Ten Considerations for Clergy

Alcoholism, Addiction and Recovery in the Faith Community

A Primer and Resource Guide for Clergy and other Pastoral Ministers

Ten Considerations for Clergy

Consideration One: Addiction is a disease; Treat it like one. Always remember, you’re not trying to make a “bad person good,” a “weak person, strong,” or an “immoral person, moral.” You are trying to help a “sick person get well.” Let’s deal with the issue of sin right up front. There is plenty of sin in the world and the addict and alcoholic have it in their lives just like the rest of us. You know the scripture, “All have sinned…..” Understand that the disease of addiction and alcoholism has a behavioral element rooted in loss of control and loss of social judgment. Understand that sin exists in the lives of alcoholics and addicts just as it does with all of us, but sin is not the cause of the disease, rather it is often a behavioral element of the disease process.

The disease process also makes the addict or alcoholic hypersensitive to judgmental or moralistic attitudes and as one wise minister once told me, they are acutely adept at seeing through “BS.” Know that they are already judgmental enough of themselves, so be compassionate and non-judgmental in your interactions. The 11^th Step of AA states, (we) “sought through prayer and mediation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God’s will for us and the power to carry that out.” This is a good lesson for all of us and it might make sense to use this as a guide to help us in seeking a compassionate, non-judgmental, non-condescending attitude toward this disease and those affected by it.

Consideration Two: You can’t “fix it” so stop trying. You wouldn’t try to “fix” a diabetic or a person with any other chronic debilitating illness. Treat this the same way. It’s your role to assess the situation, know the resources and make a good referral for both the alcoholic/addict and the family. A cardinal thought is that no one can control, direct or manage another person’s life. If we are honest, we recognize that we can barely do this in our own lives and often don’t succeed at all. As you move through the process, continually monitor your personal reactions to the situation. If you find that you have gotten angry or overly frustrated, you’ve sucked yourself into trying to “fix it.” At that point, stop, detach and start again. Know your role, your level of expertise, your limitations and your resources.

Consideration Three: Learn your community’s’ resources and refer to them. Think “refer and defer.” Make a list of 5 to 10 “go to” people and make those referrals. Know who is in recovery in your congregation. They will be your greatest allies. Visit treatment centers and attend open 12-Step groups. This will be an invaluable experience and a resource for the future.

Consideration Four: Learn as much as you can about the area 12-Step programs. Attend open meetings, talk with individuals in recovery and read the AA Big Book and the NA Basic Text. This will give you an understanding of the spiritual nature of the 12 step programs. The websites of these organizations are very helpful and can help you develop a meeting referral list. Examples are Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, Alanon, and DRA (Dual Recovery Anonymous) etc.

Consideration Five: Recognize that the traditional 12-Step programs, although non-religious, have a strong spiritual element at their base. This, along with the supportive, non-judgmental community they create is their strength. They are your ally, not your enemy. A good way to think of this is that spirituality and “spiritual baby steps” often begin the road back to Church and religion. Be willing to work with the program and allow this to happen. Be available to answer the religious and “God” questions when they come up. Make sure you know the theology of recovery and the doctrinal stance that your denomination takes on the issues. The American Baptist Church has a wonderful doctrinal statement that is worth reading.

Consideration Six: After referral to 12-Step programs, resist the temptation to “rush the alcoholic or addict” back into church. Know that they may need, as one AA writer suggests, the “spiritual kindergarten” that is the 12-step program. Most addicts and alcoholics carry around a tremendous amount of guilt and shame. Unfortunately, this often relates to their formative religious experience and the concepts of morality, sin and judgment. They need time to heal in a non-judgmental supportive community. Unfortunately, but more often than not, that supportive community is not their Church; It is their 12-Step group. This is particularly true in the early stages of recovery. Understand that their disease has caused a bankruptcy of spirit, an alienation from God, church and community and a spiritual isolation that requires time and effort to overcome. They are often angry with God and need time to come to terms with that anger and to find, as the steps suggest, “the God of their understanding.” Be there to help with that understanding when they need you. Know that this is an individual process and often takes years to accomplish.

I once heard a person with 20 years in both NA and AA say that he had not been able to even say the word “God” for the first few years of his recovery. His alienation and experience with Church and God were such that he did not want to address or approach the issue. He related that through the spiritual avenues of his 12-Step programs he eventually, although slowly, overcame this attitude. He came to realize that seeking a new relationship with God and re-establishing himself with a Church community could be a valuable adjunct to his life in recovery.

Consideration Seven: In addiction as in life, there are few, as the Christian tradition describes, “Damascus Road” experiences. More often, recovery and return to the spiritual and religious life are more equated with the Christian Gospel story of the “Emmaus Road” experience described in the Gospel of Luke, verses 24:13-32. In this story, rather than the dramatic conversion experience of Paul on the Damascus Road, the two travelers on the road to Emmaus were ministered to by a risen Jesus in a step-by-step, mile-by-mile, day at a time kind of pace. It was not until the end of the day that they realized that through the presence of the stranger that joined them on the road, God had been with them every step of the way. They came to realize that God had been part of their journey all along. As he walked with them and slowly opened the scriptures to them and finally revealed his presence, they realized that this heart warming, mind opening, life changing experience was due to their encounter with the God who was revealed in a way that they could understand. Put In 12-Step language, this encounter revealed “God as they could understand God.”

The lesson is: God is with us and at work all the time even if we don’t realize it. A great 12-Step slogan is “Let Go and Let God.” Trust God’s timetable for spiritual and religious awakening. It will always be better than ours.

Consideration Eight: Understand the importance of educating and informing your congregation about alcoholism, addiction and recovery. Consider offering sermons and prayers that deal with these issues. You will find that although most of your congregation is relatively uninformed, a large percentage of them have and /or are being affected either directly or indirectly by alcoholism and substance abuse or misuse.

I once heard Father George Clements of the One Church-One Addict program tell the story of a parishioner who asked him to offer a prayer for someone in her family who had a drug problem. Father Clements related that he agreed and during his early mass that Sunday brought the issue to the congregation. He began by noting the request for prayer and added that he wanted to expand it to include all those who either had drug or alcohol problems or were being affected by someone with drug or alcohol problems. He asked for all of those present who were in such a situation to stand. When almost the entire congregation of over 500 stood, he relates that he thought, and almost said out loud, “Damned!” He was taken aback and was totally unaware of the prevalence of the issue within his flock. Take this as a lesson and be aware that alcoholism, addiction and recovery exist in every congregation. None are immune and the shear numbers of people that have been affected by the disease are sometimes shocking.

Congregational responses to these issues run the gamut from no response, to as one writer put it, “AA in the basement,” to full blown Recovery Ministries. Help your congregation find their level of involvement and strive to develop a “recovery friendly” atmosphere that welcomes and supports individuals and families affected by alcoholism and addiction. Your congregation will look to you to set the tone for this effort.

Consideration Nine: Recognize that this is a family issue, a “family disease. Alcoholism and addiction take a tremendous toll on everyone involved. The spouse and all the children need attention and referral. As Stephen Apthorp relates in his classic book Alcoholism and Substance Abuse: A Handbook for Clergy and Congregations, “Recognize that the members of the dependent’s family need treatment as much as the dependent person.” As Dr. Apthorp also relates, “Seldom, if ever, will the cry for help be: “My husband (or wife) is drinking too much and the whole family is sick. Will you help us?” Again, know your role and set your boundaries. You cannot become the agent of one person or another. The entire family is caught up in the disease process. They will need to be part of the recovery process as well.

Consideration Ten: Lastly, be aware of the message of hope. As Jeff Blodgett, Coordinator of The Alliance Project (a resource center for Recovery Advocacy nationwide), has been quoted, “People in recovery are all around us-they are our neighbors, teachers, clergy, co-workers and family members.” He goes on to say, “Recovery has changed the lives of millions of Americans dramatically for the better. Recovery happens. It is real. Families who experience recovery are the living proof.” The best message is a “message of hope.” There are literally millions of American families in recovery and living a positive recovery lifestyle. They are in your community and in your congregation. Find these people and learn their stories of hope. Spread this message as often and in as many ways as you can.