeting with us individually, sharing in a half-day or full-day Conference, and having us speak to your team, group, church, or ministry workers?
Appendix 1
The Original Alcoholics Anonymous Program Founded June 10, 1935
By Dick B.
© 2009 Anonymous. All rights reserved
[Note: There were three distinctly different A.A. programs during the first 20-year period from 1935 through 1955. First came the original pioneer Akron A.A. Christian Fellowship recovery program founded by Bill W. and Dr. Bob in 1935, developed by November 1937, and producing a documented 75% success rate. Second, followed the entirely different recovery program written primarily by Bill W., embodied in the First Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous (the “Big Book”), and published in the spring of 1939. Its suggested program was grounded in the Big Book and the Twelve Steps. Finally, during the 1940’s, there were numerous offshoot programs culminating in the essays written by Bill W. and published in Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions in the mid-1950’s. The points discussed here and upon which is the focus are those used by the pioneers of early A.A. with such astonishing successes and their acknowledged permanent cures.]
The Seven Original Program Ingredients Summarized in the Frank Amos Report
The Frank Amos report to John D. Rockefeller, Jr., dated February 23, 1938, described the Akron “Program” founded in Akron, Ohio, in the summer of 1935. Amos said it was being carried out faithfully by the Akron group. The men in the group, he said, all looked to Dr. Bob for leadership. And the following points are the five requirements and the two “important, but not vital,” elements that Amos set forth in his report about the “Program” [DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers (New York, N.Y.: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1980), 131]:
• An alcoholic must realize that he is an alcoholic, incurable from a medical viewpoint, and that he must never drink anything with alcohol in it.
• He must surrender himself absolutely to God, realizing that in himself there is no hope.
• Not only must he want to stop drinking permanently, he must remove from his life other sins such as hatred, adultery, and others which frequently accompany alcoholism. Unless he will do this absolutely, Smith and his associates refuse to work with him.
• He must have devotions every morning–a “quiet time” of prayer and some reading from the Bible and other religious literature. Unless this is faithfully followed, there is grave danger of backsliding.
• He must be willing to help other alcoholics get straightened out. This throws up a protective barrier and strengthens his own willpower and convictions.
• It is important, but not vital, that he meet frequently with other reformed alcoholics and form both a social and a religious comradeship.
• Important, but not vital, that he attend some religious service at least once weekly.
And here are the actual principles and practices of the Akron Christian Fellowship during the period from June 10, 1935, to the publishing of the “Big Book” in the spring of 1939:
(1) Qualifying: Newcomers were interviewed by Dr. Bob and qualified as to their concession that they had an alcoholism problem; their desire to quit permanently; and their commitment that they would go to any length to do so. (2) Hospitalization was a must for a period of some five to seven days. During this time, Dr. Bob would visit extensively each day, other sober alcoholics would tell the newcomer their stories, only a Bible could be read, and then came surrender time with Dr. Bob before release. (3) Just before the newcomer was discharged from the hospital, Dr. Bob would conduct his final visit, require that the newcomer profess a belief in God—not “a” God, God. Then the newcomer would get out of his bed, get down on his knees, and pray with Dr. Bob, accepting Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior in the process. (4) Upon leaving the hospital, the newcomer was given a Bible and told to help others. (5) Most went to live in the Smith residence or in the residences of other Akron people like Wally Gillam and Tom Lucas. They stayed as long as needed in order to get steady in their path. (6) There were Christian fellowship meetings every day, with Dr. Bob, Anne Smith, and Henrietta Seiberling, which included group Bible study, prayer, and Quiet Time observances; (7) In addition, each morning, alcoholics and their family members gathered at the Smith home for a Quiet Time conducted by Anne Smith, with prayer, Bible reading, seeking guidance, and discussion of portions of Anne Smith’s personal journal. (8) There was one “Oxford Group” meeting each Wednesday at the home of T. Henry Williams. These meetings, however, scarcely resembled conventional Oxford Group meetings, were called a “clandestine lodge” of the Group, and actually took on the form of “old fashioned prayer meetings.” And at these weekly meetings, there was a time in which newcomers were required to make a “real surrender” with Dr. Bob and one or two others upstairs, where the newcomer on his knees accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, asked that alcohol be taken out of his life, and asked strength and guidance to live according to cardinal Christian teachings. The elders prayed with him after the manner of James 5:16. (9) There was extensive reading of Christian devotionals and literature provided by Dr. Bob and distributed at meetings. (10) There was particular stress on study of the Book of James, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and 1 Corinthians 13. (11) Meetings concluded with invitations to reach out to newcomers in the hospital and elsewhere, and then closed with the Lord’s Prayer. (12) There was frequent socializing in the homes, particularly on Saturday evenings. (13) Members knew each other well and actually kept address books with names, addresses, and where possible the telephone numbers. (14) In addition, rosters of the names and addresses, sobriety dates, and relapses if any were kept and still exist today—making possible the calculation of success rates.
What Key People in Early A.A. Had to Say
Reverend Samuel M. Shoemaker, Jr., was the rector of Calvary Episcopal Church in New York; was in close touch with Bill Wilson from the beginning; became Bill’s friend and supporter; and worked with Bill in preparing the Big Book manuscript and Twelve Step ideas of 1939. Moreover, Shoemaker had a hand in the Akron events of 1931 and 1933, and his books were read by Akronites and recommended by Dr. Bob’s wife. Bill dubbed Shoemaker a “cofounder” of Alcoholics Anonymous; and many Shoemaker words and expressions can be found in the Big Book and Twelve Steps. Further, some of Bill’s most basic ideas appeared first in Shoemaker’s 1923 book, Realizing Religion. Shoemaker wrote of the present need of religion, declared that people suffered from spiritual misery, and insisted that the root of the malady is estrangement from God—estrangement from Him in people that were made to be His companions. In words that became embedded in early A.A. thinking and language, Shoemaker wrote:
What you want is simply a vital religious experience. You need to find God. You need Jesus Christ.
All three solutions—a conversion experience, finding God, and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior—were the foundation stones of early A.A. principles and practices.
A.A. Cofounder Bill Wilson. After hearing from his doctor, William D. Silkworth, M.D., that Jesus Christ could cure him of his alcoholism; and after going to the altar at Shoemaker’s Calvary Rescue Mission and making a decision for Christ; and after resolving to call on the “Great Physician” for help while in Towns Hospital, Bill had his vital religious experience, after which he never drank again. Bill’s message, still embodied in the Big Book, was:
Henrietta, the Lord has been so wonderful to me, curing me of this terrible disease, that I just want to keep talking about it and telling people.
And this is exactly what Bill Wilson did for many months early in his sobriety. He rushed around to the slums, the Bowery, fleabag hotels, the rescue mission, Towns Hospital, and Oxford Group meetings with a Bible under his arm telling bums they needed to give their lives to God.
A.A. Cofounder Dr. Bob Smith. Dr. Bob was also cured of alcoholism and wrote the following in the Big Book in the last line of his personal story:
Your Heavenly Father will never let you down!
A.A. Number Three Bill Dotson walked from the hospital a free man after hearing Bob and Bill’s witnessing and turning to God for help. Dotson is quoted in the Big Book as follows:
Bill was very very grateful that he had been released from this terrible thing and he had given God the credit for having done it, and he’s so grateful about it he wants to tell other people about it. That sentence, “The Lord has been so wonderful to me, curing me of this terrible disease, that I just want to keep telling people about it,” has been a sort of a golden text for the A.A. program and for me.
The Potential and Need for a Great Spiritual Awakening in Recovery
The foregoing three sets of facts need to be learned and known today. There is a vital need for a Great Spiritual Awakening in the recovery community, in recovery programs, among churches and clergy, and in recovery fellowships. There is a need to restore our Heavenly Father, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the Word of God to the center of recovery programs, recovery efforts, and recovery literature. For the premise of early A.A.—still to be found in the Big Book—is that the alcoholic cannot manage his own life, that probably no human power can relieve him of his alcoholism, and that God can and will if He is sought. The basic ideas for A.A. came from the Bible, and the potential is described in Hebrews 11:6:
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
As A.A. Cofounder Dr. Bob explained to a member the meaning of the slogan “First things first,” Bob pointed to Matthew 6:33 in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount:
But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Appendix 2
The Remarks and Conclusions of the Rockefeller Group, A.A.’s Founders, and Dr. Silkworth that led to the formation of The Alcoholic Foundation on August 11, 1938, as Bill Wilson was moving forward with the preparation of Alcoholics Anonymous (the “Big Book”)
In a report on the activities of the Akron Christian Fellowship, John D. Rockefeller, Jr.’s representative Frank Amos said the following:
During December, 1937, Mr. William G. Wilson arranged an appointment with W. B. Richardson at Rockefeller Plaza. Mr. Wilson told briefly the story of how, after many vain attempts to discontinue the use of alcohol, he had achieved what he believed was a permanent cure, through what he termed a religious or spiritual process.
A dinner conference was arranged. And those present were Messrs Scott, Richardson, Chipman, and Amos (the Rockefeller group); two other non-alcoholics, Dr. W.D. Silkworth (Bill Wilson’s physician and chief psychiatrist at Towns Hospital) and Dr. Leonard Strong (Wilson’s brother-in-law), and “the following ex-alcoholics, William G. Wilson, Henry G. Parkhurst, William J. Ruddell, Ned Poynter and Joe Taylor, all of New York and vicinity; Mr. John Henry Fitzhugh Mayo of near Baltimore, Maryland; Dr. Robert H. Smith and J. Paul Stanley of Akron, Ohio.” The conference lasted five hours.
Dr. Silkworth, Psychiatrist at Charles B. Towns Hospital, New York, which is rated as a leading hospital in this country for the treatment of alcoholics, made the statement that he had treated a number of these ex-alcoholics present, some of them several times, and that not one of them, in his opinion, could have been permanently cured by any means known to medical science or to Psychiatry.
He went on to state without reservation that while he could not tell just what it was that these men had which had effected their “cure,” yet he was convinced they were cured and that whatever it was, it had his complete endorsement. He stated that alcoholism is, medically, an incurable disease. These statements from an outstanding Psychiatrist and a leading authority on the treatment of alcoholism, made a very profound impression upon the non-alcoholics present.
A meeting was arranged for Mr. Wilson to talk to a friend of Mr. Amos and within two weeks this friend accepted without reservation the principles of the “cure” by a religious or spiritual approach. Over eight months have elapsed since that time, and there is every evidence that this party is permanently cured, although it is the policy of these ex-alcoholics through their own experience in working with other alcoholics, not to accept any alcoholic as permanently cured until a considerable period of time has elapsed. That period usually ranges from two to three years. The present leaders of the movement, all of them ex-alcoholics, have been teetotalers for periods ranging from two to four years.
Appendix 3
A New Way Out Leadership Conference with Dick B.!
Mid-July 2009 in Southern California
Please Join Us and “Be a Part of Something Great—to the Glory of GOD!”
Many people have already told us that “A Nationwide Recovery Conference with Dick B.”, May 15-16, 2009, really blessed their lives and have been asking, “What’s next?” As a result, Dick B. and Ken B. will be returning to the Southern California area July 12-18, 2009, and staying at the Fairmont Newport Beach Hotel in Newport Beach.
Our Plan
• To present a full-day (preferably) or one-half-day free conference for Christians leaders and workers in the recovery arena titled “A New Way Out Leadership Conference with Dick B.”
• To meet one-on-one and in small groups with those Christian leaders and workers during the week.
• To spend four-to-five hours “in-studio” filming Dick B. sharing about early A.A.’s successful “Program.”
• To be available throughout the week for larger, public meetings for those who would like to learn more about the godly aspects of the successful Akron program and how incorporating its principles into Christian recovery programs today can improve their effectiveness.
We Want and Need Your Help
In order for us to learn how better to be of service to you, we would like:
• To meet with you—individually, and/or with your key fellow-laborers.
• To have you answer some survey questions we are about to send out.
• To have you bring to the Conference and/or meeting(s) your outreach materials and plans.
• To have you tell us: (1) your specific recovery mission(s) and techniques; (2) what your needs and resources are; and (3) where you can use a boost with accurate and comprehensive historical information.
• To have you suggest how we may work with you in our area of expertise.
• To have you suggest a joint mission statement (if that would be helpful to you), a concise program plan, and opportunities for cooperative effort with us and with others like those who attended, supported, or heard of “A Nationwide Recovery Conference with Dick B.” in May 2009.
• To have you provide specific resources that can be used by others to point to your work.
• To provide us with funding, plans, and resources--as well as opportunities for meetings, talks, literature, media outreach—that will help us build godly cooperation among Christians in the recovery arena, in Orange County, Southern California, and beyond!
Our Objectives
• To develop a consensus among “experts” as to the best approach to Christian outreach to newcomers, counselors, therapists, treatment efforts, community agencies, clergy, churches, physicians, psychologists, and Twelve-Step leaders.
• To plan a specific common-cause approach embodied in a concise flyer, websites and blogs, radio programs, TV, treatment communities, a central library-study meeting in your area, and conferences for you and for Twelve Step program participants.
• To distribute your ideas and materials to those who attend.
• To enlist your continued participation in this effort and with your colleagues.
• To have you or your organization or entity send a contribution of $50.00 or more to Dick B., PO Box 837, Kihei, HI 96753-0837 to help defray our travel, food, and lodging expenses for our trip.
dickb@dickb.com; 808 874 4876; PO Box 837, Kihei, HI 96753-0837
Gloria Deo
:idea:
Mid-July 2009 in Southern California
Please Join Us and “Be a Part of Something Great—to the Glory of GOD!”
Many people have already told us that “A Nationwide Recovery Conference with Dick B.”, May 15-16, 2009, really blessed their lives and have been asking, “What’s next?” As a result, Dick B. and Ken B. will be returning to the Southern California area July 12-18, 2009, and staying at the Fairmont Newport Beach Hotel in Newport Beach. [We are asking for your input, ASAP, as to whether this Conference should be a full day (preferably) or a half day; and as to which day would work best for you between Monday, July 13, and Friday, July 17. Based on the feedback we receive over the next several days, we will select the conference length and date, and let you know the final details.]
Our (Tentative) Mission Statement
Our mission: (1) To glorify God by providing historically-accurate information about the roles God, Jesus Christ, and the written Word of God (the Bible) played in the astounding, documented, 75% and 93% success rates (in Akron and Cleveland, respectively) among “seemingly-hopeless,” “medically-incurable,” “real” alcoholics who thoroughly followed the early A.A. program Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob and Anne Smith developed in the summer of 1935 in Akron, Ohio. (Please see, for example, key points from the Frank Amos report to John D. Rockefeller, Jr., set forth on page 131 of the A.A. General Service Conference-approved book, DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers.) (2) To work with Christian leaders and workers in developing tools incorporating Dick B.’s research that will help Christians in the recovery arena become more effective in “carrying the message” to those who still suffer.
Pre-Conference Survey
(Please complete and return ASAP)
[Synopsis of Questions and points raised: At “A Nationwide Recovery Conference with Dick B.” in May 2009, attendees had an opportunity to introduce themselves and tell us about their interests. Those sharings were a high point of the Conference that resonated well. Now, we would be very thankful if you would: (1) consider the following questions; (2) provide us with your input and suggestions as a Christian recovery leader; and (3) and tell us how we can help each other reach people in recovery with the Christian message that our Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Word of God played a major role in the astonishing, documented, 75% success rate in early A.A. in Akron. Appendix 1 below summarizes and documents the early Akron A.A. program. Appendix 2 below presents the remarks of Dr. William D. Silkworth’s on early A.A.’s success rate of permanent cures. And an historical message that we believe needs to be learned, told, and applied in the recovery arena today. We have 19 years (and counting!) of research that proves what the original program was, and my 34 published titles, hundreds of articles, and audio talks provide that proof. We would like to know in advance of “A New Way Out Leadership Conference with Dick B.” in mid-July 2009 exactly how you view your recovery role, program, and efforts; whether and how you believe our materials can be incorporated in your recovery efforts; and the methods of dissemination and cooperation you suggest. To assist, we have added Appendix 3 which provides a broader statement about the Conference. The following are the questions we’d like you to answer and comment upon]
Survey Questions
1. What is your own area and preferred field of Christian recovery outreach?
2. Please give us your views on whether the history, program, approach, and successes of early A.A. and its predecessors can be of assistance in your outreach.
3. If so, how?
4. Given Dick B.’s experience in working with others, documenting the history of A.A., and specifically reporting the role of God, Jesus Christ, the Bible, conversion, prayer, Quiet Time, Christian literature, and A.A.’s predecessors (e.g., the YMCA, the Salvation Army, Gospel Rescue Missions, the United Christian Endeavor Society, evangelists and revivalists, the Oxford Group, Rev. Samuel M. Shoemaker, Jr.), and the Christian literature and devotionals used in early A.A., would you like to learn more about this material, incorporate it in your own work, and disseminate it to others?
5. If so, what are your suggestions as to how best to do this?
6. Do you see value in Rev. Samuel M. Shoemaker’s remarks at the A.A. International Convention that every spiritual awakening involves four elements—conversion, prayer, fellowship, and witness; and do you see a relevance of these ideas in your work today.
7. If so, what?
8. Do you find relevance in: (a) the details of Bill Wilson’s decision for Christ at Calvary Rescue Mission in New York; (b) his declaration that he had been born again; (c), his call to the Great Physician for help; and (d) his white light experience at Towns Hospital, during which, he said, he had been conscious of the presence of the God, the God of the Scriptures.
9. If so, what?
10. Do you find relevance in the details about Bill Wilson’s initial witnessing in the Bowery, flea bag hotels, mental wards, Towns Hospital, Calvary Rescue Mission, Oxford Group meetings and elsewhere—Bill carrying a Bible under his arm, declaring that the Lord had cured him of his terrible disease, that the hearers needed to give their lives to God, and that he just wanted to keep telling people about the Lord’s having cured him?
11. If so, what?
12. Do you believe that a knowledge of the extensive Christian training and Bible study that occurred in Dr. Bob’s youth in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, and in Bill Wilson’s youth in East Dorset and in Manchester, Vermont, are relevant to understanding the elements of successful Christian recovery used in early Akron A.A.’s Christian Fellowship?
13. If so, how?
14. Do you believe that this early history, program, and success record have applicability in any, each, or all of the areas of misery today—alcoholism, addictions, self-destructive behavior, at-risk behavior, homeless situations, jails and drug courts and prisons, treatment centers and rehabs and detox, therapy and counseling and pastoral assistance, bridge groups, Christ-centered recovery groups, organizations such as Celebrate Recovery, Teen Challenge, Overcomers Outreach Inc., Alcoholics Victorious, rescue missions, urban ministries, intervention, therapy counseling and care groups and one-on-one soul care and pastoral care and spiritual care and family care, and the work of clergy, recovery pastors, recovery fellowships, 12-Step fellowships, para-church groups, psychologists, psychiatrists, and physician, as well as seminary training?
15. If so, what areas do you consider beyond such work?
16. If so, which areas arrest your own interest and work and mission and ministry?
17. If so, how, if at all, would you limit the effort?
18. What specific means would you like to share and present concerning the foregoing?
19. What methods of dissemination do you favor, would you support, and can you handle?
20. Will you be able to join us at “A New Way Out Leadership Conference with Dick B.” in mid-July and give us the benefit of your ideas, meeting with us individually, sharing in a half-day or full-day Conference, and having us speak to your team, group, church, or ministry workers?
Appendix 1
The Original Alcoholics Anonymous Program Founded June 10, 1935
By Dick B.
© 2009 Anonymous. All rights reserved
[Note: There were three distinctly different A.A. programs during the first 20-year period from 1935 through 1955. First came the original pioneer Akron A.A. Christian Fellowship recovery program founded by Bill W. and Dr. Bob in 1935, developed by November 1937, and producing a documented 75% success rate. Second, followed the entirely different recovery program written primarily by Bill W., embodied in the First Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous (the “Big Book”), and published in the spring of 1939. Its suggested program was grounded in the Big Book and the Twelve Steps. Finally, during the 1940’s, there were numerous offshoot programs culminating in the essays written by Bill W. and published in Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions in the mid-1950’s. The points discussed here and upon which is the focus are those used by the pioneers of early A.A. with such astonishing successes and their acknowledged permanent cures.]
The Seven Original Program Ingredients Summarized in the Frank Amos Report
The Frank Amos report to John D. Rockefeller, Jr., dated February 23, 1938, described the Akron “Program” founded in Akron, Ohio, in the summer of 1935. Amos said it was being carried out faithfully by the Akron group. The men in the group, he said, all looked to Dr. Bob for leadership. And the following points are the five requirements and the two “important, but not vital,” elements that Amos set forth in his report about the “Program” [DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers (New York, N.Y.: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1980), 131]:
• An alcoholic must realize that he is an alcoholic, incurable from a medical viewpoint, and that he must never drink anything with alcohol in it.
• He must surrender himself absolutely to God, realizing that in himself there is no hope.
• Not only must he want to stop drinking permanently, he must remove from his life other sins such as hatred, adultery, and others which frequently accompany alcoholism. Unless he will do this absolutely, Smith and his associates refuse to work with him.
• He must have devotions every morning–a “quiet time” of prayer and some reading from the Bible and other religious literature. Unless this is faithfully followed, there is grave danger of backsliding.
• He must be willing to help other alcoholics get straightened out. This throws up a protective barrier and strengthens his own willpower and convictions.
• It is important, but not vital, that he meet frequently with other reformed alcoholics and form both a social and a religious comradeship.
• Important, but not vital, that he attend some religious service at least once weekly.
And here are the actual principles and practices of the Akron Christian Fellowship during the period from June 10, 1935, to the publishing of the “Big Book” in the spring of 1939:
(1) Qualifying: Newcomers were interviewed by Dr. Bob and qualified as to their concession that they had an alcoholism problem; their desire to quit permanently; and their commitment that they would go to any length to do so. (2) Hospitalization was a must for a period of some five to seven days. During this time, Dr. Bob would visit extensively each day, other sober alcoholics would tell the newcomer their stories, only a Bible could be read, and then came surrender time with Dr. Bob before release. (3) Just before the newcomer was discharged from the hospital, Dr. Bob would conduct his final visit, require that the newcomer profess a belief in God—not “a” God, God. Then the newcomer would get out of his bed, get down on his knees, and pray with Dr. Bob, accepting Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior in the process. (4) Upon leaving the hospital, the newcomer was given a Bible and told to help others. (5) Most went to live in the Smith residence or in the residences of other Akron people like Wally Gillam and Tom Lucas. They stayed as long as needed in order to get steady in their path. (6) There were Christian fellowship meetings every day, with Dr. Bob, Anne Smith, and Henrietta Seiberling, which included group Bible study, prayer, and Quiet Time observances; (7) In addition, each morning, alcoholics and their family members gathered at the Smith home for a Quiet Time conducted by Anne Smith, with prayer, Bible reading, seeking guidance, and discussion of portions of Anne Smith’s personal journal. (8) There was one “Oxford Group” meeting each Wednesday at the home of T. Henry Williams. These meetings, however, scarcely resembled conventional Oxford Group meetings, were called a “clandestine lodge” of the Group, and actually took on the form of “old fashioned prayer meetings.” And at these weekly meetings, there was a time in which newcomers were required to make a “real surrender” with Dr. Bob and one or two others upstairs, where the newcomer on his knees accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, asked that alcohol be taken out of his life, and asked strength and guidance to live according to cardinal Christian teachings. The elders prayed with him after the manner of James 5:16. (9) There was extensive reading of Christian devotionals and literature provided by Dr. Bob and distributed at meetings. (10) There was particular stress on study of the Book of James, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and 1 Corinthians 13. (11) Meetings concluded with invitations to reach out to newcomers in the hospital and elsewhere, and then closed with the Lord’s Prayer. (12) There was frequent socializing in the homes, particularly on Saturday evenings. (13) Members knew each other well and actually kept address books with names, addresses, and where possible the telephone numbers. (14) In addition, rosters of the names and addresses, sobriety dates, and relapses if any were kept and still exist today—making possible the calculation of success rates.
What Key People in Early A.A. Had to Say
Reverend Samuel M. Shoemaker, Jr., was the rector of Calvary Episcopal Church in New York; was in close touch with Bill Wilson from the beginning; became Bill’s friend and supporter; and worked with Bill in preparing the Big Book manuscript and Twelve Step ideas of 1939. Moreover, Shoemaker had a hand in the Akron events of 1931 and 1933, and his books were read by Akronites and recommended by Dr. Bob’s wife. Bill dubbed Shoemaker a “cofounder” of Alcoholics Anonymous; and many Shoemaker words and expressions can be found in the Big Book and Twelve Steps. Further, some of Bill’s most basic ideas appeared first in Shoemaker’s 1923 book, Realizing Religion. Shoemaker wrote of the present need of religion, declared that people suffered from spiritual misery, and insisted that the root of the malady is estrangement from God—estrangement from Him in people that were made to be His companions. In words that became embedded in early A.A. thinking and language, Shoemaker wrote:
What you want is simply a vital religious experience. You need to find God. You need Jesus Christ.
All three solutions—a conversion experience, finding God, and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior—were the foundation stones of early A.A. principles and practices.
A.A. Cofounder Bill Wilson. After hearing from his doctor, William D. Silkworth, M.D., that Jesus Christ could cure him of his alcoholism; and after going to the altar at Shoemaker’s Calvary Rescue Mission and making a decision for Christ; and after resolving to call on the “Great Physician” for help while in Towns Hospital, Bill had his vital religious experience, after which he never drank again. Bill’s message, still embodied in the Big Book, was:
Henrietta, the Lord has been so wonderful to me, curing me of this terrible disease, that I just want to keep talking about it and telling people.
And this is exactly what Bill Wilson did for many months early in his sobriety. He rushed around to the slums, the Bowery, fleabag hotels, the rescue mission, Towns Hospital, and Oxford Group meetings with a Bible under his arm telling bums they needed to give their lives to God.
A.A. Cofounder Dr. Bob Smith. Dr. Bob was also cured of alcoholism and wrote the following in the Big Book in the last line of his personal story:
Your Heavenly Father will never let you down!
A.A. Number Three Bill Dotson walked from the hospital a free man after hearing Bob and Bill’s witnessing and turning to God for help. Dotson is quoted in the Big Book as follows:
Bill was very very grateful that he had been released from this terrible thing and he had given God the credit for having done it, and he’s so grateful about it he wants to tell other people about it. That sentence, “The Lord has been so wonderful to me, curing me of this terrible disease, that I just want to keep telling people about it,” has been a sort of a golden text for the A.A. program and for me.
The Potential and Need for a Great Spiritual Awakening in Recovery
The foregoing three sets of facts need to be learned and known today. There is a vital need for a Great Spiritual Awakening in the recovery community, in recovery programs, among churches and clergy, and in recovery fellowships. There is a need to restore our Heavenly Father, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the Word of God to the center of recovery programs, recovery efforts, and recovery literature. For the premise of early A.A.—still to be found in the Big Book—is that the alcoholic cannot manage his own life, that probably no human power can relieve him of his alcoholism, and that God can and will if He is sought. The basic ideas for A.A. came from the Bible, and the potential is described in Hebrews 11:6:
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
As A.A. Cofounder Dr. Bob explained to a member the meaning of the slogan “First things first,” Bob pointed to Matthew 6:33 in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount:
But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Appendix 2
The Remarks and Conclusions of the Rockefeller Group, A.A.’s Founders, and Dr. Silkworth that led to the formation of The Alcoholic Foundation on August 11, 1938, as Bill Wilson was moving forward with the preparation of Alcoholics Anonymous (the “Big Book”)
In a report on the activities of the Akron Christian Fellowship, John D. Rockefeller, Jr.’s representative Frank Amos said the following:
During December, 1937, Mr. William G. Wilson arranged an appointment with W. B. Richardson at Rockefeller Plaza. Mr. Wilson told briefly the story of how, after many vain attempts to discontinue the use of alcohol, he had achieved what he believed was a permanent cure, through what he termed a religious or spiritual process.
A dinner conference was arranged. And those present were Messrs Scott, Richardson, Chipman, and Amos (the Rockefeller group); two other non-alcoholics, Dr. W.D. Silkworth (Bill Wilson’s physician and chief psychiatrist at Towns Hospital) and Dr. Leonard Strong (Wilson’s brother-in-law), and “the following ex-alcoholics, William G. Wilson, Henry G. Parkhurst, William J. Ruddell, Ned Poynter and Joe Taylor, all of New York and vicinity; Mr. John Henry Fitzhugh Mayo of near Baltimore, Maryland; Dr. Robert H. Smith and J. Paul Stanley of Akron, Ohio.” The conference lasted five hours.
Dr. Silkworth, Psychiatrist at Charles B. Towns Hospital, New York, which is rated as a leading hospital in this country for the treatment of alcoholics, made the statement that he had treated a number of these ex-alcoholics present, some of them several times, and that not one of them, in his opinion, could have been permanently cured by any means known to medical science or to Psychiatry.
He went on to state without reservation that while he could not tell just what it was that these men had which had effected their “cure,” yet he was convinced they were cured and that whatever it was, it had his complete endorsement. He stated that alcoholism is, medically, an incurable disease. These statements from an outstanding Psychiatrist and a leading authority on the treatment of alcoholism, made a very profound impression upon the non-alcoholics present.
A meeting was arranged for Mr. Wilson to talk to a friend of Mr. Amos and within two weeks this friend accepted without reservation the principles of the “cure” by a religious or spiritual approach. Over eight months have elapsed since that time, and there is every evidence that this party is permanently cured, although it is the policy of these ex-alcoholics through their own experience in working with other alcoholics, not to accept any alcoholic as permanently cured until a considerable period of time has elapsed. That period usually ranges from two to three years. The present leaders of the movement, all of them ex-alcoholics, have been teetotalers for periods ranging from two to four years.
Appendix 3
A New Way Out Leadership Conference with Dick B.!
Mid-July 2009 in Southern California
Please Join Us and “Be a Part of Something Great—to the Glory of GOD!”
Many people have already told us that “A Nationwide Recovery Conference with Dick B.”, May 15-16, 2009, really blessed their lives and have been asking, “What’s next?” As a result, Dick B. and Ken B. will be returning to the Southern California area July 12-18, 2009, and staying at the Fairmont Newport Beach Hotel in Newport Beach.
Our Plan
• To present a full-day (preferably) or one-half-day free conference for Christians leaders and workers in the recovery arena titled “A New Way Out Leadership Conference with Dick B.”
• To meet one-on-one and in small groups with those Christian leaders and workers during the week.
• To spend four-to-five hours “in-studio” filming Dick B. sharing about early A.A.’s successful “Program.”
• To be available throughout the week for larger, public meetings for those who would like to learn more about the godly aspects of the successful Akron program and how incorporating its principles into Christian recovery programs today can improve their effectiveness.
We Want and Need Your Help
In order for us to learn how better to be of service to you, we would like:
• To meet with you—individually, and/or with your key fellow-laborers.
• To have you answer some survey questions we are about to send out.
• To have you bring to the Conference and/or meeting(s) your outreach materials and plans.
• To have you tell us: (1) your specific recovery mission(s) and techniques; (2) what your needs and resources are; and (3) where you can use a boost with accurate and comprehensive historical information.
• To have you suggest how we may work with you in our area of expertise.
• To have you suggest a joint mission statement (if that would be helpful to you), a concise program plan, and opportunities for cooperative effort with us and with others like those who attended, supported, or heard of “A Nationwide Recovery Conference with Dick B.” in May 2009.
• To have you provide specific resources that can be used by others to point to your work.
• To provide us with funding, plans, and resources--as well as opportunities for meetings, talks, literature, media outreach—that will help us build godly cooperation among Christians in the recovery arena, in Orange County, Southern California, and beyond!
Our Objectives
• To develop a consensus among “experts” as to the best approach to Christian outreach to newcomers, counselors, therapists, treatment efforts, community agencies, clergy, churches, physicians, psychologists, and Twelve-Step leaders.
• To plan a specific common-cause approach embodied in a concise flyer, websites and blogs, radio programs, TV, treatment communities, a central library-study meeting in your area, and conferences for you and for Twelve Step program participants.
• To distribute your ideas and materials to those who attend.
• To enlist your continued participation in this effort and with your colleagues.
• To have you or your organization or entity send a contribution of $50.00 or more to Dick B., PO Box 837, Kihei, HI 96753-0837 to help defray our travel, food, and lodging expenses for our trip.
dickb@dickb.com; 808 874 4876; PO Box 837, Kihei, HI 96753-0837
Gloria Deo
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