Thursday, January 28, 2010

2010 Marks a New Year in Learning A.A. History

After twenty years of researching, writing about, and publishing facts on the origins, history, original program, and successes of the early A.A. Christian Fellowship, we are about to publish our fortieth title, the long-awaited biography of Dr. Robert Holbrook Smith (Dr. Bob), Cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous. The title will be "The Prince of All Twelfth-steppers"--a description given Bob by his cofounder Bill Wilson and published in A.A. General Service Conference-approved literature.

The nineteenth year marked the holding of a large number of conferences and meetings in San Diego, Lakeside, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Glendora, Oakland, Livermore, and other spots in California and then an entire week on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii.

Out of these was born the rapidly growing, no cost, informal gathering of Christian leaders and other Christians in the recovery arena who have shown a deep interest in the role played by God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible in the recovery movement, and the applicability of these resources today. The year also marked the completion of the Dr. Bob Core Library at Dr. Bob's family church--North Congregational Church, St. Johnsbury, Vermont, and free distribution of thousands of Dick B. books to those who want and need them for inforrmation and recovery.

This twentieth year will see a major shift in our outreach. It will include our work on the Curriculum Advisory Committee for the Association of Christian Drug and Alcohol Counselors Institute; the production of a four-part DVD series with workbook and accompanying guidebook that will that will present the details of early A.A.'s Christian roots, the changes in A.A., and the applicability of "old school" A.A. today for those who want God's help. In addition, we hope to continue receiving donations enabling the free distribution of some 15,000 of Dick B.'s titles in order to carry the message of God's role to the recover scene today. Finally, we expect to team up with a Christian treatment program that will specifically focus on teaching the recovery community and patients about the role of God in recovery if they want His assistance and will go to any length to get it.