What was the inspiration for all of these 12-Step recovery programs? Read on...

Adventist Addiction Recovery Programs

From the cover of the Adventist Recovery Ministries 2013 brochure. ARMin utilizes a modified version of the ubiquitous 12-step recovery program first deployed by AA, but is a legacy of Frank Buchman’s Oxford Group.

CHRIST-CENTERED

 

The existing Adventist Recovery Ministries (ARMin) addiction recovery program is based on the 12-Step method originated by Alcoholics Anonymous. These steps were principally derived from the Christian philosophy and techniques of an organization created by Dr. Frank Buchman in the decade preceding World War II. It was initially designated The Oxford Group. The 12-Steps of A.A. have been modified by the Adventists by replacing the word “alcohol” with the word “addiction,” which increases the quantity of potential beneficiaries of the program. A vague, but inoffensive reference in Step 3 to “God as we understand Him” has not been modified by Adventist Recovery Ministries, but is supplemented in their version of the 12-Steps by the statement “Jesus Christ is the highest power.” ARMin has chosen, rather inexplicably, to include those who suffer exclusively from mental illness into their ministry. Although successful recovery from mental illness is not unprecedented (Jesus healed many demon-possessed persons, and has authorized us to replicate His work), current practice in this field is directed toward maintenance and mitigation, rather than the much more difficult goal of total recovery. But the Seventh-day Adventist Church, with its historic avocation of both spiritual and physical health, is well equipped to assist those who suffer from mental illness, in addition to those who may be addicted to harmful substances. These different missions require separate methods, however, and should not be grouped together.

 

 

150 years ahead of its time- Ellen G. White and the prescient Adventist “Health Message”

 

First Corinthians 6:19-20 contains a comment by Paul specifically directed toward the sin of fornication, but it can easily be generalized to apply to any substance or activity that causes physical or spiritual harm to an individual- “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

 

An abstemious lifestyle is a hallmark of members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church who chose to adhere to health principles and practices as commanded by the Bible, and as revealed to Ellen G. White (1827-1915, a cofounder and spiritual luminary of the denomination). Complete renunciation of all substances that can negatively affect one’s mind, mood, and metabolism is stipulated by official church doctrines. Vegetarianism is not required of Seventh-day Adventists, but is practiced by members who choose to incorporate insights granted to Sister White regarding nutrition.

Captain Joseph Bates renounced smoking, drinking, caffeine consumption, and even eating meat. His influence on the Seventh-day Adventist Church (of which he was one of the founders) was enormous.

One pioneer Adventist placed great emphasis on health concerns prior to the official formation as the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church on May 21, 1863. New England native and retired sea captain Joseph Bates (1792-1872) was an influential early member of the group that would eventually be christened the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Bates was an effective advocate of the Sabbath (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) as being the proper day, designated by the Fourth Commandment, for rest and devotion. He was also an energetic champion for health reform. Having observed the notorious and debilitating intemperance of the crewmen aboard sailing ships he was formerly attached to, he determined to personally abstain from all alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine. He then renounced meat-eating as well, an unusual act in an era where vegetarianism was (except perhaps as a unintended byproduct of extreme poverty) a rarity in the Western world.

The insights of Joseph Bates were unambiguously ratified by four visions granted to Ellen G. White, friend and associate of the retired captain. The genesis of the Adventist denomination may be ascribed primarily to the collaboration between Ellen G. White, her husband James, and their older friend and neighbor, Captain Bates. The visions granted to Sister White are alternately designated the Spirit of Prophecy by Seventh-day Adventists.

 

The need to abstain from the consumption of coffee. tea, and tobacco was revealed to Ellen White in 1848.

The first of these insights regarding health issues was experienced by Ellen G. White in the Autumn of 1848. It revealed to the then 20-year-old visionary the Injurious effects of tobacco (“a slow, insidious, and most malignant poison”), tea, and coffee. She wrote about this revelation in 1851, an episode that caused her to discontinue her own consumption of coffee and tea- “I have seen in vision that tobacco was a filthy weed, and that it must be laid aside or given up. Said my accompanying angel, ‘If it is an idol it is high time it was given up, and unless it is given up the frown of God will be upon the one that uses it, and he cannot be sealed with the seal of the living God’” She further notes- “I saw that Christ will have a church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing to present to His Father… We must be perfect Christians, deny ourselves all the way along, tread the narrow thorny pathway that our Jesus trod, and then if we are final overcomers, heaven, sweet heaven, will be cheap enough.”

 

Over 400 empty calories per slice!

The second vision granted to Ellen G. White occurred on Feb. 12, 1854 at Brookfield, NY. This vision principally focused on criticism of instances of bad behavior by members of the church and their unruly children, but also warned against rich and unwholesome foods- “then saw the appetite must be denied, that rich food should not be prepared, and that which is lavished upon the appetite should be put in the treasury of the Lord. It would tell there, and those who denied themselves would lay up a reward in heaven. Pride and idols must be laid aside. I saw rich food destroyed the health of the bodies and was ruining the constitution, was destroying the mind, and was a great waste of means.” Food was (and still is, by many) not considered as an intrinsically harmful substance subject at the time of his second health vision.

 

God’s healthy alternative to cheesecake.

The third, and up to this point most comprehensive of the three health visions occurred a few weeks after the official foundation of the church. Ellen G. White describes this revelation in a letter dated June 6, 1863- “I saw that it was a sacred duty to attend to our health, and arouse others to their duty… We have a duty to speak, to come out against intemperance of every kind- intemperance in working, in eating, in drinking, in drugging – and then point them to God’s great medicine: water, pure soft water, for diseases, for health, for cleanliness, for luxury… I saw that we [Seventh-day Adventists] should not be silent upon the subject of health, but should wake up minds to the subject.” This vision served to confirm to the new organization the deleterious effects of consuming alcohol and tobacco. The forsaking of rich and highly seasoned foods was recommended. Base passions (euphemistic shorthand for unspecified sexual improprieties) were criticized. A vegetarian diet was, for the first time, unambiguously urged upon those who aspire to be responsible custodians of their bodies. Seven provisions for preserving and maintaining good health were features of Ellen G. White’s 1863 vision- (1) Pure Air (2) Pure Water (3) Sunshine (4) Physical Exercise (5) Adequate Rest (6) Brief periods of Fasting, and (7) Proper Nutrition. A formalized version of these insights is designated God’s Eight Laws of Health, and will be replicated below.

 

The Western Health Reform Institute opened in1866,. This was to be not only the forerunner of Battle Creek Sanitarium, but of a whole system of Adventist healthcare facilities operated around the world.

A fourth health vision was granted to Ellen G. White on Dec. 25, at Rochester, NY. It served to re-emphasize the negative consequences of eating meat. The vision occurred proximate to a special Christmas Day service dedicated to the healing of Ellen G. White’s ailing husband, James White. The vision included a directive that members of the church create a health institution, one that would not only care for those who are suffering from illness, but also engage in preventative medicine as well. Sister White parenthetically noted that the sick should be taught that “it is wrong to suspend all physical labor in order to regain health.” Sister White revealed her vision to church leadership in Battle Creek on May 19, 1866. By September 5th of this year, the Western Health Reform Institute was ready to receive patients. This would be the first of dozens of Adventist health facilities to follow, unique for their emphasis not only on curing illnesses, but for preventing them as well. Most Adventist health institutions were designated as Sanitariums, a term newly coined by the denomination, and one that is now firmly entrenched in the world’s conscience.

 

The temple of God is no longer in Jerusalem. We carry it around with us wherever we may go.

The traditionally emphasized substances that are the focus of most programs that seek to free their participants from chemical dependency are alcohol, prescription or illegal drugs, and nicotine. Strict adherence to Adventist doctrine and tradition extends this basic list of offenders to include caffeinated beverages and flesh foods (i.e. meat). The essential doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church have been condensed and grouped into a set of 28 Fundamental Beliefs. A requirement to abstain from ingesting harmful and addictive substances (particularly those forbidden by Mosaic law) is contained in Fundamental Belief 22, titled Christian Behavior, one which proclaims-

 

“… our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, we are to care for them intelligently. Along with adequate exercise and rest, we are to adopt the most healthful diet possible and abstain from the unclean foods identified in the Scriptures. Since alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and the irresponsible use of drugs and narcotics are harmful to our bodies, we are to abstain from them as well. Instead, we are to engage in whatever brings our thoughts and bodies into the discipline of Christ, who desires our wholesomeness, joy, and goodness.”

 

The Seventh-day Adventist Church cares about your health and longevity, and you should too!

The content of Ellen G. White’s visions regarding healthy living has been condensed, augmented, and assembled into a list that is designated God’s Eight Laws of Health.

1. NUTRITION– Ellen G. White reveals the original diet of humanity to consist of grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Meat is conspicuously absent from this short list.
2. EXERCISE– Sister White recommends that we take our exercise in the context of our job or our amusement. The nature of one’s amusements should not be selfish. Purposeful activity is superior to activity which only benefits oneself (running on a treadmill, for example).
3. WATER– Stay hydrated!
4. SUNSHINE– Source of vitamin D, and governor of one’s biological clock.
5. TEMPERANCE– For the purposes of a recovery program, complete abstinence from harmful substances (drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and even caffeine as recommended by Sister White) is preferable to a moderation of the level of one’s intake (“moderation” being the original definition of the term “temperance”).
6. AIR- It is preferable to be outdoors, rather than to be confined to a stuffy chamber.
7. REST– Ellen G. White writes that when we overwork ourselves, we are living on “borrowed capital.” This concept is similar to one presented as a reason to forsake caffeine intake.
8. TRUST IN GOD– Worrying leads to stress, the wellspring of maladies both physical and mental. Worry is indicative of one’s distrust in God. A Christian recovery program will advocate trust in the God of the Bible, and not in the bowdlerized higher power invoked by Masons, Alcoholics Anonymous, and every other victim of the Deistic legacy of the so-called Enlightenment.

A detail from the May/June 2017 Adventist Recovery Ministries newsletter. The mission of this GC enterprise is not well-defined, as it strives to solve too many types of problems, and therefore lacks focus.

Current Practice- the Adventist Recovery Ministries (ARMin)
Note: the following information comes from a brochure that describes the scope of services provided by Adventist Recovery Ministries, North American Division, A Ministry of the Health Department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America.
The brochure provides an introductory list of intended beneficiaries of the program-

• Anyone who has as a desire to stay clean and sober.

• Anyone who has a hope to rise above the pain and turmoil engendered by the addiction of a loved one.

• Anyone who wishes to break the bondage of compulsive behavior.

• Anyone who is clean and sober and has a family member or loved one suffering.

• Anyone who is living with the struggles of emotional or mental health challenges (depression, bipolar, mood disorders, ADHD).

• Anyone who is powerless over people, places, situations (e.g. terminal illness).

The inclusion of emotion or mental health challenges into a ministry that is primarily intended for substance abusers and/or their nearest relations acknowledges that mental health and chemical dependency (self-medicating, as it termed by industry professionals) are frequently linked to each other. The bondage of compulsive behavior is officially designated Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and is recognized by The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Although the slightly antiquated phrase a desire to stay clean and sober is typically associated with alcohol consumption, the mission of Adventist Recovery Ministries is a much broader one. Excepting the inclusion of feelings of powerlessness (terminal illness is rather facetiously cited as an example of a situation which is resistant to control), the list above includes as potential beneficiaries of the Adventist Recovery Ministry program those addicted to substance, those with mental health problems, or those who suffer from this pair of afflictions simultaneously. Close friends and relatives are also included, in the manner of Al-Anon (“Strength and hope for friends and families of problem drinkers”), a support group for those who have friends or relatives who are alcoholics.

ARMin administrators  have prepared materials, including this slide, for churches who may choose to hold a Mental Health Awareness Sabbath. This issue is not invariably tied to that of substance abuse.

There remains a stigma attached to the subject of substance abuse, as this continues to be (despite some scientific evidence to the contrary regarding genetic or cultural predispositions to become substance abusers) united to the concept of free will, or choice. An addict ceases to be addicted when he or she chooses to stop abusing substances. Although an entirely accurate appraisal of the plight and options of the addict, it remains substantially correct. The cycle of addiction can be broken through a combination of individual willpower and divine assistance. The higher power that secularized and generic 12-step programs invoke to assist with the recovery process is forthrightly recognized by Adventist Recovery Ministries to consist of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, with extreme emphasis upon Jesus Christ. The cover of the ARMin brochure features this hopeful imperative- “There is Christ-centered help for all addictions!” The truth of this statement is known to every Christian, and it is a truth which must be shared with those who are not yet acquainted with it. We all stand in need of Christ’s strength and salvation, particularly those who are addicted to harmful substances.

The mentally ill are also stigmatized. Many mentally ill individuals abuse substances (levels of tobacco consumption by this demographic is significantly higher than that of the average citizen of the USA), but substance abuse and mental illness are not invariably linked. Unlike traditional substance abusers, however, those addicts who suffer from mental illness have little or no control over their mental afflictions except for the imperfect control that is a result of taking medications designed to treat their conditions. These drugs are a treatment, however, and not a cure, for without divine intervention the mentally ill are obliged to take these medications throughout their lifetimes. Often the mental health issues of this present age are identical to cases of demon-possession that are detailed in the New Testament. The sufferers of Christ’s era were cured of their afflictions. The technique that Jesus employed to restore the sanity of the afflicted is still available, and still effective. Such instantaneous remedies are preferable to a protracted cure by program, and should be the first (and could conceivably also be the last) step to recovery.

English novelist and Roman Catholic convert Graham Greene featured a “Whisky Priest” as protagonist in his 1940 book “The Power and the Glory”

The Mission Statements replicated below appears to be concerned only with substance abuse, and the subsidiary need by church members to provide grace and forgiveness to any sheep who may have gone astray (the Roman Catholic equivalent of an alcoholic clergyman is familiarly designated a Whisky Priest, an analogy which could bear some relationship to errant leaders and laypersons of the Adventist Church. First Peter 2:9 states- “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light…” All Christians are priests). Below is the wide-ranging ARMin manifesto, as provided in the ARMin promotional brochure, and one which insinuates that this is largely an “in-house” endeavor, presented in its entirety-

The Regeneration program has been a blessing to many parts of the World Church for more than two decades. Over the past decade, Health Ministries at the General Conference has focused on breaking the silence on this issue right within our own Church and throughout the world field.
Regeneration in the North American Division has transitioned to Adventist Recovery Ministries (ARMin) and is set to play a pivotal role in modeling a grace-filled, powerful and much needed ministry so that we as a Church may experience wholeness despite our brokenness.
Adventist Recovery Ministries believes that our churches need to promote healing both individually and corporately. Our churches can only be as healthy as the members who comprise them. If one of us is hurting, all of us hurt (1 Corinthians 12:26). Therefore, Adventist Recovery Ministries will educate church leadership around topics such as prevention of addictions among all age groups, emotional healing, healthy relationships, the process of forgiveness, as well as recovery using the 12 steps program entitled Journey to Wholeness.

Twelve glorious steps! No more! No less!

The common denominator between individual recovery programs which may be designed for a diverse variety of purposes and participants is the number of steps (12- no more, and no less) that will lead to a successful outcome. A more narrowly focused Adventist-style recovery program that is the subject of this proposal will be limited, however, to victims, and the indirect victims of chemical dependency. This would exclude, as primary beneficiaries, those suffering from mental illness who are not addicted to substances. As noted, the existing Adventist recovery ministry includes the victims of mental illness (including cases of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) in its ambitious smorgasbord of targeted conditions. Recovery from mental health challenges, however, (including OCD– “Anyone who wishes to break the bondage of compulsive behavior”) is unlikely to be the result of following a 12-Step regimen. To paraphrase Jesus, “this kind only comes out by prayer and fasting.” The prototypical 12 Steps utilized by Alcoholics Anonymous, the modifications to these steps by Adventist Recovery Ministries, and some representative scriptural justifications for the “Christ-centered” 12 Steps (a reversion of sorts to the Oxford Group prototypes) will be provided in a later section of this proposal.

A $2,800 bas relief sculpture depicting the Good Samaritan at work by artist Daniel Borup, a lot of money for an unlimited edition chunk of concrete!

Addiction to drugs, alcohol, nicotine (and, conceivably, even caffeine) is a persistent bane of society. The problem is significant and widespread, and seemingly impossible to completely eradicate. The addict, and not the relatives of the addict is central to any recovery program, and every other participant’s needs should be subordinated to those of the addict. The inclusion of friends and loved ones into a proposed recovery program is principally intended to facilitate the recovery of the addicted one by eliciting the indulgence, support, cooperation, and (most importantly) the forgiveness of the frequently abused and offended friends and loved ones, and should not be designed to offer pretexts or excuses for friends and loved ones to relinquish their unwonted obligations. Victims of substance abuse have fallen by the wayside, and it is every Christian’s duty, friend and stranger alike, to attend to their wounds, and to lodge them until they are made whole again. As is the case at present with care of the elderly, however, care for the addicted (at least in the United States) is almost entirely relegated to outside providers. The government itself serves as an enabler (a regrettable buzzword which often serves to mask selfishness) to friends and loved ones who seek (as did Pontius Pilate) to wash their hands of the victims of addiction. The lines of communication between addict and family must remain open, despite any potential inconveniences that may beset the friends and loved ones.

The curse of nicotine addiction, while diminishing in United States and Europe, is on the increase in the remainder of the world. Curtailed usage in the USA is currently offset by an explosive growth in the use of alternate nicotine delivery systems like electronic cigarettes. A former emphasis on nicotine addiction by the Seventh-day Adventist Church is presently in abeyance, but sizable fields full of smokers, vapers, dippers, and chewers who in desperate need of being uprooted from their addictions remain, and are white for the harvest. A renewed focus by the denomination on this subject, as a natural part of a substance-abuse recovery program, would restore a traditional area of concern to an organization which has, in the eyes of non-Adventists, grown lukewarm regarding the subject of tobacco addiction.
A streamlined Adventist recovery program would be more comprehensible to potential beneficiaries than the imperfectly stated, and ostensibly inward-focused objectives of the Adventist Recovery Ministry. It would (rather arbitrarily) preserve the traditional number of steps to recovery that are part of not only the ARMin program, but of practically every other recovery program on planet earth. This number is 12, a universally recognized imprimatur that instantly conveys to potential beneficiaries and participants the concept of recovery.

A 1932 book by English investigative journalist Arthur James Russell made known to the world the remarkable actions of DR. Frank Buchman and The Oxford Group. They were actually behaving like Christians!

Where did these seemingly ubiquitous 12 steps come from? They were originally a feature of Alcoholics Anonymous (aka A.A.). Where did Alcoholics Anonymous come from? Its spiritual forebear and direct inspiration was an organization that is currently named Initiatives of Change, and prior to this was designated Moral Rearmament, but was originally christened The Oxford Group. Just as Alcoholics Anonymous is the brainchild of Bill W. and Bob Smith, The Oxford Group is the brainchild of Dr. Frank Buchman (1878-1961). The evangelism of Dr. Buchman was directed not only toward individuals, but to the entire planet as well. His lasting contribution is one that focuses on lost sinners in need of salvation, and techniques that serve to release substance abusers from their addictions. The political realm is less subject to improvement, so Buchman’s ambitions in this arena were largely frustrated.

This 1936 Time magazine depiction of Dr. Frank Buchman describes him as a “cultist.” Time’s publisher, Henry Luce, must have born a grudge against Buchman to label him a cultist. Both men were experts at self-promotion. Luce was the son of Chinese missionaries, but the Chinese were not fans of Dr. Buchman.

Dr. Frank Buchman and The Oxford Group (presently designated Initiatives of Change)

The Oxford Group was a confederation of like-minded Christians formed under the direction of Dr. Frank Buchman (1878-1961). Dr. Buchman was an ordained minister of the Lutheran denomination, and following his ordination in 1902 he was called to plant a church in the Philadelphia suburb of Overbrook. A frustrated effort to establish a small institution for those suffering from mentally illness (termed by Buchman a hospice) caused him to experience a serious bout of depression. The young clergyman blamed the failure of this cherished project on interference by the leaders of his denomination.

While seeking to recuperate from his depression in England, Buchman was exposed to a sermon delivered by female Welsh evangelist Jessie Penn-Lewis. The subject of this sermon was the Cross of Christ. Frank Buchman still harbored resentment toward the Lutheran officials whom he imagined had recently treated him so unfairly, thwarting his noble effort to provide asylum for the mentally ill. The example of Christ’s forgiveness of His persecutors on the cross, however, caused Buchman to examine the role that his own selfishness and pride had played in generating the trauma confrontation that had caused him to become depressed. In the wake of Penn-Lewis’s sermon, God revealed to him that he must put things right with the officials whom he had previously held in contempt. Buchman then proceeded to write a letter to each official that elicited their forgiveness. He later wrote that he considered this action to be a foundation experience. It could represent the inspiration for the inclusion of the concepts of confession and restitution as two of the 12 Steps championed by A.A. and its legion of imitators. Buchman would utilize these and other scriptural admonitions when creating his own assortment of lists, or steps that would lead to a better life for those who climbed them.

Quaker theologian Frederick Brotherton Meyer greatly influenced the spirituality of Frank Buchman and his Oxford Group, emphasizing the need to spend some quiet time with God, awaiting guidance from the Spirit.

Upon his return to the United States, Buchman came under the influence of a theological system that is well represented in his native state of Pennsylvania- Quakerism. An English Quaker, Frederick Brotherton Meyer (1847-1929), convinced Buchman to allocate ample time in his schedule for allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to him, and to help direct his every move.
Dr. Buchman was a zealous advocate and practitioner of personal evangelism, and possessed an ability to present the Christian message in a contemporary manner that was easily absorbed. He served for five years as secretary of the YMCA at Penn State College. The work that Buchan did among the student body (many of whom were the sons of hard-boiled coal miners) had the effect of softening the heart of what had formerly been described as a tough college.

A 1915 mission trip to India was the occasion of the first of several meetings between Dr. Buchman and a noted non-Christian advocate of the teachings of Christ, Mahatma Gandhi. Overseas evangelical activity by Buchman often witnessed him addressing crowds of up to 60,000 persons, but he was not an enthusiastic participant in events of this size. He was, rather, an advocate of the personal approach in the effective creation of new believers, and for their subsequent nurture. This preference for intimacy is typical of most recovery programs. Large groups may be acceptable for occasional rallies and conventions, but results are best obtained in the context of smaller groups. The most effective group of all could be a group that is comprised of only two people. This concept undergirds the Alcoholics Anonymous practice of Sponsorship, which can best be described by the adage “each one teach one.”

A photo of a group of Canadian missionaries to China taken in 1937. The derogatory epithet “Rice Bowl Christian” referred to Impoverished Chinese who converted to Christianity in order keep from starving to death. European evangelism in China was extremely paternalistic and condescending in nature.

Dr. Frank Buchman passed most of 1916 in China, then returned to his native land to assume a part-time position at Hartford Theological Seminary. This institution was, at the time, affiliated with the Congregationalist denomination. Several more visits to China to attend missionary conferences seemed to have rekindled his contentious nature, but, given the nature of most Chinese missionary activity of that era, this was likely a display of justifiably righteous indignation. Overt criticism by Buchman of the status quo of Chinese missions resulted in his removal from this enormous, yet problematic field. The insensitive and degenerate nature of much of the effort by Westerners to evangelize the Chinese may have contributed to the mid-Twentieth Century communist takeover of the nation. By 1918, Dr. Buchman was no longer welcome in China. Twenty years later he would be similarly forced out of Hitler’s Germany.

From his base of operations in Hartford, Bucher diligently labored to form groups of Christians that included college students from such Ivy League bastions as Princeton and Yale, and his effort even extended across the Atlantic Ocean to include venerable Oxford and Cambridge. In 1922, Buchman chose to operate independently of institutional oversight, and would henceforth rely upon patronage and donations to sustain his ministries.

The Old Library of the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin, a venue that hosted early meetings of The Oxford Group.

It was in the study of Julian Percy Thornton-Duesbery (1902–1985), then chaplain of Corpus Christi College, Oxford that the association that would initially be designated The Oxford Group was born. It grew quickly, and soon relocated to the more capacious library of the Oxford University Church (St. Mary’s). Word spread among the various colleges that comprise Oxford about the salubrious and edifying nature of Buchman’s enterprise, and by the early 1930’s it had a membership of around 150 enthusiasts. The term “member” is convenient for designating adherents of Dr. Buchman’s group, but it is a name that the founder despised. An article in the magazine Good Housekeeping, written in the 1930’s, accurately describes The Oxford Group as “…having neither membership, nor dues, nor paid leaders, nor new theological creed, nor regular meetings; it was simply a fellowship of people who desire to follow a way of life, a determination, and not a denomination.” The members of this group without members, or regular meetings, would regularly meet around lunchtime every day. The basic theology of The Oxford Group was popularized through the publication of 17 editions of a book by newspaper reporter Arthur James Russell titled For Sinners Only. It records the journalist/author’s impressions after having personally witnessed some meetings of the heretofore mysterious group of believers-

There could not be much wrong with the teaching, or it would not be permitted in Oxford University. That was one strong point in its favor. The four standards of conduct they advocated constituted a stronger point. They professed to test all they said and did by the standards of absolute love to all, absolute purity, absolute unselfishness, absolute honesty.

The Seventh-day Adventist Adventurer Club Law is similar to Dr. Frank Buchman’s “Four Standards of Conduct,” and represent noble intentions. Regrettably, many fail to live their lives according to these precepts.

This revelation of Four Standards of Conduct is an appropriate prelude for subsequent lists, based upon those of The Oxford Group, that might contain three times as many standards, or steps (the ubiquitous twelve steps of AA and its clones, for example), so it will be repeated-

• Absolute love to all.
• Absolute purity.
• Absolute unselfishness.
• Absolute honesty.

The prefatory use of the adjective absolute in each of the four categories listed above indicates a performance standard that many would regard as impossible of attainment, and many would use this impossibility as a convenient excuse for any personal failure to match the high expectations of The Oxford Group. But Jesus unambiguously states that we must “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). The Seventh-day Adventist Church is, like The Oxford Group, “absolutist” in its doctrine. It advocates that its members be completely obedient to the commandments of God. Complete obedience is extremely difficult to accomplish, of course, but repeated failures in a single category is indicative of an inability to learn from past mistakes, an similarly indicates an absence of heartfelt repentance. The high standard set by both Adventists and The Oxford Group is typically compromised by less ambitious programs, ones which feel compelled to append qualifying statements to absolutist ideals such as “…insofar as it is humanly possible.”

Modern-day Quakers from Decatur, Georgia engaging in Practice Four- “Listening.” Life proceeds more smoothly when we wait on the Lord, rather than leaning on our own understanding.

Spiritual rebirth is the fruit of a second set of Four Practices–

• The Sharing of our sins and temptations with another Christian.
• Surrender our life past, present and future, into God’s keeping and direction.
• Restitution to all whom we have wronged directly or indirectly.
• Listening for God’s guidance, and carrying it out (aka Doing).“If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” (James 2:15-17)

Regarding the last of these Practices, the act of Listening displays the influence of Quakerism on Frank Buchman. Dr. Buchman was, in addition, an acclaimed Doer as well. The Seventh-day Adventist Church strongly advocates that the hearing of the Word of God must be attended by the doing of the Word of God. Faith in action is descriptive of every act that strives to assist suffering human beings, including substance abuse recovery programs. The spirit of The Oxford Group, and the spirit of Adventism (that is to say, the spirit of Christianity) is encapsulated in the three verses from James that are replicated below-
“If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” (James 2:15-17)

A long pamphlet titled “Soul Surgery” by H.A. Walter, still utilized by Alcoholics Anonymous, is an extension of Dr. Frank Buchan’s “Five C’s,” a procedure that can briefly be described as “getting right with God.”

“Nothing could be done unless the other person had Confidence in you, and knew that you could keep confidences. Confession meant getting honest about the real state of affairs behind the public persona. This would lead to a Conviction of sin- a desire to change, leading in turn to Conversion– a decision of the will to live God’s way. He [Dr. Buchman] felt that the most neglected “C” was Continuance, the ongoing support of people who had decided to change”.

Journalist Arthur James Russell writes that his secretary, upon first meeting members of The Oxford Group, remarked on- “-their strangely natural way of mentioning God and Christ, without that apologetic halting so noticeable with most of us.” The followers of Dr. Frank Buchan were not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Russell was surprised that a man of the cloth like Buchan would chose to reside in a London hotel that was typically patronized by the aristocracy. Buchan was aware of the British obsession with class, however, and probably chose these posh quarters deliberately.

Student attendance at Oxford Group “House Parties” grew exponentially during the 1930’s. This grainy image depicts thousands of participants, a less sinister mirror of similar mass meetings that were being conducted by the Nazis during this decade.

A recurring event sponsored by members of The Oxford Group that was evangelical in intent was the House Party. These gatherings often drew thousands of participants. Wikipedia notes- “Meetings followed no formal agenda and were not like church meetings, as singing and public prayer were absent. Time was devoted to talks by the team members on subjects such as sin, surrender, quiet time, the four absolutes, guidance, and intelligent witness.”

European evangelical missions undertaken by Dr. Frank Buchman and his associates in the 1930’s were primarily directed toward Germany, now under the control of Adolph Hitler. There was friction between the Nazis and the representatives of love, purity, unselfishness, and honesty, however, so Buchman and his crew, having suffered some persecution, determined to redirect their energy to Scandinavia. A scant 30 delegates, representing The Oxford Group, had a significant impact on Norway, despite their complete ignorance of the Norwegian language. In Denmark, the emissaries were able to bridge a longstanding division in the Danish national church, an opposition of left and right wings, and of liberals and conservatives that was, and continues to be a threat to the concept of unity in Christ. These successes helped solidify Dr. Buchman’s growing reputation as an effective peacemaker and consensus-builder. The receptiveness, pliability, and gratitude of the peoples of Scandinavia stood in marked contrast to the hostility and paranoia of Nazi Germany. The Gestapo compiled a very fat dossier pertaining to Dr. Buchman, a nemesis of theirs, as was every other practicing Christian in the Germany of that era.

The WWII era rebranding of The Oxford Group as “Moral Re-Armament” enhanced its reputation of being left-of-center. The 1960’s ensemble production “Up With People” familiarized Buchman’s evangelical style and technique to a post-McCarthy America.

By the end of the 1930’s, war seemed inevitable to nearly everyone. The physical re-armament of the European powers (who had prematurely beat their swords into plowshares after the First World War) was reflected in the renaming, by a Swedish Socialist, of The Oxford Group. For the next five decades it would be known to the world b the name Moral Re-Armament. Dr. Frank Buchman continued to attempt to forestall or redirect the malevolent forces that would soon erupt in war on a global scale. Not everyone was opposed to Hitler, even many who professed to be Christians.
Pacifism was perceived to be a leftist philosophy, and Buchman and his following were unmistakably pacifists. This “politicization” of the former Oxford Group resulted in the disaffection and desertion of many of its members and supporters. This parting of the ways is reminiscent of the departure of many of Christ’s followers subsequent to His teachings that are recorded in the 6^th chapter of John’s gospel- “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.” In the context of the mass hysteria which immediately preceded WWII, pacifist pronouncements by Buchan and others were akin to “…an hard saying; who can hear it?” (from John 6:60)

English lady novelist Daphne du Maurier romanticized the exploits of Dr. Buchman’s followers in the book depicted above, which was released on August 1, 1940.

On the eve of the war English novelist Daphne du Maurier published a collection of stories about average Britons who had benefited from the evangelical effort of The Oxford Group, one entitled Come Wind, Come Weather, and dedicated the work to group founder Frank Buchman.
The work that Moral Re-Armament performed throughout the Second World War was praised by President Franklin Roosevelt, and was recognized as a positive contribution to the morale of the nations that opposed Fascism. Theatrical productions in England and the United States were a vehicle whereby the upbeat and hope-filled message (the Christian message) of Moral Re-Armament was shared with the wartime populace. American members of the group worked energetically for the allied cause, and a postwar investigation into wartime industries lead by Harry Truman praised their cooperative approach to solving problems- “They have already achieved remarkable results in bringing teamwork into industry, on the principles not of ‘who’s right’ but of ‘what’s right.’”

Some propaganda from the Initiatives of Change website. A German labor leader, at left, and a Frenchwoman, at right, press the flesh at Caux, Switzerland in 1946. Frank Buchman was the instigator of this photo-op, and the conciliatory conferences eventually bore some fruit.

After WWII Moral Re-Armament, and its director Frank Buchman played an important role in brokering a reconciliation between the recently belligerent nations of Germany and France. Germany was now under the control of natives, like Konrad Adenauer, who had not supported Adolph Hitler. Buchman had known this select and rare group of individuals before he was expelled from Nazi Germany, and had shared their persecutions. The governments of both Germany and France honored Buchman for the role he played in helping to reconcile these ancient adversaries. Buchman and Moral Re-Armament also facilitated an official apology by Japan to the United States for atrocities perpetrated during the war. In 1957 the Prime Minister of Japan stood on the US Senate floor to ask Americans to pardon his nation’s “big mistake.” He also praised the effectiveness of Moral Re-Armament’s methods (Christ-centered techniques, one will recall).

Still hanging in there, the logo for the latest iteration of Dr. Frank Buchman’s brainchild The Oxford Group, still striving to make the world a better place.

In 2001 the movement that commenced as The Oxford Group, and was renamed Moral Re-Armament in a hostile context, received its present name, Initiatives of Change. Founder Frank Buchman had died 40 years previous, but his concept of applying Christian principles to global problems still guided the work of the organization that he founded. A collection of the speeches of Dr. Buchman is titled Remaking the World. It is a good source for concise statement descriptive of the spiritual foundation the group’s mission is built upon. Here are a few excerpts-

“The Oxford Group is a Christian revolution for remaking the world. The root problems in the world today are dishonesty, selfishness and fear – in men and, consequently, in nations. These evils multiplied result in divorce, crime, unemployment, recurrent depression and war. How can we hope for peace within a nation, or between nations, when we have conflict in countless homes? Spiritual recovery must precede economic recovery. Political or social solutions that do not deal with these root problems are inadequate.”

“Everybody wants to see the other fellow changed. Every nation wants to see the other nation changed. But everybody is waiting for the other fellow to begin. The Oxford Group is convinced that if you want an answer for the world today, the best place to start with is with yourself. This is the first and fundamental need.”

A reunion of comrades in 1950- at left, Konrad Adenauer, a “good” German. At right, the indispensable Dr. Buchner.  Adolph Hitler cared for neither man.

The influence of Dr. Frank Buchman, and the adherents of his cause had an indisputable influence not only on the structure and content of Alcoholics Anonymous, but of most recovery programs. Here is a section from the Wikipedia article on The Oxford Group that reveals this connection-
“For alcoholics, there were three autobiographies by Oxford members who were active alcoholics which were published in the 1930s. These books provided accounts of the alcoholics’ failed attempts to make their lives meaningful until, as a result of their Oxford membership, they found a transformation in their lives and sobriety through surrendering to God. The stories contained in Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book, are very similar in style to these much earlier works. The books were The Big Bender, Life Began Yesterday, and I Was a Pagan by V. C. Kitchen.”

A serendipitous connection to the topic of addiction recovery programs- Question: who wrote the famous “Serenity Prayer?” Answer: this guy, Reinhold Niebuhr, who was unconvinced that Frank Buchner was the selfless saint that he incessantly claimed to be.

Not everyone was a fan of Dr. Buchman. Noted theologian Reinhold Niebuhr considered the ambitious political pretensions of Bucher and his followers to be unseemly, and wrote-
“In other words, a Nazi social philosophy has been a covert presumption of the whole Oxford group enterprise from the very beginning. We may be grateful to the leader for revealing so clearly what has been slightly hidden. Now we can see how unbelievably naïve this movement is in its efforts to save the world. If it would content itself with preaching repentance to drunkards and adulterers one might be willing to respect it as a religious revival method which knows how to confront the sinner with God. But when it runs to Geneva, the seat of the League of Nations, or to Prince Starhemberg or Hitler, or to any seat of power, always with the idea that it is on the verge of saving the world by bringing the people who control the world under God-control, it is difficult to restrain the contempt which one feels for this dangerous childishness.”

The silver lining of Dr. Frank Buchman’s cloudy legacy is revealed in the qualification Reinhold Niebuhr inserts into the critical statement replicated above, and can be regarded as a pearl of great price–

“If it would content itself with preaching repentance to drunkards and adulterers one might be willing to respect it as a religious revival method which knows how to confront the sinner with God.”

It is interesting and ironic that Dr. Buchman’s nemesis, Reinhold Niebuhr was the creator of was is known to the world as “The Serenity Prayer.” This prayer is as ubiquitous a part of recovery programs as are variants of the A.A. 12-Steps.

Another panel depicting an epiphany from Chick

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Sin, including the sin of substance abuse, is unacceptable, and must be changed if the sinner is to enjoy the blessing of eternal life in heaven. The evil in this world resists change, but by relying on Christ’s strength, rather than our own, we can change ourselves.
The work of The Oxford Group, the work of Alcoholics Anonymous and its offspring, and the work of evangelism in general is effective only insofar as the sinner will accept the fact that they sin. Satan has provided his own highly effective “support network” for those who desire to cling to their sinful practices in this present evil age. The recovery process is expedited when it is prefaced by an acknowledgment that one is indeed a sinner. The challenge of creating an effective recovery program becomes difficult in a social context where vices are considered by many to virtuous.

Bill W. and Dr. Bob, Distinguished Alumnus of The Oxford Group, Founders of Alcoholics Anonymous

William G. Wilson, aka “Bill W,” co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, a man included in TIME Magazine’s “100 Persons of the 20th Century.”

William Griffith Wilson (1895-1971) was a native of Vermont. Deserted by his parents, he was raised by his grandparents. He discovered the substance that he initially conceived to be “the elixir of life” early in life. Wilson married Lois Burnham on January 24, 1918, just before he left to serve in World War I as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Coast Artillery. After the war, Wilson returned to live with his wife in New York. He failed to graduate from law school because he was too drunk to pick up his diploma. Wilson enjoyed some success traveling around the nation to determine if companies were worth investing capital into. His drinking eventually destroyed his reputation, however. In 1933, he sought a cure for his alcoholism from Dr. William D. Silkworth, who had managed to scientifically detach the condition of alcoholism from its former identification with moral failure. It was only after coming into contact with The Oxford Group in 1934, and his acceptance of spirituality as a necessary component of release from alcohol addiction that Bill Wilson was able to successfully renounce drinking. Dr. Silkworth was favorably impressed by his former patient’s success, and championed the non-scientific methods whereby this success was achieved. He wrote an endorsement of these methods that is included in the A.A. Big Book. Spiritual matters are not subject to logical analysis, but will succeed when science fails.

During a business trip to Akron, Ohio, Bill Wilson felt compelled to take a drink. He sought the company of a fellow sufferer who might offer the encouragement and support needed to overcome this urge, and made the acquaintance (through a listing in a church directory) of Dr. Bob Smith, an alcoholic, as well as a member of The Oxford Group. Bill and Bob were the founders of a support network that currently serves approximately two million drinkers and reformed drinkers worldwide.

Dr. Bob Smith’s family was very religious, and he had to attend four services every week. This caused him to determine that he would not attend any religious services after he had grown up. He changes his mind.

Dr. Bob Smith was a native of Vermont, as was his associate Bill Wilson. He began drinking heavily when he was attending college, and possessed the dubious capacity of being able to “handle his liquor.” This sense of control the drinker experiences is invariably a delusion, however, for it is alcohol that is actually in control of the drinker. Smith’s difficult process of attaining of his medical degree was protracted due to his love of strong drink. The demands of internship caused a two-year diminution of his drinking habit, but after starting his own surgical practice his drinking problem re-emerged. He married his wife Anne in 1915, a woman who would later serve as his bridge to the positive influences of The Oxford Group. He vainly sought a cure at several hospitals and sanitariums, and had hoped that the arrival of Prohibition in 1919 would serve to curtail his intake.

The doctor’s life for the next two decades would become a struggle to maintain his medical practice, despite his seemingly incurable alcoholism. He joined The Oxford Group in 1933, but a lasting cure would not be discovered until he made the providential acquaintance, in Akron, of Bill Wilson. After talking to Wilson, Smith stopped drinking. He relapsed almost a month later while attending an out-of-town convention. His new friend Bill Wilson empathized with Dr. Bob’s relapse, and suffered him to drink a few beers to forestall the onset of delirium tremens (the infamous “DT’s”). Dr. Bob drank one last beer the next morning to steady his nerves, prior to performing surgery. He would never drink again. The date, June 10, 1935, marks the official foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous.

The recovery of Dr. Bob, Bill W’s first success story, was duplicated with other alcoholics. By 1938, the growing association decided to promote its program of recovery through the publication of a book entitled Alcoholics Anonymous. It included the list of suggested activities for spiritual growth known as the Twelve Steps. The movement itself took on the name of the book. Later Wilson also wrote the Twelve Traditions, a set of spiritual guidelines to ensure the survival of individual A.A. groups. Bill Wilson relinquished personal oversight of Alcoholics Anonymous in 1955.

Dr. Bob (left) and Bill W. (right).

The 12 Traditions- A Benign Anarchy, A.A. Style, with Notes on Adventist Administrative Practices.

The 12 Step recovery program of Alcoholics Anonymous. As modified by Adventist Recovery Ministries, will be placed in a later section of this proposal. They are derived, primarily, from Oxford Group prototypes originated by Dr. Franck Buchman, who derived his methodology from the Bible. The scriptural references provided by ARMin that support each step will also be provided. Hundreds, and even thousands of additional passages from the Bible are equally suitable for bolstering the requirements of each of the 12 Steps.

Organizational methods of Alcoholics Anonymous are also reminiscent of Oxford Group techniques, and the desire to remain balanced, impartial, and relatively ecumenical in nature is reflected the Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. Below are the “short form” versions of the traditions from the AA Big Book, with commentary relating these administrative techniques to the existing standards of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Substance-abuse recovery ministries are not forbidden by the denomination (the existence of Adventist Recovery Ministries being proof of this) but are not specifically mentioned in the Church Manual. An historic concern by the church with the issue of Temperance is still relevant for members, insofar as it relates to alcohol, but the fight for nationwide prohibition has ended for now. Here is the SDA Church Manual information regarding Temperance, from Page 94-

Health Ministries or Temperance Society—In some areas a health ministries or temperance society may be established as a separate entity distinct from Church organizations. The conference health ministries director should be involved in establishing such an entity.

All for one, and one for all!

A.A. TRADITION 1– Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity. [The title of one of the 28 Fundamental beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is Unity. This tradition is compatible with Adventist doctrine.]

A.A. TRADITION 2– For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority- a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern. [While it is the Holy Spirit, rather than men who is the ultimate arbiter and authority of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, there exists a clearly defined chain of command between the Spirit and the laity. The leaders of the church are trusted servants, as are the leaders of Alcoholics Anonymous, but unlike the A (insofar as this second tradition is honored), Adventist leaders are, as duly elected representatives of the membership, are authorized to govern.]

A.A. TRADITION 3– The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking. [In the case of a more narrowly focused alternative Adventist recovery program than the existing ARMin endeavor, this tradition could be amended to welcome those who desire to free themselves from addiction to harmful substances, as well as their close relatives and associates who are placed in the best position to either facilitate or impede the recovery process. This latter group, as previously noted, is relegated to a separate group (Al-Anon) in the case of the Alcoholics Anonymous franchise. Forums wherein confidential information may be privately shared between those who are the intended beneficiaries of a recovery programs must be provided in tandem with more inclusive forums. The AA concept of Sponsorship, wherein the support group consists of only two individuals, represents the most intimate group of all.]

United Nations delegates at work, not a very good illustration of the concept of Unity..

A.A. TRADITION 4– Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole. [The basic organizational unit as conceived by the Adventist Recovery Ministries program is the individual church. As outreach is currently secondary to serving the needs of the church membership, there exists little possibility that the beneficiaries may not be members of the Adventist denomination. Coordination of individual church substance-abuse ministries is therefore advisable. This coordination should be under the direction of a regional association of addiction recovery ministries, It is neither practical nor necessary that every difficulty be submitted to the General Conference for resolution.]

A.A. TRADITION 5– Each group has but one primary purpose- to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers. [The Christian message, unadulterated by the generic ecumenicalism typical of Alcoholics Anonymous and its imitators, should be a salient and unmistakable part of every gathering, large or small, that is a component of a recovery program that is offered by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Christ is made central to the existing Adventist Recovery Ministries effort, and should also be central to any offshoot, modification, or derivative of ARMin. Recovery will be expedited by not obfuscating the true nature of the “Higher Power,” or by exclusive reliance on the potentially amorphous term “God” to denote the triune God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.]

A.A. TRADITION 6– An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose. [It is significant that the 1888 Minneapolis General Conference session of the Seventh-day Adventist Church represented a Spirit-led reaction to the complacency that material prosperity had engendered in the leadership of the denomination. Adventists ministries are privileged to be a part of larger entity, and while money for snacks and literature may sometimes be hard to come by, a facility to conduct meetings in is typically available.]

An important method of self-support

A.A. TRADITION 7– Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions. [Specific ministries (substance-abuse recovery ministries, for example) may be specifically designated as recipients of donated funds by members, and these funds may not be diverted for other purposes. The safekeeping and disbursement of these funds is the function of the church treasure. Here is a quote from Page 84 0f the Church Manual- “All money received by and for these organizations is turned over promptly to the church treasurer by the secretary of the organization, the deacons, or whoever has received the funds. These funds belong to the auxiliary organizations of the church. They may be disbursed only by order of the auxiliary organization to which they belong.”]

A.A. TRADITION 8– Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers. [The leaders of ministries at the level of an individual church (with the possible exception of the music ministry) are not usually compensated monetarily for their services. Their efforts are not directed towards personal aggrandizement, and are, as the Church Manual state it (after Paul’s admonition to Timothy regarding suitable church leaders), “… not greedy for money.” This disinterested attitude reflects the true definition of professionalism, so perhaps the characteristic of non-professionalism is undesirable.]

A.A. TRADITION 9– A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve. [Assertions that organization, per se, does not exist in Alcoholics Anonymous are disingenuous, and reflect similar prevarications by the predecessor much of its style is modeled on- The Oxford Group. The Seventh-day Adventist Church, and its associated ministries benefit greatly from being well-organized. The current framework is predominately a product of the General Conference of 1901, which sought to establish a balance between local church and conference-level control.]




The A.A. 12 Step Journey to Recovery, as Adopted and Adapted by Adventist Recovery Ministries

Revisions by ARMin are limited to the substitution of “addiction” for “alcohol” wherever it occurs, and addition to Step 4 of the sentence “Jesus Christ is the Highest Power.”

STEP 1– We admitted that we were powerless over our addictions, that our lives had become unmanageable.

Biblical Comparison (all comparison and supplementary verses are from the New International Version translation of the Bible)- Romans 7:18- “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.”

Supplementary Scriptural Reference- Proverbs 16:25- “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”

STEP 2- We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

Biblical Comparison- Isaiah 41:10- “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Supplementary Scriptural Reference- Matthew 19:25-26- “When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”

STEP 3- We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. “Jesus Christ is the Highest Power.”

RECOMMENDED ALTERNATE- We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of Jesus Christ. (This will represent a stumbling block for many, and could be made to parallel, rather than proceed the recovery process. Beneficiaries of a program directed toward non-Christians should not be rejected on the basis of their temporary failure to accept Jesus as their “Higher Power,” for rejection will exclude them from a program which will continue to expose them to the Christian message. Acceptance of Christ as a “litmus test” for further participation is not in the best interest of either the addict or the ministry.)

Bible Comparison- Luke 9:23- “And He was saying to all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and let him take up his cross every day, and let him follow Me.” (Note- this translation is not from the NLT.)

Supplementary Scriptural Reference- Luke 9:62- “Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’”

STEP 4- We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Biblical Comparison- Lamentations 3:40- “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.”

Supplementary Scriptural Reference- Psalm 119:59- “I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes.”

STEP 5- We admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

Biblical Comparison- James 5:16- “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

Supplementary Scriptural Reference- Matthew 3:6- “Confessing their sins, they [sinners] were baptized by him [John the Baptist] in the Jordan River.”

STEP 6- We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

Biblical Comparison- Isaiah 1:19- “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land…”

Supplementary Scriptural Reference- Psalm 51:17- “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”

STEP 7- We humbly asked Him to remove all our shortcomings.

Biblical Comparison- James 4:10- “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

Supplementary Scriptural Reference- Second Chronicles 7:14- “…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

STEP 8- We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. 

Biblical Comparison- Matthew 5:23-24- “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”

Supplementary Scriptural Reference- Numbers 5:6-7- “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the LORD is guilty, then he shall confess his sins which he has committed, and he shall make restitution in full for his wrong and add to it one-fifth of it, and give it to him whom he has wronged.’’

STEP 9- We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 

Biblical Comparison- Luke 6:38- “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Supplementary Scriptural Reference- Second Samuel 10:3-4 [one more relevant than Luke 6:38]- ”…the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun their lord, ‘Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Hasn’t David sent them to you only to explore the city and spy it out and overthrow it?’ So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved off half of each man’s beard, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away.”

STEP 10- We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. 

Biblical Comparison- Romans 12:3- “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”

Supplementary Scriptural Reference- Psalm 4:4- “Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.”

STEP 11- We sought, through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. 

Biblical Comparison- Psalm 19:14- “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

Supplementary Scriptural Reference- Psalm 1:1-2- “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.”

STEP 12- Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Biblical Comparison- Galatians 6:1- “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”

Supplementary Scriptural Reference- James 1:22- “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”