The Rest of the A.A. History Story in Small Bites You Can Chew
Dick B.
© 2014 Anonymous. All rights reserved
A Bite of A.A.’s Resemblance to First Century Christianity
Many observers of early A.A. said, “Why, this is first-century
Christianity!” See Alcoholics Anonymous
Comes of Age, page 148. To study,
learn, and chew that reference to Apostolic Christianity, read Acts 2:38-47; 4:29-35.
Dr. Bob’s wife Anne wrote: “Of course the Bible ought to be the main Source
Book of all. Begin reading the Bible with the Book of Acts.” Dick B., Anne Smith’s Journal 1933-1939, 3rded.,
page 82. http://www.dickb.com/annesm.shtml
A Bite of A.A.’s Christian Progenitors Who Successfully Helped Down and
Out Drunks
Young Men’s Christian Association; Gospel Rescue Missions;
Evangelists like Moody, Meyer, and Drummond; Salvation Army; Congregationalism;
United Christian Endeavor Society. See Dick B. and Ken B., Dr. Bob of Alcoholics Anonymous: His Excellent Training in the Good
Book as a Youngster in Vermont. http://www.dickb.com/drbobofaa.shtml
A Bite of the Christian Upbringing of Bill W. and Dr. Bob That
Influenced Their Program Development
Congregational churches in East Dorset, Manchester,
Northfield, and St. Johnsbury, Vermont; Sunday school in East Dorset and St.
Johnsbury; Attendance at Congregational Academies like Burr and Burton, Norwich
University, and St. Johnsbury
Academy; Required daily chapel
(sermons, Scripture, hymns, prayers), required church; required Bible study;
YMCA leadership and participation. See Dick B. and Ken B., Bill W. and Dr. Bob: The Green Mountain Men of Vermont: The Roots of
Early A.A.’s Original Program, EAN/UCC-13: 978-1-885803-53-5, pp.6-16,
41-103.
A Bite of the Biblical Healing Sought by the First Three AAs
Bill W. and Dr. Silkworth’s advice about help from the Great Physician; Ebby
Thacher’s visit with Bill telling Bill he had “got religion,” that “God has
done for me what I could not do for myself;” and that he had been reborn at
Calvary Mission; Bill’s handing his life over to Jesus Christ at Calvary
Mission, saying that he too had found religion and “for sure been born again;”
Bill’s hospital room blazing with an indescribably white light and Bill’s
sensing “This is the God of the Scriptures; and Bill’s being cured forever. See
Dick B. The Conversion of Bill W.: More
on the Creator’s Role in Early A.A. http://www.dickb.com/theconversionofbillw.shtml
Dr. Bob’s joining the little group of A First Century
Christian Fellowship; admitting he was a “secret drinker” and couldn’t stop;
praying with the group for his deliverance; the miracles of Bill W.’s phone
call to Henrietta out of the blue, Henrietta’s arranging the six hour visit
between Bill and Bob; and Bob’s finally telling Bill he was going through with
the program and had placed his surgery and his life in God’s hands; and never
drank again. See Dick B., The Akron
Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous; http://www.dickb.com/Akron.shtml;
and DR. Bob and the Good Oldtimers.
A.A. Number Three Bill W.—a Sunday school teacher, deacon of
his church, and seemingly hopeless alcoholic; who prayed with his wife and
whose wife prayed with the pastor of a church that someone her husband could
understand would visit him in City Hospital. The prayers were followed by his
visit from Bill W. and Dr. Bob at Akron
City Hospital; his kneeling at his bed and turning his life over to the care of
God; and Bill D.’s being healed forever. See Bill D. – A.A.’s Number 3, http://silkworth.net/aahistorybdotson.html;
and Alcoholics Anonymous Number Three, http://silkworth.net/bbstories/2nd/182-192.html.
A Bite of the First and Real Christian Fellowship Program and Success
of Akron Group Number One
The program was investigated and summarized by Rockefeller
agent Frank Amos and republished on page 131 of DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers. The sixteen Christian practices
that implemented the summarized program are described on pages 27-37 of Dick B. and Ken B., Stick with the Winners! http://mcaf.ee/bmxa5
