Alcoholics for Christ uses AA principles, God to treat addicts

Editor's note: Due to of the nature of Alcoholics for Christ, names marked with an asterisk have been changed.

Wesley* is a long way from Step 9, and he's the first to admit it.

The step reads: We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." Wesley is still focused on the first three steps, which deal with bettering himself; he can't possibly make amends with others until he rights himself, and the content of Step 9 seem a little farfetched to him.

"I hurt so many people, I can't even remember them all," he said. "I did so much to feed the addiction. I've been to prison so many times when I didn't have to go."

Wesley is one of 10 alcoholics or recovering alcoholics at the weekly meeting of Alcoholics for Christ on a recent Monday evening. An anonymous and national organization, the group uses the same 12-step recovery process used by Alcoholics Anonymous -- with slight alterations. Alcoholics Anonymous' Step 3, for example, reads: "Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand him." Alcoholics for Christ removes those last four words; the group understands God as the Christian God, and the basis of the group is that an addict cannot overcome his or her addiction without the grace of Jesus.

A typical meeting

At the Monday evening meeting, the group discusses Step 9. Some share personal stories about what it was like to achieve this step while others confess they are much too early in the process to even think about something as scary as an apology.

Faith could relate. Faith, who leads the group with her husband, Rick, spoke of how difficult it was for her to get along with her mother, whom Faith was often resentful toward.

"If God can look at me and say, 'I love you, and I'm going to keep you safe,' who am I to look at the next person and say, 'you sinner'?" Faith said.

Faith is far enough along in her recovery that she is able to say she's grateful she has the disorder -- it gave her the chance to meet the others who attend Youth for Christ, and she is at peace with her life.

She also does what she can for others at the meeting. Wesley tells the group that Faith and her husband helped him find a job and gave him a bed. Wesley is an artist, and that's something that didn't help his alcohol abuse, he said, because everyone thinks artists are free spirits -- they're expected to be high. Yet, he can't draw or paint unless he's straight, Wesley said, and Faith raves about his work. One piece hangs in her kitchen, and Faith marvels at all his detail.

Roy*, who led the meetings before Rick and Faith took over, shares his struggle with Step 9, too. It's the first of the steps that ask alcoholics to address others; the first eight deal with the alcoholics themselves or with God, Roy said. He first thought this step was stupid, and he warns against hurrying into the apologies -- they should be sincere.

"How many times have our spouses heard, 'I'm sorry. I'll never do that again'?" Roy asked as heads around the room nodded. "Don't rush into this. It's really the first time you're going to come out of that self. For the first time in recovery, you care about other human beings.

"I don't know about you guys, but this alcoholic was the most selfish person on the planet. People were there to help me and to do what I wanted them to do."

One attendee offers a bit of hope. Zach* is still in the process of making all his amends -- he doesn't know where to find many people, or if they're even still alive. But in most cases, his "I'm sorrys" went much better than he expected.

This is not to imply Alcoholics for Christ was full of people like Zach, who has been sober for 24 years. It was George's* first personal meeting of any kind, though he said he had been to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings with his father. A functional alcoholic, George said he was a weekend drinker from ages 25 to 35 and has been a daily drinker for the past eight or nine years. He learned about group from the Internet.

Roy welcomed George and pointed out that the meeting existed for people like him.

Jesus and recovery

Often, folks at Alcoholics for Christ meetings also attend other support groups, like Alcoholics Anonymous, Faith said during a one-on-one interview.

The number can range anywhere from three to 12, and the group uses its own Bible, "The Life Recovery Bible." The 12 steps are found throughout the Scripture and detail how they relate to the Bible. For example, Step 7 reads: "We humbly asked him to remove our shortcomings." The Bible relates Step 7 to the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector in Luke 18:10-14, which tells of the Pharisee who, though he may not be scorned as much as the tax collector, needs a lesson in humility.

The group has seen its share of successes and failures, such as the man who has returned to meetings only to go back to alcohol. He's completed many of the steps but just can't grasp the God part of it, Faith said.

"We think AA is very spiritual, but we think it needs to be more," she said. "You need to go to church. This God you talk about in AA is the God who saved you."

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