HEN I REJOINED THE CHURCH after spending 20-plus years as a drug addict, the return was a rock-climbing ordeal. Leaving the comfort zone of drug use made me a fish out of water. Add to that the intense guilt and shame I felt for the depths of sin to which I'd plunged, and you can surely imagine how walking through the church doors laid me completely bare.

Now, as the founder and director of Drug Alternative Program (DAP), I hear my clients who grew up in Adventist homes express similar sentiments about going back to church. Which is why, as God's ambassadors on earth, we need to take a soul-searching look at how we treat recovering addicts.

Facing the Issue
On many occasions I've heard, "Oh no, our kids don't do drugs," when approaching Adventist schools and churches about starting support groups. Yet turning a blind eye toward drug use doesn't make it go away. And acknowledging drug use doesn't glorify it or make it attractive to do.

First John 1:8-10 says that to say we haven't sinned is to deceive ourselves. The only way God can cleanse us is if we confess. The only way an addict can recover is to say, "I am an addict, and I'm powerless to do this alone." Church members who ignore the issue enable the addiction.

Once we face the issue of drug use, we're free to help win the war against addiction. DAP uses support groups, counseling, consistent Bible study, and good old-fashioned work to help our clients break addiction. A recovering addict cannot be idle. Idleness gives the mind too much time to focus on the physical and emotional cravings for drugs.

Individual churches can offer the same tools reactively and proactively--to help recovering addicts and others who face the temptations of drug use, but haven't yielded.

Judging the Sin, Not the Person
Why is it so difficult for us to separate acts of sin from the people committing them? It's easy to recite the stories of the prodigal son, Mary the prostitute, and Simon the publican; yet it's difficult to follow Christ's example of how He loved each of them. Do we need proof that a recovering addict is worth our involvement? Or are we scared that our involvement will result in our own fall?

When I rejoined the church, one woman--out of 400 members--made me feel as though I was in the right place, as though I had made the right choice. She welcomed me back with hugs, phone calls, and invitations to Sabbath dinner. She loved me--everyone else's definition of "dirty." Did she validate the sin? Absolutely not. Did she validate the person? Absolutely.

She demonstrated what the majority church response should be. If that happens, recovering addicts won't talk themselves out of coming back.--Cliff Harris, founder and director of Drug Alternative Program

The Daughter Who Never Left Home
The other Adventists who attend my AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meetings and I exchange knowing glances. No one in our church would ever suspect that we-leaders in our local congregations-would be in need of a support group for alcoholics. Actually, AA is my real church.

I grew up in the Adventist Church; went to Adventist schools. I'm an Adventist professional and married to one. I knew the health message. It made no impact. What initially kept my drinking at bay was peer pressure-the fear of being found out, the fear of lack of acceptance. Once I went for help (after my husband and his assistant confronted me with the reality of my drinking problem), I found a little Catholic church and confessed to a priest. He was safe.

How can my church help those struggling with addiction?

First, educate the leadership. So many myths exist that need to be dispelled. Education will help dispel those myths as well as breed more acceptance of people and their problems. Pastors and elders especially need to be aware of the facts of addiction and recovery.

Second, people need to learn to maintain confidentiality. One person I know told a church member about her drinking problem, and the next week half the church knew. Recovery requires having a safe person to talk with--someone who will keep the confidence. Why is it that we as Adventists can't keep these things to ourselves? What is it that drives us to have to share the downfalls of each other the first chance we get?

After I made the choice for sobriety, I began to experience a deep intimacy with God. This daughter who had never left home can now call her heavenly Father Abba, Daddy!--Anonymous

Providing Rest
Addictions, like many social ills in society today, are not affecting only those outside the church; the problem is in the church as well. The church cannot turn a blind eye. The church has a responsibility to address this social ill.

The following are nonexhaustive suggestions of what the church can do to help:

The church needs to assist its members in understanding addiction. Many attribute addiction to drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco only, but it is much broader. To increase understanding on the subject, experts could be invited to camp meeting programs and leadership seminars. Understanding could also be developed through well-prepared thematic sermons, as well as the establishment of programs such as counseling, education, and medical advice/care. All this should be approached in a loving manner showing acceptance of the individual as a child of God.

Medical institutions of the church should initiate programs that provide information and make it available to church leaders in print form as well as through the electronic media.

Educational institutions--particularly those preparing pastors, teachers, medical workers, and leaders--should include this matter in the curriculum. Schools, colleges, and universities should have regular presentations on the subject from a Christian perspective and occasionally do screening programs. These assistance programs should cover the three major phases of prevention strategies: primary prevention, which guides those who have not yet begun using any drugs; secondary prevention, which guides those who are already experimenting; and tertiary prevention, for those who are already addicted to drugs. The approach used for each of these is different and hence the need for adequate preparations for those who are going to be doing the guidance.

The church should ensure that wholesome alternatives to those who have been glued to certain addictions are available or can be found. One of the major causes of addiction is the feeling of a vacuum. If this vacuum is not filled, the individual will either find it difficult to quit the habit or relapse back quickly after the guidance program.

The church should point to Jesus in all attempts to deal with addiction. He provides not only an alternative, but power to overcome. Problems of addiction cannot be treated merely by medical approaches. Therefore, psychiatric and psychological as well as spiritual treatments must be employed as well.

Jesus' invitation is to all who are burdened to receive rest. Addiction is a heavy burden, but Jesus is able to provide rest from it. The church is His agent in doing this.--Hudson Kibuuka, Director of Education, East-Central Africa Division

Women Are Sex Addicts Too
I am a multigenerational Seventh-day Adventist, went to academy, graduated from an Adventist college, was a student missionary, am a woman . . . and am a sex addict. (Whom do you think the guys act out with when pornography is not enough?)

I didn't know anything about addiction; only that I was in trouble, having an affair with the pastor, and going to be found out sooner or later. God worked with me to save me from myself and dropped me smack into the hands of qualified professionals who specialize in women with sexual addiction.

I am more than two years sexually sober--sobriety defined as no sex with one's self or other partners than the opposite-sex spouse.

Thank you for inviting me to help with this in my church. I know that there are many church members who want to help create a "safe" church. How can my church help?

First, let's deal with the people who are already begging for help. We could let them know about Sexaholics Anonymous for the addict and S-Anon for the spouse. I have found these programs to be safe, anonymous, spiritual, and they work.

Second, within our not-so-safe denomination we could create a Web site to which people could go, the kind that you have to choose a name and password to get on. This would allow anyone with Internet access total anonymity to share their stories with other Adventists with the same problem. The concept of addicts helping/supporting each other is tremendous.

Third, as far as changing the church goes, the reality is that only God can do that. What we can do is educate people as to the causes of all addictions and teach them about codependency. We can teach people the truth about how it happens and help them understand how addicts feel. We can also show them what their part is. There was one woman in my church who cared, but she was so busy all the time; no one ever had time, and I didn't want to be a bother. I am convinced that we Christians are way too good at not knowing how to love someone in the first place, then not see or hear their cries for help.

Finally, we should make it mandatory for pastors and teachers to learn about recovery and be encouraged to work on their own recovery. I sought help from two [pastors], but neither had any idea what to do. If we can create a safe place, then we can almost count on the addicts themselves to start programs in and out of their local churches. Then if someone blows it and gossips and is hurtful, it won't be a death knell, because the church leadership will understand recovery, accept, and forgive, and grace will prevail.

Breaking the Chains of Slavery
One of the great challenges of addiction is attempting to understand what's going on. Many a family member or close friend, deeply troubled for their loved one and frustrated by such apparently crazy behavior, asks Why?

Attempts to be helpful are often made. These may involve well-meant advice (which is ignored) or some form of disciplinary strategy (which is also ineffective because the addict denies any fault). Family members often try to outwit their loved one by hiding their drug. Parents may move to a new community or send their child to a different school. Such a geographic treatment fails because the roots of the addiction travel within the person. Many such attempts lack a sound grasp of the realities of addiction. As a result, they are seldom successful.

Can Addiction Be Understood?
Gaining awareness of the realities embedded in addiction requires commitment and patience. But with it comes greater likelihood that attempts to help will be fruitful. Below are some realities that are important to grasp.

You cannot control the addict. Efforts to control will fail until the addict has made a choice to recover from the addiction. That choice may be assisted by a planned intervention with the help of a Christian counselor or therapist.

Ceasing to enable the addict is often surprisingly effective. Behaviors such as covering for the addict, cleaning up the problems they make, attempting to control the situation, or even joining them (to "stay close") actually facilitate continuation of the addiction. Stopping these enabling behaviors pulls away the props--the resulting crisis may help the addict choose to change. Understanding the dynamics of codependency is a very useful experience.

Recovery is a process, not an event. Addiction is a chronic and degenerative problem. It is not usually "cured" by miraculous means. Recovery from addictive patterns of thinking and acting out must be worked on for the rest of the addict's life. Putting a converted addict on a pedestal of congregational attention is stressful and risky. Instead, inviting him or her to participate in a Christian self-help group facilitates the recovery process.

Switching addictions is not unusual. For instance, a person may stop drinking but substitute sexual addiction or compulsive gambling to feel better. A person may experience conversion from drugs, but substitute religious addiction to cope with their chronic pain. Unfortunately, the outcome remains similar--a downward spiral of self-destruction and damage to those around the addict.

Addicts often find it difficult to understand God. Many addicts grow up in dysfunctional families in which one or both parents are abusive, neglectful, or are themselves addicts. As a result, addicts have a hard time relating to God as a loving parent. A church environment is needed in which believers are willing to be vulnerable, acknowledging their own spiritual needs for growth, and demonstrating God's love through unconditional acceptance and compassion. Through such loving relationships, the addict may grow to accept God as a loving friend.

Recovery involves learning and working a program of spiritual growth. The Twelve Steps, developed first by Alcoholics Anonymous, is a spiritual program of recovery and change that has been adapted and applied to all forms of addictive behavior. Well-meaning believers may advocate, "pray harder," but the addict must learn what to pray for; this happens within a recovery program. Churches that establish a church-based 12-step ministry of recovery group are providing practical help within a community of faith.

Fostering Attitudes and Actions
to Combat Addiction
First, recognize that each of us is a sinner to whom God extends grace. Humility about our own sinful behaviors and shortcomings is vital. Recognizing our own need for spiritual growth discourages engaging in harsh judgments and shaming conduct.

Second, study the matter further within the congregation. The 12-step program of recovery from addiction has been named by Dale Ryan "a spiritual kindergarten." A careful study of these steps reveals a close match with biblical principles. In Steps to Christ Ellen White advocated the very same type of change. Many believers have found the use of the Twelve Steps a valuable tool for their own spiritual journeys.

Finally, undertake to establish small support groups within the congregation; this creates an environment that will synergize the recovery journey. Such churches become truly redemptive communities, "hospitals for sinners."

God calls us as His people to break the chains of slavery; and He promises success (Isa. 42:6, 7). He will walk with us and bless this journey to church awareness.

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Patricia Black Mutch is vice president for academic administration at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, and former director of the Institute for Prevention of Addictions.