Introductory Foundations for Christian Recovery

 

By Dick B. and Ken B.

© 2010 Anonymous. All rights reserved

 

Introduction and “Script”

(With Pictures in Brackets)

 

Introduction by Dick B.

 

In the early years following the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous in mid-June of 1935, A.A.'s pioneers got their basic ideas from their effort in, and study of, the Bible.

 

Beginning in the summer of 1935, A.A.'s cofounders, William G. Wilson (“Bill W.”) and Robert H. Smith, M.D. (“Dr. Bob”), began to develop the simple, seven-point, original Akron A.A. “Christian fellowship” program. A program which soon-to-be A.A. Trustee Frank Amos—acting as an agent of John D. Rockefeller, Jr.—investigated and documented in February 1938. This was the original A.A. program—with its strong Christian orientation—for which early A.A. claimed a 75% success rate among “seemingly-hopeless,” “medically-incurable,” “last-gasp-case,” “real” alcoholics who thoroughly followed the program.

 

Many of the practices associated with that highly-successful, early program seem very likely to have come from A.A. cofounder Dr. Bob's active involvement with the Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor as a youngster in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. And, in those early years of the Akron “Christian fellowship” program--before the Big Book was later published in April 1939—there were no Steps, no Traditions, no Big Books, no “drunkalogs,” and no meetings (at least not meetings of the kinds one sees today).

 

Bill W. later began to write up the program for the forthcoming book, Alcoholics Anonymous (the “Big Book”), starting about March 1938. However, Bill codified a program in the Big Book that was considerably different from the highly-successful Akron program documented by Frank Amos. The program Bill presented in the Big Book derived mainly from the life-changing program of the Oxford Group as its principal American leader, Rev. Samuel M. Shoemaker, Jr., Rector of Calvary Episcopal Church in New York, had taught it to Bill. And yet, even this program too—particularly as reflected in the earliest drafts of the chapters of the Big Book—was biblically based.

 

Then a New York University lecturer did the final editing of the book manuscript. In so doing, this editor cut its size by at least one-third (perhaps even by half—from 800 pages to 400 pages). Moreover, Bill Pittman of the Hazelden/Pittman Archives told me that the transcribing secretary Ruth Hock had told him much of the material editor Tom Uzzell had cut from the Big Book manuscript was Christian and biblical in nature.

 

At any rate, Bill’s first draft of two chapters tells us how Bill originally viewed, and then changed his view of, his proposed program. Bill originally wrote the Big Book's first two chapters for inclusion with a Works Publishing Company “stock prospectus.” The first chapter was titled, “There Is a Solution.” The second chapter was titled, “Bill's Story.” But the order of the chapters was reversed by the time the Big Book was published. The change was made with “Bill's Story” being placed first—as it is in the Fourth Edition today. In other words, “the solution” was given second place.

 

To give just one example of the earlier, biblical nature of the Big Book, here is a paragraph from the “There Is a Solution” chapter as it appeared in the “multilith edition” (also known as the “Original Manuscript”) of the Big Book as it stood in late 1938:

 

The great fact is just this, and nothing less: that we have had deep and effective spiritual experiences, which have revolutionized our whole attitude toward life, toward our fellows, and toward God's universe. The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves.

 

Consider for a moment the first verse in the Bible, Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Note that the Bible begins at the beginning. It begins with God. “In the beginning, God . . .”, it states. Bill W. had also originally started out the Big Book with God. He placed first his chapter “There Is a Solution.” And this is a chapter which features God, the Creator, as the source for the “miraculous” help needed by “seemingly-hopeless,” “medically-incurable,” “real” alcoholics.

 

Bill had it right with the original order of those first two chapters.

 

We therefore suggest to students in this “Introductory Foundations for Christian Recovery” class, that you too begin where the Bible God is first. That IS the solution.begins and where Bill W. originally began—with God, and not with a story.

 

Interestingly, here is the description of the purpose of the “personal stories” in the Big Book as given in the “There Is a Solution” chapter in the 1938 “multilith edition”—a description found today, slightly reworded, on page 29 of the Fourth Edition:

 

Each individual, in the personal stories, describes in his own language, and from his own point of view the way he found or rediscovered God.

 

God is still the priority today for those who want God’s help. So let’s keep in mind throughout this class that we are here suggesting that Christian recovery begins with God.

Script

 

“Introductory Foundations for Christian Recovery”

 

Class One:

 

The Founding, Activities, and Summary of the Original A. A. Program (Founded on June 10, 1935, in Akron, Ohio)                                                                   [Dr. Bob’s Home]

 

            Part One:

 

 How the First Three A.A. Members Got Sober and Were Cured

 

                        A.A. Number One (Bill W.)                                             [Bill W.]

 

                        A.A. Number Two (Dr. Bob)                                            [Dr. Bob]

 

                        A.A. Number Three (Bill D. of Akron)                              [Bill D.]

 

         

          Part Two:

 

          The 14 Practices the Early Akron AAs Used to Achieve Astonishing Successes                                                                                                     

                                                                                                                                     [Ken reads]

           

 

Part Three:

 

The Actual, Seven-Point, Original Akron A.A. “Christian Fellowship” Program Summarized by A.A. Trustee-to-be Frank Amos for Rockefeller

                                                                                               

                                                                                        [Ken reads DR. BOB]

 

Class Two:

 

Christian Organizations and People That Shaped the Recovery Ideas of the Original A.A. Program Before A.A. Began

 

Part One:

 

Seven Pre-A.A. Organizations and People That Fed to Alcoholics Anonymous

the Necessity for Salvation and the Word of God

 

                        Evangelists and Revivalists

 

                        The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA)

 

                        Gospel Rescue Missions

 

                        The Salvation Army

 

                        The Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor

 

                        The Oxford Group (“A First Century Christian Fellowship”)            [Frank Buchman]

                                                                                                                                    [OG & AA]

                        The Rev. Dr. Samuel M. Shoemaker, Jr.                                             

                                                                                                                                    [New Light]

Part Two:

 

The Extensive Bible and Christian Training Received by A.A. Number One

(Bill W.) as a Youngster in East Dorset and Manchester, Vermont                                                                                                               [Wilson House]

                                                                                                  [Griffith House]

                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                          [Burr & Burton]

                                                                                                                          [Conversion Bill]

  [Castle in Pasture]

            Part Three:

 

Dr. Bob’s Excellent Training in the Bible as a Youngster in St. Johnsbury,         Vermont, and the Town’s Christian Impact upon His Family and Him                                                                                                                     [Dr. Bob of AA]

                                                                                                                        [Great Awakening]

                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                        [YMCA Bldg.]

                                                                                                                                         

Class Three:

 

The Manner in Which the Alcoholics Anonymous Society Came about, Beginning about 1931

 

            Part One:

 

The Relevant Events in the Life of Bill W., Including His Early Friendship    with Ebby Thacher at Burr and Burton Academy during Bill’s High School         Days in Vermont                                                                                                                                                                                                         [Conversion]

                                                                                                   [First 40]

                                                                                                                            [Silkworth]

                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                            [Calvary Ch]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                            [Wm James]

                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                           

 

            Part Two:

 

The Relevant Events in the Life of Dr. Bob S., Beginning with the

          Early 1930’s in Akron, Ohio                                                      [Akron Gen]

                                                                                                                                        [1933 Events]

                                                                                                                                        [Dr. Bob & Lib]

                                                                                                                                        [Henrietta S.]

                                                                                                             [Started Right T]

                                                                                                                                        [Mayflower Hotl]

 

            Part Three:

 

The Meeting of Bill W. and Dr. Bob, Arranged at the Home of

          Henrietta Seiberling—a Meeting Lasting Six Hours                  [Gate Lodge]

 

Class Four:

 

The A.A. Program Changes between 1935 and 1940

 

            Part One:

 

The Akron Program Successes between June 1935 and November

          1937

                  

The Original Akron A.A. “Christian Fellowship” Program               [Akron Hosp]

                                                                                                                                        [Clarence & God]

                                                                                                                                        [Cofounders]

                                                                                                                                        [Anne Smith]

                                                                                                                                        [Good Morn]

                                                                                                                                        [Early AA Bks]

                                                                                                                                        [Good Book]

                                                                                                                                        [James Club]

                                                                                                                                        [Golden Text]

                                                                                                                                        [Early AAs Curd]

                                                                                                                                        [Dr. Bob Memo]

 

                        The Proposal by Bill for a Book That Would Enable the Program’s Dissemination

 

            Part Two:

 

The Change of Course Bill Began to Take                                 [Turning Pt]

                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                                        [Stock Cert]

                                                                                                                                        [Hank Outline]

                       

Bill Began to Characterize the Program in Terms of Six Word-of-Mouth Ideas

 

            The Commercialization of the Program by Bill and His Business Partner, Hank P.

 

            Part Three:

 

Work Began on Big Book Contents in the Spring of 1938 and

          Continued Until April of 1939 When the First Edition Was Published. Instead

of merely reporting on the Akron program of 1939, Bill drew on multiple

sources for his Big Book content.

 

            Part Four:

 

          Battles over Big Book Content and Language. Other arguments were raised by a few who reviewed manuscript copies.

                                                                                                                                    [Original Steps]

                                                                                                          [AA Comes of Age]

                                                                                                                                    [“Holy Grail”]

 

            Part Five:

 

The Closing Phases of the Altered Akron Program

                                                                                                                                    [Real 12 Step]

                                                                                                                                    [Believe nothing]

                                                                                                                                    [First Edition]

                       

An answer today for Christians and those who want God’s help the Christian way

 

Page 29 of the Fourth Edition—how they established their relationship with God

           

The Bible—the essential parts---James, Jesus’ Sermon, 1 Corinthians 13

 

            The Frank Amos Report—the Seven-point Original Program

 

                                    Twelve Steps—“There is One with all Power. That One is God.”

                                   

Big Book, page 60: “abc’s”: “God could and would if He were sought”