New Forums on International Christian Recovery Coalition Page

Check out the new International Christian Recovery Coalition Forums: http://goo.gl/DW1ms

Spanish Christian believer a new participant in Christian Recovery Coalition

Welcome to:
Jonas Eriksson
Calle Mascarell 6
Piso 1A, Bloque B, Escalera 1
07610 Palma de Mallorca
Spain

International Christian Recovery Coalition Forum Soon

A Forum Coming Soon for International Christian Recovery Coalition on our website: www.ChristianRecoveryCoalition.com.

The International Christian Recovery Coalition has launched a number of projects in its two-year plus existence since 2009. The latest is a forum on its webpage.

International Christian Recovery Coalition has a simple mission. Confirming and reportingthat "Christians in the recovery arena are not alone", the Coalition has defined the role that God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible played in the origins, history, founding, original A.A. Christian Fellowship founded in 1935, and its astonishing successes. This role is little known in A.A. and has virtually been ignored by the Fellowship, historians, "scholars," treatment programs, counselors, and government-non-profit agencies--and even Christian recovery leaders and workers. The Coalition has bent every effort to report the history and also to show how important in application it can be today--in A.A. and certainly in helping to recovery those who want God's help.

The forthcoming forum will enable viewers: (1)To ask questions about the Coalition and its projects. (2) To ask questions about the Christian Recovery Resource Centers that were launched starting January, 2011. (3) To ask questions about Christian recovery. (4) To enable International Christian Recovery Coalition participants--now existing in almost every state of the USA, and in a growing number of other countries--to network with each other. (5) To enable Christian Recovery Coalition Centers become more effective in outreach by having a direct and popular means of give and take discussions on the internet. (6) To make comments and suggestions without restrictive censorship or "moderating" czars. (7) To introduce themselves.

This conversational opportunity will bring Christian recovery means and organizations and leaders and newcomers into a new and very specific forum that is focused on every aspect of Christian recovery problems, hindrances, resources, and locations.

The Forum joins the many other informational projects that have been established since the International Christian Recovery Coalition began with the large conference of Christian leaders and workers in recovery that was convened at the Mariners Church Community Center in Irvine, California in May, 2010.

First came the establishment of the Coalition itself. Next came the website. Next came the facebook. Next came the blog www.internationalchristianrecoverycoalition.blogspot.com. Next came the organization of Christian Recovery Resource Centers and Persons--Worlwide. Next came the free distribution of about 14,000 A.A. history and Christian Recovery Movement history titles, authored by historian and writer Dick B. Next came the "Introductory Foundations for Christian Recovery Class" www.dickb.com/IFCR-Class.shtml. Next came the Dick B. Handbook for Christian Recovery Coalition Centers and Persons. Finally came over twenty-five conferences, meetings, and conferences in California and Oahu where Dick B and Ken B. addressed hundreds and hundreds of receptive audiences.

And, underlying the project, have been three editions of The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide. This is the flagship recovery resource. It has been available for purchase on www.dickb.com. It has been distributed at conferences. And it has been ordered online and by phone by a large number of afflicted and affected persons seeking God's help for their maladies.

Very shortly, the International Christian Recovery Coalition Forum will be up and running and available for viewing and exchange of views on a separate page on the www.ChristianRecoveryCoalition.com website.

Stay tuned, and gather immense amounts of information about Christian recovery from alcoholism, addiction, and "co-dependency" problems.

God Bless, Dick B., Executive Director, dickb@dickb.com; www.dickb.com

The First Eleven Dick B. YouTube Channel Programs and What they say and forecast

About the now uploaded and running first series of programs on Dick B. YouTube Channel:

1. There are eleven programs in which Dick B. provides brief audio explanations of: (a)The purpose of the YouTube Channel, which is to summarize the role that God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible played and can play in the original A.A. program and can play in recovery today. (b)Programs on the six major Christian organizations and/or people which most impacted on the origins, history, founding, original Christian Fellowship of AAs founded in Akron in 1935, and their successes. (c) And then the two final programs in this series which explain the plight of the newcomer entering recovery today and the solution to that problem.

2. The audio explanations are accompanied by "power point" attractive text which makes it possible for the listener to view both the comments made and also to see some of the books and resources that back up the statement.

3. For quick access to the Dick B. YouTube Channel and each of the programs, Click http://goo.gl/rCtH6.

4. There is a brief summary and forecast of the many program series that will follow, what they will cover, and how they relate to the basic theme of the dickbchannel, which deals with A.A. History and the Christian Recovery Movement.

Dick B., dickb@dickb.com; www.dickb.com

Quick Access to Dick B. YouTube Channel and Programs http://goo.gl/rCtH6

http://goo.gl/rCtH6

An Applause Message to Daily Reprieve Center, Inc., Oregon

Old fashioned A.A. – Your great, tremendous web presentation, Daily Reprieve Center Website, Oregon.

Allow me, please to heap congratulations on you for the strenuous, balanced, comprehensive approach you have taken to the A.A. early scene. You have included the views of both friend and foe. And you have made a point of producing “evidence” and specific citations.

Oddly, this was probably the dream of Bill Pittman when he convened an historians’ conference perhaps twenty years ago at Hazelden where he invited every stripe and shape of person making contributions to, researching, or possessed of direct knowledge of our history. Many seem to have forgotten that I passed around and secured the signatures of almost all present to a paper in which they agreed to continue their united quest. And much highly useful material could have been researched, amassed, and disseminated. But the conference was no sooner over than just the opposite occurred.

The result has been some very weird, close minded, and distracting groups of so-called history lovers. Very very few of them have been researchers or writers, and some have a very acerbic attitude toward the labors of others in the field. Either a police, censorship, or prohibition mode. The net result has been the furthering of idolatry, phony spirituality, name-calling, and contention. Not to mention trivia and distracting opinions.

What I see in your work is an attempt to balance a lot of hard-won disparate views and offer the viewer the websites that leads to them. A tremendous task—well done. We tried to do that in Archives 2000, but that too vanished into the dust.

I have serious doubts that the historians themselves with ever gather with unity of purpose, as opposed to axe-grinding and closed ears. On the other hand, there are lots of fine, hardworking, experienced, knowledgeable AA folks in the mix. Many are good friends of mine. I have quoted many. I use the materials of many. And it has been sad to see this much-needed gang of folks splinter away from doing a job that A.A. GSO itself is probably unable, unwilling, and ill-equipped to do. And that does not make for the progress that can be made when business folks, professionals, laborers, government people, social agencies, religious leaders, and even Generals, vets, and Boy Scouts convene, submit papers to peers, and learn learn learn from the work of others.

Anyhoo. Thank you. I shall personally widely cite your page and work. I think it sets a great example for those who want to join in fact-finding to the end of glorifying and serving God and helping newcomers who still suffer.

God bless,

Dick B.
Author, 42 titles & over 500 articles on A.A. History
Exec. Dir., International Christian Recovery Coalition
Christian Recovery Resource Centers - Worldwide
www.DickB.com
DickB@DickB.com
(808) 874-4876
PO Box 837, Kihei, HI 96753-0837

Ps 118:17 (NJB):
I shall not die, I shall live to recount the great deeds of Yahweh.

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Welcoming You to the DickB YouTube Channel - First Series

Welcoming You to the Dick B. YouTube Channel

“The History of Alcoholics Anonymous and the Christian Recovery Movement”

Announcing the First Series, of Eleven Separate Presentations—one series of many to come—that is the first series of programs now up, running, and ready for you to view and hear

Here are Brief Summaries of Each of the Eleven Programs You Can Watch

Program One: “Introduction”

Dick B. discusses the need for brief, explanatory snippets explaining the role of God, His
Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible in the Christian Recovery Movement and in the origins,
history, founding, original program, and astonishing successes of the early A.A. Akron “Christian Fellowship”—as Dr. Bob described it.

Program Two: “Six Christian Origins”

Dick B. introduces the Christian Recovery Community and societies like Alcoholics
Anonymous to the six epochs (naming the events or organizations or persons) which comprise and impacted on the real Christian roots of recovery and of A.A.’s Akron program.

Program Three: “The Great Awakening of 1875”

Dick B. explains how this remarkable event in St. Johnsbury Vermont, the boyhood home of A.A. co-founder Dr. Bob, changed an entire village and many others with it, converted many to God through Jesus Christ, and left a heritage for other organizations and for the Christian upbringing of both A.A. co-founders, Dr. Bob and Bill W.

Program Four: “The YMCA”

Dick B. shows how the YMCA brethren in the 1870’s followed the traditions of non-denominational personal work by lay workers who brought about the Great Awakening through Gospel Meetings, conversion meetings, and work with churches and communities. He also points to the position that Dr. Bob’s father, Judge Smith, held as YMCA President in St. Johnsbury, and the position that Bill W. held as President of the
YMCA at Burr and Burton Academy in Manchester, Vermont.

Program Five: “The Christian Evangelists”

Dick B. highlights what the famous Christian evangelists (like Dwight L. Moody, Ira Sankey, F. B. Meyer, and Billy Sunday) brought to the recovery table in their huge revival meetings in New England and elsewhere in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s—when they brought about thousands of conversions and healed, by God’s power, innumerable sick folks, including drunkards. In fact, Dr. Bob himself appeared to take a special interest in one of these healing evangelists who spent considerable time in Akron not long after early A.A. was founded.

Program Six: “Gospel Rescue Missions”

Dick B. summarizes the widely known and applauded service performed by Jerry McAuley, his Water Street Mission, and Calvary Mission (where Bill W. and his “sponsor” Ebby made their decisions for Jesus Christ and became born again. He points to the typical “Jesus Saves,” hymn singing, Bible reading, prayers, and testimonials before the “altar call” where penitents like Bill W. kneeled, prayed, and gave their lives to Jesus Christ.

Program Seven: “The Salvation Army”

Dick B. illustrates the importance to early AAs of books like Harold Begbie’s Twice-Born Men which told how lives were saved and drunkards redeemed when recovered men went into the slums of London, found a derelict or drunkard on the streets, offered him Salvation and the teachings of the Bible, and then—when he had recovered—asked that he join “God’s Army”

Program Eight: “Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor”

Dick B. fleshes out the highly important fellowship principles and practices that Dr. Bob learned when, as a youngster in his church, he was active in its Christian Endeavor group, as were his parents. Dick also illustrates the close parallel between the confession of Jesus Christ, conversion meetings, prayer meetings, Bible studies, Quiet Hour, discussion of Christian literature, and motto of “love and service,” and the Akron program of A.A. begun in 1935

Program Nine: “The Misunderstood Christian Origins of Early A.A.”

Dick B. shows how the very clear parallels between the six Christian origins of A.A. have been ignored, distorted, or misunderstood and replaced by historians, scholars, and AAs themselves. These origins have given way to tenuous references to the Oxford Group and even the Washingtonians when the Washingtonians failed almost a century before A.A. was born, and the Oxford Group was, at most, a fellowship with which Dr. Bob and Bill were both briefly associated, but which came into play as an A.A. source, when Bill W. later fashioned his Big Book and Twelve Steps published four years after the founding of A.A. Dick points to Dr. Bob’s specific statement that the basic ideas of A.A. came from the Bible.


Program Ten: “A Newcomer’s Plight on Entering A.A. Today”

Dick B. explains how some wild intrusions have slipped into the A.A. program at a time when a bewildered, hurting, problem-filled, sick A.A. newcomer enters a Twelve Step fellowship today. That newcomer begins early to hear about false gods (called higher powers), illusory New Age “spirituality,” and outright condemnations of religion and of any relationship with the Creator. This feeds the newcomer confusion at a time when he should be hearing about the real A.A. solution from the beginning—the power of God. He doesn’t hear the origins. He doesn’t hear the real history. He doesn’t hear about the early A.A. Christian Fellowship. And he is confronted with the unreliable “wisdom of the rooms,” revisionist ideas, and concern over what may be his own deeply held Christian convictions.

Program Eleven: “The Solution”

Dick B. concludes this first and very introductory series of programs by pointing to the much-needed return to information in the recovery world. Information that stresses the role that God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible played and can play in recovery. Information that tells the specific origins, principles, and practices of the early A.A. Christian Fellowship in Akron. And information which shows how this information can and should be applied in recovery today—with a firm position, for those who want to hear it, that it was the power of God that early AAs sought to find, and the power of God which they declared had healed them in such high and unprecedented numbers.

Note: There will quite a large number of segments—series presentations, if you will—where Dick B. will take the viewer and listener through the comprehensive, truthful, accurate history of both A.A. and the Christian Recovery Movement. He will show the dramatic compromises and changes in the program that occurred in 1939. He will discuss the various people who helped shape both the early Christian program and who helped Bill W. shape the new program of 1939. He will point to the resources available to those who want to grow in understanding and faith.
He will suggest how others can further the mission of understanding and historical truth that he has undertaken—and, for the last twenty-one years, with the immeasurable help of his older son, Ken. He will explain how the Twelve Steps can better be understood and applied by those who know their actual origins and original intended meaning. He will urge the formation of study groups and explain how they can be formed. He will urge the continuation of the rapidly growing participation in the mission of the International Christian Recovery Coalition and of the projects it has accomplished and is planning to undertake.

dickb@dickb.com; www.dickb.com; www.ChristianRecoveryCoalition.com; www.mauihistorian.blogspont.com; www.drbobinfo; http://freedomranchmaui.org.

Gloria Deo

A.A.: The Plight of the A.A. Newcomer Entering Recovery Today, DickB YouTube Program # 10

The Power of Almighty God -- 2011

Saturday, June 25, 2011

The Plight of the A.A. Newcomer Entering Recovery Today: Dick B. YouTube Presentation # 10

The latest Dick B. YouTube Channel presentation is Number 10. It is up and running along with the previous nine. And thanks to the hard work of Neal Pearson of Texas and of my son Ken B., we will soon have online all 11 of the first series on A.A. History and The Christian Recovery Movement.

A.A. History and the Christian Recovery Movement will have many many brief videos presnting Dick B.'s voice, an easily read script to follow along, and occasionally some pictures of appropriate books--particularly the Dick B. A.A. History Titles www.dickb.com/titles.shtml. When all 11 are up and running, we will widely publicize all eleven presentations, by number and by titles of the subject. The best organized URL to click is: http://goo.gl/rCtH6


Meanwhile, Dick B. YouTube Channel PresentationNumber 10 is The Plight of the A.A. Newcomer Entering Recovery Today.
Check out my A.A. history videos on the new Dick B. Channel on YouTube:
http://goo.gl/rCtH6

God Bless, Dick B. www.dickb.com.
Posted by Dick B

Christian roots of Alcoholics Anonymous

The Christian Roots of A.A.:

A.A.'s heritage is not "spirituality." It's certainly nor a door knob or a light bulb. And "not-god-ness"--A Kurtz manufacture--is in no way representative of what the Big Book is about. The best starting place for info is Bill's Story and the First Edition of "Alcoholics Anonymous." Then DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers. And then a thorough look at the Book of James, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, and 1 Corinthians 13. These three were the heart of, and "absolutely essential" in the early A.A.'s Christian Fellowship in Akron. See www.dickb.com/JamesClub.shtml.

If you compare the early program with A.A. Big Book ideas, you'll see the biblical roots at every turn. Quotes from the Bible. Idioms from the Bible. Descriptions from the Bible like "Creator," "Maker," "Heavenly Father," and "God."

But the next stop is the Oxford Group. This is because Bill codified the Oxford Group principles and practices into his "practical program of action" in the A.A. Big Book. www.dickb.com/OxfordGroup.shtml.

Reverend Sam Shoemaker and the writings of Professor William James played a part in introducing the idea of "finding God." But Dr. Bob and Akron A.A. stuck with just plain God. Compare www.dickb.com/newlight.shtml with www.dickb.com/goodbook.shtml.

www.dickb.com

How to Become a "Christian Recovery Resource Center or Person" Now

How to Become a “Christian Recovery Resource Center or Person”

By Dick B.
© 2011 Anonymous. All rights reserved

The following is current information (as of June 23, 2011) as to how to become a "Christian Recovery Resource Center or Person," a project of the International Christian Recovery Coalition.

Each individual, group, or organization that becomes a "Christian Recovery Resource Center" (or "Person") receives a "new Participant package."

The "Christian Recovery Resource Center" new Participant package includes a "site license" for the "Introductory Foundations for Christian Recovery" ("IFCR") class for Groups and Organizations (2010) by Dick B. & Ken B. on four DVD's.

The "site license" for the IFCR class for Groups and Organizations includes:
a. The four IFCR class DVDs (about one hour each);
b. One hard copy of the IFCR Class Guide for Students (8 1/2" x 11", spiral bound);
c. One hard copy of the IFCR Class Instructor's Guide (8 1/2" x 11", spiral bound); and
d. One hard copy of The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide, 3rd ed., by Dick B. and Ken B. (8 1/2" x 11", spiral bound)

The "site license" for the IFCR class for Groups and Organizations also comes with limited reproduction rights for the books in the class--specifically, the right to duplicate one (1) copy per class instructor of: (1) the IFCR Class Instructor's Guide; and (2) The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide, 3rd ed. In addition, you may reproduce as many copies of the IFCR Class Guide for Students as will be necessary so that each student in any class you personally oversee may have one (1) copy of that Guide.

In addition, the "Christian Recovery Resource Center" new Participant package also includes The Dick B. Handbook for Christian Recovery Resource Centers Worldwide by Dick B. with Ken B. (2011) in 8 1/2" x 11", spiral bound, format.

We are also excited to announce that each new Participant will now receive the entire, 29-volume "Dick B. Christian Recovery Reference Set" (described in the center column of the front page of the www.DickB.com Web site)!

Finally, the new Participant package includes a free case (box) of new books by Dick B.--i.e., multiple copies of a single Dick B. title in a case--that you may use for free distribution or for resale to support your Christian recovery work. [While supplies last!]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you need further background information about "Christian Recovery Resource Centers," please see:

http://christianrecoverycoalition.com/

and
http://christianrecoverycoalition.com/christian-recovery-resource-centers.shtml

To become a "Christian Recovery Resource Center or Person," a one-time, $500.00 donation is required, payable to "Dick B." To make the donation, you may call Ken B. on his cell at (808) 276-4945 with your credit card (MasterCard or VISA) or debit card information. Or, if you would like to pay securely online using a credit card, debit card, or PayPal, please call Ken B. for payment instructions. Or, you may send a money order or check payable to "Dick B." to:
Dick B.
PO Box 837
Kihei, HI 96753-0837

(Please write "CRRC" in the money order or check "memo field," so we know what it is for.)

We look forward to hearing from you.

Dick B.

Email: DickB@DickB.com

Main Web site: www.DickB.com

Gloria Deo

County of Maui Salvation Army Is Making Its Premises Available for Believers' Meetings

The Maui Christian Recovery Resource Center

Is Pleased to Announce That Our Partner

The County of Maui Salvation Army

Is Making Its Premises Available

for Believers Meetings and Even More Recovery Help for the Community

By Dick B.
(June 20, 2011)

Pastor Cliff Spencer, CADAC, Director of the County of Maui Salvation Army Disaster Relief Services, today informed us that A/Captain Mark Merritt has approved the following uses of
Salvation Army premises for our new Island-wide Community Recovery Project:

1. The Kahului premises of the Salvation Army in Kahului are available at a time and place to be arranged for the regular holding of a believers’ recovery meeting which Pastor Henry Cummings will be organizing.

2. In cooperation with A/Lt. Kevin Nagasaki, the premises of the Salvation Army Outpost on Shaw Street in Lahaina are available at a time and place to be arranged for the regular holding of a believers’ recovery meeting which will be arranged by Pastor Henry and Kevin.

3. In preparation for several Island-wide Community Recovery Meetings in the next year,
The Salvation Army premises in Kahului are available for the first meeting—a leadership meeting which will be organized and held shortly.

All of our associates have been quick to help and eager to see progress; and this action by A/Captain Mark and Cliff is very much appreciated. It also insures that two of the four intended Island-wide recovery projects are well on their way.

The first, headed by pastor Henry Cummings, will soon have seven believers recovery meetings up and running—located from Hana to Lahaina, and from Kahului-Wailuku to Kihei.

The second, which will be conducted by the Maui Christian Recovery Resource Center in association with other participants, will be the leadership meeting and a series of Island-wide Community Recovery Resource Meetings.

The third, headed by Pastor Richard De Giacamo, is the Set Free Ministry—which aims to provide housing, discipling, and Christian aid to those homeless folks, veterans, at-risk people, emerging from prison, and suffering from alcohol and drug abuse.
The final is the expansion of the services of the Maui Christian Recovery Resource Center at the Salvation Army Office in Kihei.

Dick B., Executive Director, International Christian Recovery Coalition. www.ChristianRecoveryCoalition.com

Maui Believers in Recovery Meetings

Henry Cummings, a long-recovered, experienced Christian recovery leader - a participant in the International Christian Recovery Coalition - is coordinating the establishment and publicizing of believers in recovery meetings on Maui.

This is part of the new project of the Maui Christian Recovery Resource Center in partnership with the County of Maui Salvation Army. Henry is one of the leaders with whom we are associated in the Maui Community Recovery Project.

At our request, he has provded the following list of believers in recovery meetings; and we will be adding other such meetings as the project progresses.

Here is the meeting schedule:

Listings of Believer's In Recovery Meetings

Wailuku @ Good Shepherd Church on Main Street
Monday evenings @ 7:00pm to 8:30 pm
Held in St.Luke Classroom...
Run by: Henry & Momi Cummings # 268-5584 or 242-4571

Kihei @ (Maui Lu) South Calvary Chapel
Thursday evenings @ 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Held in the Library (front downstairs)
Run by: Sam & Robin Cavitt # 298-3307

Hana @ Senior Citizens Hall
Saturday mornings @ 8:00am to 9:30am
Located across Hana Ball Park (ocean side)
Run by: Ben & Jenny Nu # 283-9360 or 248-7236

Kahului @ Salvation Army Hall
SOON TO BE!!!

Noted Singer, Pastor, Recovery Leader & Maui Ministry

Noted Singer and Pastor Kenny Munds Tells of Recent, Vigorous, Maui Recovery Work and Christian Witness Over a Two-Week Period

Dick B.

I urge readers to go to two different, lengthy blogs posted by Pastor Kenny Munds of Scottsdale, Arizona. Pastor Kenny is now a participant in the International Christian Recovery Coalition and is supporting our Island-Wide Recovery Coalition. He spent more than a week on Maui, arranged by Pastor Rich DiGiacomo (also an International Christian Recovery Coalition participant).

I will briefly summarize in two separate paragraphs the stellar ministry that Pastor Kenny did here over a two-week period on Maui, and then point to the cooperative Island-Wide Community Recovery Program upon which so many experienced, long-recovered, devoted Christian recovery leaders and pastors have begun work.

Summary of the Broad Ministry of Pastor Kenny Munds Here on Maui

This is to let Christian Recovery Leaders, others in the Christian recovery arena, and those in recovery work see and understand the intended broad scope of the outreach of the Maui Christian Recovery Resource Center in partnership with the County of Maui Salvation Army. Pastor Kenny’s ministry on Maui was a lightening rod for all of us. And here are some of the places where he sang, pastored, witnessed, and fellowship: (1) Men and women incarcerated in the Maui Correctional Center. (2) Several Maui Christian churches. (3) Meetings with homeless living on the beach. (4) Bible studies. (5) Twelve-Step Meetings. (6) Neighborhood Place which endeavors to meet the needs of families and children and help them find a new, successful life and environment. (7) Meeting individually and in groups with many of our new and potential International Christian Recovery Coalition participants. And there was much much more which is detailed on Kenny’s blog: http://kennymundsministry.org/2011/06/14/maui-part-1/

Summary of the Maui Christian Recovery Leaders and Workers Now Working Together

Again, this is just an information summary: As Pastor Kenny said, he and Pastor Rich DiGiacomo met with my son Rev. Ken B. and me and shared a Set Free vision for the entire Island of Maui. And they told us the places and people Pastor Rich has contacted to get the vision under way as a program. We learned of the meeting of Kenny and Rich with the prison chaplaincy people here on Maui as well as men and women prisoners. We learned of the great work being done by Pastor Henry Cummings coordinating believer’s Bible study meetings throughout the Island. We learned of the street and prison ministry of Frank Hobbs on Maui. We visited for several hours with Pastor Greg DeLa Cruz who is a Family Success Coach at Neighborhood House in Wailuku and also Senior Pastor of Living Way Church in Wailuku. We were introduced by Pastor Rich to Pastor Cliff Spencer, CADAC, Director of The Salvation Army Maui County Emergency Disaster Services. And there were others – still to come. See the details of the Kenny Munds Ministry second blog: http://kennymundsministry.org/2011/06/15/maui-last-week/

The remarkable thing about all of these leaders is their passion for the Lord Jesus Christ and for reliance on the Word of God. All, except my son Rev. Ken, have had sustained long-term recovery from alcoholism and drug use. Most have been imprisoned. All have attended either A.A. or N.A. or both. Many have been connected with other programs such as the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Set Free, and YWAM, All have ministered to veterans, to the homeless, to those afflicted with alcoholism and drug addiction, as well as the families and loved ones of these people. Almost all are directly working with a Christian church. Most are volunteers. All have become participants in the International Christian Recovery Coalition. And all have put their shoulders to the wheel in establishing a broad-based Christian recovery resource program on Maui that will publicize (1) the role that God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible have played in successful recovery work since the later 1800’s and even until today; (2) the role they played in the founding of the original Alcoholics Anonymous Christian Fellowships founded in Akron in 1935; and (3) the role they can play for those who want God’s help and are at-risk, incarcerated, homeless, without every-day-living resources, facing mental problems, and dealing with the ravages of alcoholism and addiction.

Dick B., Executive Director, International Christian Recovery Coalition
dickb@dickb.com; www.ChristianRecoveryCoalition.com

Gloria Deo

Pastor Cliff Spencer, CADAC, Maui Joins Coalition

Pastor Cliff Spencer, CADAC, is long-recovered, is experienced on the national disaster relief field, is a devoted Christian leader, and is presently Director of Emergency Disaster Services for the County of Maui Salvation Army.

Cliff has just become a participant in the International Christian Recovery Coalition. His listing is:

Pastor Cliff Spencer CADAC, Salvation Army, Maui County Director of Emergency Disaster Services, 45 Kamehameha Avenue, Kahului, Hawaii 96732, clff_spencer@yahoo.com

Growing Number of Maui Leaders in Christian Recovery

For about a month, there have been frequent meetings among a number of long-sober, experienced Maui Christian recovery leaders (which include two Maui pastors)and an ordained minister who has long worked on the history of the Christian Recovery Movement and its applicability in present day fellowships, treatment programs, counseling, and church efforts. The meetings have taken place at the newly opened office of the International Christian Recovery Coalition located at the Salvation Army building in Kihei, Maui. They have also taken place at the Mana Kai Resort in Kihei, at Ruby's Restaurant in Kahului, at Neighborhood Place of Wailuku, and at the homes and groups with which the leaders are affiliated.

Headed by A.A. Historian and writer Dick B., Executive Director of the International Christian Recovery Coalition (www.ChristianRecoveryCoalition.com), these leaders have met together quite regularly in small groups. The International Christian Recovery Coalition is partnering with the County of Maui Salvation Army in the bid to present Christian recovery, Christian recovery resources, and and treatment resource options to the growing body of alcoholics, addicts, and those who have been hurt or damaged by the ravages of alcoholism and addiction.

Among the immediate actions planned are these: (1) A small conference of Maui Christian recovery leaders and those in the community who wish to take immediate action to let the afflicted and the affected know the resources available right now that make God's help available to them. (2) Continuing dissemination of the whole history of the Christian Recovery Movement. This includes the six major Christian groups and organizations beginning in 1850 who were able to convert thousands and thousands and bring God's power, healing, love, forgiveness, and guidance to those suffering from alcoholism and addictions. (3) Continuing dissemination of accurate information about the Christian upbringing of both Alcoholics Anonymous Cofounders as youngsters in Vermont, and about the impact on them of the earlier successful Christian efforts. (4) Continuing dissemination of accurate information on the origins, history, founding, original program, and high success rate among the original A.A. members of the Akron Christian Fellowship founded by Bill W. and Dr. Bob in Akron in June of 1935. (5) Continuing dissemination of accurate information on how the first three AAs got sober by turning to God for help and studying the Bible to develop the basic ideas of early A.A. (often called "old school" A.A.).
(6) Continuing dissemination of accurate information about the 7 principles and 14 practices of the original AAs in their Christian Fellowship in Akron. (7) Continuing discussion and active development of the applicability of the original, highly successful program, in helping AAs, NAs, families and others today.

The particular areas of focus will be on Maui Veterans, Maui Homeless, Maui folks just released from prison, and all in transition from the curses of substance abuse to an abundant life in which God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible can play a major role, as they did in the recovery movement from the 1850's to 1939 - when the A.A. Twelve Step program was published and adopted. It will have equal focus on any and all seeking help in Twelve Step Fellowships, Christian Recovery groups and meetings, Believers study meetings, treatment, counseling, discipling, and detox.
The effort has been called "A.A. friendly, Bible friendly, Recovery friendly, Church friendly, and newcomer friendly." It will use A.A.s early Christian Fellowship success to offer an option to all the friends who really want God's help and work for it.

Leaders who are already experienced, long sober, devoted Christians will each focus on their own segments and areas of experience and expertise in the whole recovery arena. Some work with prison ministry. Some work with veterans. Some work with homeless. Some work with those in transition. And many work with families and others impacted by substance abuse. Some work through fellowships like A.A. Some work through Believer study groups. Some work through neighborhood assistance for women, families, and those in need of treatment and detoxifcation facilities. And some work in existing Christian fellowships and Bible study groups.

The unique all-Maui approach will, on an Island-wide basis, show to the Island Community the many virtually unknown but existing Christian recovery resources on Maui; the potential for church and social agency involvement; and the offer of God's help as a long-successful option for those who want diligently to seek it, maintain it, and in turn serve God and others by encouraging them to do likewise.

The cadre of leaders is growing each day, and their specific names and contributions will be made when a substantial group is constituted and ready to roll out the planned approaches.

God Bless, Dick B. dickb@dickb.com; www.ChristianRecoveryCoalition.com

Glasgow, Scotland Man Latest Participant in the Coalition

We are delighted to announce that a fervent believer from the British Isles has now joined the growing number of participants in International Christian Recovery Coalition. www.ChristianRecoveryCoalition.com

Delward Burns's listing as a participant is as follows:

Derek Burns, Recovered Christian Believer, 28 Deans Avenue, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom. G72 8UT

God Bless, Dick B., Executive Director, International Christian Recovery Coalition

Pastor Henry Cummings of Maui is latest International Christian Recovery Coalition Participant

Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Pastor Henry Cummings of Maui is latest International Christian Recovery Coalition Participant
Pastor Henry Cummings of Wailuku, Maui is the latest Maui Christian Recovery Leader to participate in the International Christian Recovery Coalition www.ChristianRecoveryCoalition.com. Henry's listing is: “Pastor Henry Cummings, Maui Believers’ Recovery Meetings, Wailuku, Hawaii”
Posted by Dick B

A.A. - From God's help to self help?

TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2011
A.A.: From God's help to self help?
A.A.'s basic ideas came from the Bible. And Dr. Bob said so many times. Yet a curious detour occurred as revisionists tried to make A.A. into what it was not, either in the original Akron Christian Fellowship founded in 1935, or in the First Edition of the Big Book published in 1939.

Was A.A. about God's help? Or was it about self help? Let's look at the record, including the warped revisionist comment quoted from Wikipedia on A.A.

"By 1937 Wilson separated from the Oxford Group. AA historian Ernest Kurtz explained the split:[22]
...more and more, Bill discovered that new adherents could get sober by believing in each other and in the strength of this group. Men [no women were members yet] who had proven over and over again, by extremely painful experience, that they could not get sober on their own had somehow become more powerful when two or three of them worked on their common problem. This, then—whatever it was that occurred among them—was what they could accept as a power greater than themselves. They did not need the Oxford Group."

The Kurtz view is a distortion of A.A.'s roots - roots in the Bible, not the Twelve Step Oxford Group roots of 1939; and note that Kurtz was writing about the Bible-roots period of 1937.

The pertinent Bible verses are about God sufficiency, not self sufficiency--whether sought by one suffering soul or two or three:

"Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (KJV Matthew 18:19-20)

"And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God" (KJV 2 Corinthians 3:4-5)

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you: that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work" (KJV 2 Corinthians 9:8)

And now for what Bill Wilson wrote, quoted in the Big Book, 4th ed., 2001:

"When we saw others solve their problems by a simple reliance upon the Spirit of the Universe, we had to stop doubting the power of God. Our ideas did not work. But the God idea did" (p. 52).

"We agnostics and atheists were sticking to the idea that self-sufficiency would solve our problems. When others showed us that "God-sufficiency" worked with them, we began to feel like those who insisted the Wrights would never fly" (pp. 52-53).

"Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power--that One is God. May you find Him now!" (p. 59).

". . . three pertinent ideas: (a) That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives. (b) That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism. (c) That God could and would if He were sought" (p. 60)

Neither the Bible nor the A.A. "basic text" supports the "not-god-ness" which Kurtz espouses and has managed to have quoted now in Wikipedia.

I like Dr. Bob's statement at the close of his personal story on page 181: "Your Heavenly Father will never let you down!"

And that does not mean self-help, self-sufficiency, or that two or three drunks working together accomplish the job. It is about Almighty God.

dickb@dickb.com; www.dickb.com

Is A.A. replacing God's help with self help - NO!

TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2011
A.A.: From God's help to self help?
A.A.'s basic ideas came from the Bible. And Dr. Bob said so many times. Yet a curious detour occurred as revisionists tried to make A.A. into what it was not, either in the original Akron Christian Fellowship founded in 1935, or in the First Edition of the Big Book published in 1939.

Was A.A. about God's help? Or was it about self help? Let's look at the record, including the warped revisionist comment quoted from Wikipedia on A.A.

"By 1937 Wilson separated from the Oxford Group. AA historian Ernest Kurtz explained the split:[22]
...more and more, Bill discovered that new adherents could get sober by believing in each other and in the strength of this group. Men [no women were members yet] who had proven over and over again, by extremely painful experience, that they could not get sober on their own had somehow become more powerful when two or three of them worked on their common problem. This, then—whatever it was that occurred among them—was what they could accept as a power greater than themselves. They did not need the Oxford Group."

The Kurtz view is a distortion of A.A.'s roots - roots in the Bible, not the Twelve Step Oxford Group roots of 1939; and note that Kurtz was writing about the Bible-roots period of 1937.

The pertinent Bible verses are about God sufficiency, not self sufficiency--whether sought by one suffering soul or two or three:

"Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (KJV Matthew 18:19-20)

"And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God" (KJV 2 Corinthians 3:4-5)

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you: that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work" (KJV 2 Corinthians 9:8)

And now for what Bill Wilson wrote, quoted in the Big Book, 4th ed., 2001:

"When we saw others solve their problems by a simple reliance upon the Spirit of the Universe, we had to stop doubting the power of God. Our ideas did not work. But the God idea did" (p. 52).

"We agnostics and atheists were sticking to the idea that self-sufficiency would solve our problems. When others showed us that "God-sufficiency" worked with them, we began to feel like those who insisted the Wrights would never fly" (pp. 52-53).

"Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power--that One is God. May you find Him now!" (p. 59).

". . . three pertinent ideas: (a) That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives. (b) That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism. (c) That God could and would if He were sought" (p. 60)

Neither the Bible nor the A.A. "basic text" supports the "not-god-ness" which Kurtz espouses and has managed to have quoted now in Wikipedia.

I like Dr. Bob's statement at the close of his personal story on page 181: "Your Heavenly Father will never let you down!"

And that does not mean self-help, self-sufficiency, or that two or three drunks working together accomplish the job. It is about Almighty God.

dickb@dickb.com; www.dickb.com

A.A., Fear, and What the Bible Says

Psa 34:4 (KJV): I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Prov 29:25 (KJV): The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

John 14:27 (KJV): Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Phil 4:6 (ESV): do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Phil 4:7 (ASV): And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

2 Tim 1:7 (KJV): For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

1 John 4:18 (KJV): There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

We Are Doing Something on Maui!. . .

We are doing something on Maui! . . . about Alcoholism, about Addiction, and about Those Affected by These Illness.

Author & Historian Dick B. is presenting a Maui Island-Wide Community Recovery Program of

The Maui Christian Recovery Resource Center
in partnership with The County of Maui Salvation Army

in association with a growing number of leaders and groups where the leaders are recovered people with long-terms sobriety, are Christians, and have been devoted for many years to helping others get well. The difference today is that these leaders and the groups they work with will be joining together in efforts to make full-time recovery resources available to the homeless, the imprisoned, those being released from prison, the abandoned and despairing, alcoholics and addicts and those affected by and often harmed because of alcoholic and addictive behaviors. In all, people who have been yearning for a return to "old time" A.A. This "old time" A.A.--grounded in the mottoe of "love and service"--is completely compatible with and supportive of present-day 12-Step and anonymous programs - with one exception. It is focused on reminding those desperately seeking a new way out that the way out began many years ago, embraced salvation, Bible, prayer, Quiet Time, fellowship and witnessing. It was fostered by the Evangelists, Rescue Missions, YMCA lay brethren, the Salvation Army, and the Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor. And this new way out exists in Maui today!

Those wanting God's help will be given a full-time opportunity to seek His love, power, guidance, forgiveness, and healing with the help of those who have fully recovered by reliance on God, whatever the starting point of recovery.

More details on their way.

Dick B.

7th Dick B. YouTube Program - The Salvation Army

One of the major factors in the Christian origins of early A.A. was the Salvation Army. Its simple technique of sending a recovered and saved derelict into the slums of London was the start of passing it on. Next the saved member would offer salvation and the Bible to the derelict on the streets in the slums. When the new person became saved, he was asked to join "God's Army." And this simple pattern of one recovered drunk reaching out to another, converting the newcomer to God through Jesus Christ, and then calling for the new man to join the Salvation Army and help another to the same recovery and salvation by the same means.

The Dick B. 7th YouTube Program on A.A. History and the Christian Recovery Movement gives the viewer a brief summary of the important A.A.-Salvation Army link to the techniques of the early A.A. Christian Fellowship founded in Akron in June, 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith.

Here's the Program data:


The Dick B. Channel on YouTube.com:

Title of Video: Dick B. 07 AA History & Christian Recovery: The Salvation Army

URL address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3efpKJFFqIU&feature=channel_video_title

6th Dick B. YouTube Program - The Rescue Missions

SUNDAY, JUNE 05, 2011
6th Dick B. YouTube Program - The Rescue Missions
We are plugging ahead with these programs on A.A. History and the Christian Recovery Movement. My son is painstakingly editing the hard work that I did in drafting the material and that our great friend and helper Neal Pearson of Texas did and does in putting the presentations together. Ken is a stickler for precision and accuracy, and I'm all for his views and efforts.

Now this sixth Dick B. YouTube Program is on a very important item among the six Christian factors that influenced the cofounders in their boyhood and cast a strong influence on the first A.A. Christian Fellowship the cofounders of A.A. founded in Akron in June, 1939.

Remember, all of these programs are brief introductions to the many subjects we will cover. And we put up text and books to help you see more about the particular subject.

This sixth program on dickbchannel is about the rescue missions. It is especially important because both Ebby Thacher and Bill Wilson made their decisions for Jesus Christ at the altar of the Calvary Mission, operated by Sam Shoemaker's Calvary Church.

Here is the scoop on where to find, see, and hear Dick B. YouTube Program Number Six on Rescue Missions:

The Dick B. Channel on YouTube.com:

Title of Video: Dick B. 06 AA History & Christian Recovery: Rescue Missions

URL address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AKpJLSqEqw&feature=channel_video_title

The "Conference-approved"-Not Conference Approved Issue in AAs' Reading

An Excellent Statement from Anonymous Press
About
“The Conference-approved” Issue

Dick B.

Under the terms of this project and you are free to copy answers for the benefit of others as long as you are similarly open to sharing the work it appears in and you must attribute the source of the material as being from:
http://anonpress.org/faq

The preferred code for attribution on a Web page is:
Reproduced with permission from The Anonymous Press: http://anonpress.org/faq





Is it OK to use non-conference approved literature in meetings?
________________________________________
Question: My group sometimes reads from The Original Manuscript of The Big Book because many of us favor the more forceful language it uses. Some have objected to doing this because they say only AA approved books can be used in meetings. Is it OK to read from non-AA books in meetings?

Answer: Yes, it is OK to read from "non-AA" literature in an AA meeting.

Some groups independently decide to restrict themselves to "conference approved" literature but are under no obligation to do so.

When talking about whether a book is "AA approved" the question is often this: "Is the book General Service Conference approved literature?" Conference approval is only considered for books published by AA World Service in NY (AAWS). It serves as a way of saying that AAWS has put together a book and the General Service Conference has approved it. AAWS organizes the General Service Conference.

Each AA group is the highest authority in AA and therefor free to use any literature it wants to. Both AAWS and the conference exist to serve the groups and Tradition prohibits them from governing groups.

In 1978 the AA General Service Office described what "Conference Approved" means in their Box 4-5-9 newsletter (Volume 23, No 4). Here the General Service Office said:
It (Conference Approved) does not mean the Conference disapproves of any other publications. Many local A.A. central offices publish their own meeting lists. A.A. as a whole does not oppose these, any more than A.A. disapproves of the Bible or any other publications from any source that A.A.'s find useful.

What any A.A. member reads is no business of G.S.O., or of the Conference, naturally.
The General Service Conference has also dealt with the meaning of the term "Conference Approved" in a "Conference Approved" pamphlet (SM F-29) called: Conference-Approved Literature. Here it is explained this way:
"Conference-approved" — What It Means to You

The term has no relation to material not published by G.S.O. It does not imply Conference disapproval of other material about A.A. A great deal of literature helpful to alcoholics is published by others, and A.A. does not try to tell any individual member what he or she may or may not read. See: http://www.aa.org/en_pdfs/smf-29_en.pdf
Books like the Original Manuscript and the First Edition of the Big Book are not Conference Approved Literature since there was no conference at the time they were published.

An odd side effect of a group that limits itself to conference approved literature would be that if the rule were rigorously followed, the group would not allow someone to read from Dr. Bob's personal copy of the Big Book. As a First Edition, it would lack conference approval.

Regional newsletters and literature also lack conference approval but are widely used in meetings. Since 1954 the Hazelden published "Twenty Four Hours a Day" (ISBN 9780894860126) has been very widely used in AA meetings and has never been considered for conference approval.

The first AA group in Akron, Ohio (still going today) continues to display the Bible that AA's founders read from in the earliest meetings. What Bill or Bob would have considered fine literature to read in a meeting would surely spark outrage in some groups today.

Devotionals Used Daily by Early AAs

Sunday, June 05, 2011
Devotionals Used Daily by Early AAs

Quiet Time (a time for prayer, Bible study, seeking God's guidance, and using Christian daily devotionals) was a "must" in early Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

The practice was later abandoned in A.A., and Bill Wilson made the comment that he always regretted that this important practice was no longer used. However, Bill Wilson and his wife Lois continued to use it themselves. And certainly during the lives of Akron co-founder Dr. Bob Smith and his wife Anne, they continued to be used in the Smith Home and also at the homes of other Akron A.A. pioneers.

They were used in three major ways: (1) Individual quiet times. (2) Group quiet times. (3) Daily morning quiet time led by Dr. Bob's wife Anne Ripley Smith at the Smith Home in Akron, Ohio. Each morning, A.A. pioneers, their wives, and their families would gather at the Smith Home at 855 Ardmore Avenue in Akron. They would frequently have coffe and cookies. And Anne would lead them in prayer, in words from the Bible, in a quiet time for seeking God's guidance, and in discussions of the materials she shared from the journal she kept from 1933-1939 and from the devotionals. Akron AAs joshingly described Anne's morning teachings as "spiritual pablum."

Devotionals were used in all three of the foregoing ways. The devotionals usually contained a Bible verse for the day, a prayer for the day, a thought for the day, and citation of Bible verses for further study. An exception was The Runner's Bible by Nora Smith Home--a favorite devotional of Dr. Bob's. The Runner's Bible contained chapters on Christian subjects such as God, Jesus Christ, Healing, Forgiveness, Guidance, Love, and so on. Each chapter was loaded with pertinent Scriptural references on the subject.

The primary devotionals were five: (1) The Upper Room, a Methodist quarterly brought to the Smith Home by "Mother G.," mother of one of the A.A. pioneers. (2) The Runner's Bible by Nora Smith Holm. (3)My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. (4) Daily Strength for Daily Needs. (5) Victorious Living by E. Stanley Jones.

Sources for the foregoing information are covered in substantial detail in the following publications: Dick B., Good Morning!: Quiet Time, Morning Watch, Meditation, and Early A.A. (www.dickb.com/goodmorn.shtml); The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous (www.dickb.com/Akron.shtml); Anne Smith's Journal 1933-1939 (www.dickb.com/annesm.shtml);The Books Early AAs Read for Spiritual Growth, 7th ed. (www.dickb.com/titles.shtml); and DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers.

The foregoing Christian devotionals used by the early A.A. program were uniquely valuable in that they focused on the Bible and readable "chunks" in the Bible which could be and were used for daily morning inspiration, for Bible references and verses to be committed to the renewed mind, for group discussion, and for teaching by A.A. leaders such as Dr. Bob, Anne Smith, Henrietta Seiberling, and later by recovered A.A. pioneers.

Dick B., author, historian, retired attorney, Bible student, CDAAC, and active recovered A.A. member with over 25 years of continuous sobriety.
Posted by Dick B. at 10:00 AM 0 comments Labels: A.A. Devotionals, Christian Devotions, Devotionals, Early A.A. in Akron, Prayer and Meditation, Quiet Time

Facts about Rev. Sam Shoemaker, "cofounder of A.A."

The second edition of Dick B., "New Light on Alcoholism: God, Sam Shoemaker, and A.A." was published after intensive research at Shoemaker's two churches (Calvary Church) in New York and then in Pittsburgh. It is a "must" for information on Sam Shoemaker, his role in A.A., his writings about A.A., and his long career as one of America's ten greatest preachers. Sam and Bill Wilson were good friends. And Sam's connection with Wilson, the Big Book manuscript, the Twelve Steps, and later articles for the A.A. Grapevine, as well as Shoemaker's two addresses to AAs at their International Conventions in St. Louis (1955) and Long Beach (1960). The bibliography of this title is comprehensive, thorough, and extremely useful to AAs, students of A.A., and A.A. historians and writers. www.dickb.com/newlight.shtml

It involved thorough research in the 58 boxes of Shoemaker papers at the Episcopal Church Archives in Austin, Texas. It involved interviews with Shoemaker's two daughters (Sally Shoemaker Robinson and Nickie Shoemaker Haggart) and the review with Nickie of Sam's personal journals. It involved research at Hartford Seminary, Princeton University Alumni Archives, St. George's Parish-Calvary Church in New York. It involved visits to Shoemaker's "book-lined" office in Calvary House where Bill and Sam worked out the details of the Big Book and Twelve Steps. It involved interviews with Mrs. W. Irving Harris, wife of Shoemaker's assistant minister, who provided a complete set of Shoemaker's titles as well as Harris's book and Irving Harris's personal typewritten memo on Sam and Bill's work together. It involved reading and reviewing all of Shoemaker's books, many of his sermons, most of his articles, and the transcript of his first radio show--"Good Morning." It involved thorough research in Pittsburgh at The Pittsburgh Experiment, Calvary Church in Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Experiment, and lengthy interviews of Sam's "golf club crowd"in Pittsburgh and many of his surviving friends there.

My work on Shoemaker extended to my collaboration and co-authorship with Bill Pittman of "Courage to Change" currently being published and distributed by Hazelden. Next came my title "Good Morning" which was a composite of Shoemaker and other Oxford Group/Bible writings on "prayer and meditation." Next came the second edition of "New Light on Alcoholism.

See www.dickb.com/newlight.shtml;
www.dickb.com/goodmorn.shtml;
www.dickb.com/Oxford.shtml;
www.dickb.com/Turning.shtml.

Dick B. 5th YouTube Program: A.A. History and Christian Evangelists' Role

The Dick B. Channel on YouTube.com:


Title of Video: Dick B. 05 AA History & Christian Recovery: Christian Evangelists

URL address:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8MKK3LjYKk&feature=channel_video_title

The Dick B. Response to a Recent Letter about Swedenborg

My Response to a Recent Inquiry

By Dick B.
© 2011 Anonymous. All rights reserved

Dear JC:

I make every effort to reply to any courteous email that comes to me at DickB@DickB.com. However, some people try to send me messages by clicking on the “Reply” button when they receive one of my “Dick B. FYI Message” newsletters. Such “replies” have been going to a different email address (dickb.lists@gmail.com) that is associated with the program we use for sending out the “Dick B. FYI Message” newsletters. Those “replies” have not been going directly to me. In fact, most never reached me until today, when my son Ken discovered this “secret cache” of backlogged responses and forwarded them to me in a large batch. Sadly, I do not have the time to sift through them all for happy birthday cards vs. genuine questions.

One other point about how people identify themselves when they contact me. When someone writes me—through any medium—and just uses initials like “J.C.” or “Jim C.,” I really don’t care to reply until and unless they identify themselves by using a fuller form of their name and by including their regular (“snail mail”) address. You have no idea how many “Jim’s,” “Jim C.’s,” “JC’s,” and even “James’s” and others—not including spammers—cross my path.

Now to your question and many claims about Swedenborg and the influence of his church on Alcoholics Anonymous. I took the time to review your material. I noted that the only source for your information concerning A.A. was a short Web page about Bill and Lois Wilson found on the Oak Arbor Church and School (Rochester, Michigan) Web site. The only “documentation” provided for the claims about A.A. history made on that Web page are: (1) a single reference to Lois Wilson's autobiography, Lois Remembers, without specific page numbers; and (2) a single reference to Alcoholics Anonymous (the “Big Book”), again without specific page numbers. I can’t tell who you are quoting as authority for your sweeping claims and conclusions.

Yes, there is evidence provided in A.A. General Service Conference-approved literature that both Bill W. and Dr. Bob were involved with spiritualism. Spiritualism is evil. Period.

There is more information available as well. “The rest of the story” that the Christian A.A. bashers (e.g., Dave Hunt, the Bobgans, John Lanagan) are not telling. The part of the story that the people coming from a different perspective (e.g., Agent Orange) are also not telling.

Here's “Part One” of “the rest of the story” from the A.A. General Service Conference-approved book, DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers (New York, N.Y.: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 198), 312:

“A lot of us believed in the spiritual thing,” said Clarence S. “We'd go to Roland's [i.e., the house of Roland J. in Toledo, Ohio—about 139 miles from Akron on today's highways] on a Sunday night. He'd call in the spirits. It got spooky after a while—beyond what we should be monkeying with. Doc backed off, too.”
Smitty agreed. “They got away from Roland J.—when they started to get bad vibrations,” he said. “They felt it might be dangerous.”
There was a similar feeling among Akron A.A.'s “They were all against this spiritualist thing,” said Sue. “Dad got to feel he was being criticized, and he was. They didn't approve.” [emphasis added]

Notice that statement: “Doc backed off, too”? Notice the comment about the “Akron A.A.'s”: “They were all against this spiritualist thing,” [emphasis added]. The critics of A.A. have not been stressing or sharing those points. But it was in Akron where most of early A.A.'s great successes happened prior to the publication of the Big Book on April 10, 1939.

Here's “Part Two” of “the rest of the story”—again from A.A. General Service Conference-approved literature:

Paul S. . . . said of Dr. Bob, “At this time [i.e., in early 1933], he began his conscious search for truth through a concentrated study of the Bible over two and one-half years before his meeting with Bill.” [DR. BOB, 306]

And look at Dr. Bob's own statement about his study of the Bible long before 1933 in another piece of A.A. General Service Conference-approved literature, The Co-Founders of Alcoholics Anonymous: Biographical Sketches: Their Last Major Talks (New York, N.Y.: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1972, 1975):

I had refreshed my memory of the Good Book, and I had had excellent training in that as a youngster. [The Co-Founders, 11-12. And please see our title, Dr. Bob of Alcoholics Anonymous: His Excellent Training in the Good Book As a Youngster in Vermont (http://dickb.com/drbobofaa.shtml) for details.]

Dr. Bob had what he called “excellent training” in the Bible as a youth on which to lay his “concentrated study of the Bible over two and one-half years” leading up to his meeting with Bill W. in May 1935.

Dr. Bob's son, “Smitty,” said about Dr. Bob:

He read the Bible from cover to cover three times and could quote favorite passages verbatim. [DR. BOB, 310]

No wonder we read the following statement in Dr. BOB and the Good Oldtimers:

(Dr. Bob was always positive about his faith, Clarence said. If someone asked him a question about the program, his usual response was: “What does it say in the Good Book?” [DR. BOB, 144]

And one more to close out “Part Two” of “the rest of the story” for the moment:

Prayer, of course, was an important part of Dr. Bob's faith. According to Paul S., “Dr. Bob's morning devotion consisted of a short prayer, a 20-minute study of a familiar verse from the Bible, and a quiet period of waiting for direction as to where he, that day, should find use for his talent. Having heard, he would religiously go about his Father's business, as he put it.” [DR. BOB, 314]

I regret that people have chosen to use Bill’s many shortcomings—most of which are well known, and most of which have only a remote and speculative relationship, if any, to A.A.—as a means for lambasting Bill, lambasting A.A., or creating some new mythical A.A. that consists of adultery, LSD, psychic experiments, spiritualism, greed, and all the rest. [I mention these in my title, The Conversion of Bill W. More on the Creator’s Role in Early A.A. (http://dickb.com/conversion.shtml).]

Normally, I would not take the time even to reply to such tangential material. First of all, it is well-known and even published in official A.A. literature. Second, it is very likely to involve speculative and undocumented opinions. Third, it is rarely based on historical fact. Fourth, it has nothing to do with what I believe, or do, or research, or write about concerning A.A. As you probably know, for 21 years, my mission has been to find out whether and precisely how much A.A. was influenced by the Bible—not Bill’s shortcomings. And I have now published 42 titles and over 560 articles which lay out the facts. As you probably also know, 20 years ago, few if any knew anything about the Christian upbringing that both Bill and Bob had as youngsters in Vermont; and few if any realized that A.A. did not emerge from the Oxford Group until Bill wrote his Big Book. Prior to that, A.A. was—particularly in Akron—as A.A. cofounder Dr. Bob said, “a Christian fellowship.” It required belief in God and coming to Him through Jesus Christ. It required Bible study, prayer meetings, a “Quiet Time,” Christian fellowship, Christian literature, and recommended attendance at religious services. [See DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers, p. 131; Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed. (the “Big Book”), p. 191; and Dick B., When Early AAs Were Cured and Why.]

Inquirers need to get up to speed on: (1) the difference between the Christian influences of the 1850’s and later influences; (2) the Christian beliefs of Bob and Bill as youngsters; (3) the Akron “Christian fellowship” (which is what Dr. Bob called it—DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers, p. 118); and the Oxford Group/Shoemaker life-changing program that Bill wrote into the Big Book four years after the founding of A.A. in June of 1935. Unless they do, they won’t have a clue about the role that God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible played in the Christian Recovery Movement, in the lives of the founders of A.A., in the original Akron A.A. “Christian fellowship,” and in its successes. And can play today!!!

Now let me make a suggestion to you in view of your courteous and thoughtful letter, and also in view of your commendable sobriety date. I would suggest, at a minimum, that you obtain certain of my books and other materials, and study them. Specifically:

1. The Good Book and The Big Book: A.A.’s Roots in the Bible by Dick B. www.dickb.com/goodbook.shtml;
2. Our “Introductory Foundations for Christian Recovery” class by Dick B. and Ken B. on 4 DVD's www.dickb.com/IFCR-Class.shtml;
3. The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide, 3rd ed., by Dick B. and Ken B. (2010) www.dickb.com/ChristianRecov-Guide.shtml.

When you have done that, I predict you will: (1) have some thoroughly-documented facts to pass along; (2) have facts that bear a real relationship to both the Akron and the Big Book programs (and they are vastly different); and (3) realize that all the Bill-bashing makes good reading for a few obsessed Christian critics, but detracts monstrously from all the needs and hunger of Christians in recovery—both those in and out of A.A.

What matters to me is that those Christians in A.A. who want the truth and who insist on serving in our Fellowship—whatever its warts and strange influences—are armed with knowing and rejecting the damaging effect of the attacks on Christians in A.A.

I have taken the time to write in extenso because you may be one of those questing souls who can really help others get up and going on relevant history that will help drunks who want God’s help.

Incidentally, to make the facts more brief, more simple, and more widely available, I have established the Dick B. Channel on YouTube.com—“dickbchannel”—an ongoing and comprehensive effort on to give those questing for truth another avenue in this information age for learning more about God, His Son Jesus Christ, the Bible, and—yes—A.A.

Gloria Deo

4th Dick B. YouTube Program Now: A.A. History-Christian Recovery Movement

The Dick B. Channel on YouTube.com:


Title of Video: Dick B. 04 AA History & Christian Recovery: The YMCA

URL address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQynZXkvrfY&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

The Good News and The B

Response to Christian and Atheist A.A. Bashers Using Yellow Journalism

This is a reply to a courteous A.A. oldtimer who wanted to know just how much Swedenborg and spiritualism as embraced by Bill Wilson filtered into what we drunks do to help others go to the Creator, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible for real, effective healing and recovery (And, by the way, I know of no such filter)

Dear JC

1. I make every effort to reply to any courteous email that comes to me. However, many do not send me their emails, but rather use some kind of response to my newsletters. These comments and responses do not come to me. Most don’t even reach me. And when they arrive in a huge bundle, I do not have the time to sift through them for happy birthday cards vs. genuine questions.
2. When someone writes me, through any medium, and just uses initials like J.C. or Jim C., I really don’t care to reply until and unless they identify themselves by name and address. You have no idea how many Jim’s, Jim C.’s, JC’s and even James’s and others – not including spammers – cross my path.
3. Now to your question about Swedenborg. I took the time to review your material; and since no source is shown, I can’t tell whether you are quoting Cheever or Lois or “New Church” whatever that is.
4. I regret that people have chosen to use Bill’s many shortcomings—most of which are well known, and most of which have only a remote and speculative relationship if at all to A.A.—as a means for lambasting Bill, lambasting A.A., or creating some new mythical A.A. that consists of adultery, LSD, psychic experiments, spiritualism, greed, and all the rest. Also that feed the yellow journalism of those who always attract an audience when negatives are amplified and widely broadcast.
5. Normally I would not take the time even to reply to such irrelevant material. First of all, it is well known and even published in official A.A. literature. Second, it is very likely to be speculative and undocumented opinion. Third, it is rarely based on historical fact. Fourth, it has nothing to do with what I believe, or do, or research, or write about concerning A.A. As you probably know, for 21 years my mission has been to find out whether and precisely how much A.A. was influenced by the Bible—not Bill’s shortcomings. And I have now published 42 titles and over 560 articles which lay out the facts. As you probably also know, 20 years ago, few if any knew anything about the Christian upbringing that both Bill and Bob had as youngsters in Vermont; and few if any realized that A.A. did not emerge from the Oxford Group until Bill wrote his Big Book. Prior to that, A.A. was a Christian Fellowship. It required belief in God and coming to Him through Jesus Christ. It required Bible study, prayer meetings, quiet time, Christian fellowship, Christian literature, and recommended attendance at religious services. See DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers, p. 131; Big Book, p. 191; and Dick B., When Early AAs Were Cured and Why.
6. Until and unless inquirers get up to speed on the difference between the Christian influences of the 1850’s and later, the Christian beliefs of Bob and Bill as youngsters, the Akron Christian Fellowship AND the Oxford Group/Shoemaker life-changing program that Bill wrote into the Big Book four years after the founding in 1935, they won’t have a clue about the role that God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible played in the Christian Recovery Movement, in the life of the founders, in the original Christian fellowship, and in its successes. And can play today!!!
7. Now let me make a suggestion to you in view of your courteous and thoughtful letter and also in view of your commendable sobriety date. I would suggest you obtain my books and materials and study them. And these are: The Good Book and The Big Book: A.A.’s Roots in the Bible www.dickb.com/goodbook.shtml; Our “Introductory Foundations for Christian Recovery” 4 DVD class www.dickb.com/IFCR-Class.shtml; and The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide, 3rd ed., 2010 www.dickb.com/ChristianRecov-Guide.shtml. When you have done that, I predict you will have some thoroughly documented facts to pass along, have facts that bear a real relationship to both the Akron and the Big Book programs (and they are vastly different); and realize that all the Bill-bashing makes good reading for a few obsessed Christian critics, but detracts monstrously from all the needs and hunger of Christians in recovery—both those in and out of A.A.
8. It matters little to me that people waste time with the ill-researched, ad hominem, diversionary writings of the Bobgans, of Lanagan, or Orange, and even of Glenn Chesnut. Those writings will—like any partially accurate yellow journalism—always attract naysayers. William Randolph Hearst learned this before I was born. What matters to me is that those Christians in A.A. who want the truth and who insist of serving in our fellowship—whatever its warts and strange influences-are armed with knowing and rejecting the damaging effect of the attacks on Christians in A.A.

I have taken the time to write in extenso because you may be one of those questing souls who can really help others get up and going on relevant history that will help drunks who want God’s help/

Incidentally, to make the facts more brief, more simple, and more widely available, I have established dickbchannel—an ongoing and comprehensive effort on YouTube to give those questing for truth another avenue in this information age for learning more about God, His Son, the Bible, and—yes—A.A.

God bless,

Dick B.
Author, 42 titles & over 500 articles on A.A. History
Exec. Dir., International Christian Recovery Coalition
Christian Recovery Resource Centers - Worldwide
www.DickB.com

Announcing 2d Dick B. YouTube Program: AAHistory-Christian Recovery Movement

The Dick B. Channel on YouTube.com:

Title of Video: Dick B. 02 AA History & Christian Recovery: Six Christian Origins

URL address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KULaaka4VQ&feature=related

Media, Pennsylvania man the latest to join Coalition

It's a pleasure to tell you that the number of participants in International Christian Recovery Coalition is growing daily. And the locations of these folks are growing geographically as well. Almost all of the states. Many other countries.

The latest participant to join the ranks is the following believer from Pennsylvania:

The listing: “Sean McCullough, Servant to teach the love of Jesus Christ, 106 S. New Middletown Road, Media, Pennsylvania 19063”

Dick B., Executive Director dickb@dickb.com