Excerpted from the A.A. Pamphlet:

Members of the Clergy ask about Alcoholics Anonymous

Why Would the Clergy be Concerned With A.A.?

Members of the clergy often are the first persons whom sick alcoholics approach for help and under-standing-and frequently the first to whom they candidly acknowledge their illness. In fact, many alcoholics look to the clergy for spiritual guidance both before and after joining A.A Some alcoholics do not wish to stop drinking, or else think they can "do it alone." In such instances, spiritual advisers might inform the alcoholics that help is available whenever they become willing to receive it.

How Can the Clergy and A.A. Cooperate Effectively?

For members of the clergy who counsel alcoholics , it can be helpful to know an active A.A. member in the community. Once contacted, the A.A. will take special interest in the newcomer, providing he or she wants help; take them to a meeting; and share the experience of their own recovery in A.A. There are several things that members of the clergy can do to familiarize themselves with the A.A. program:

1. Attend some open A.A. meetings.

2. Become acquainted with A.A. literature- such as the books Alcoholics Anonymous, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, and A.A. Comes of Age; the booklets Living Sober and Came to Believe; and some of the pamphlets listed on the inside back cover .

3. Recognize the spiritual (though nondenominational) aspects of the A.A. program.

4. Call upon A.A. for help when the situation warrants it.

5. Open their doors to A.A. meetings.

Where Are A.A. Meetings Held?

A.A. groups rent meeting space in churches, temples, other houses of worship, and community centers. Although many A.A. meetings are held in facilities owned and operated by religious organizations, no affiliation or alliance with specific religious doctrines or movements is implied. Rather, this circumstance owes largely to the open-hearted acceptance of A.A. by the clergy of various faiths. Since A.A.'s earliest days, they have provided groups with meeting space at a reasonable rent.

Are the Clergy Welcome at A.A. Meetings?

Members of the clergy are most welcome to attend A.A. open "speaker" or discussion meetings, and public meetings. For information on where and when such meetings are held, call the A.A. Intergroup, or central office, in your area, or contact the General Service Office of A.A.

Why is Anonymity Important?

In stressing the equality of all A.A. members-and unity is the common bond of their recovery from alcoholism-anonymity serves as the spiritual foundation of the Fellowship. At the personal level, anonymity provides protection for all members from identification as alcoholics outside A.A. meeting rooms, a safeguard often of special importance to newcomers. However, in their personal relationships with non alcoholics-and those they think might have a problem with alcohol-A.A.s may feel free to say they are recovering alcoholics. Here, openness may help to carry the A.A. message.

At the level of press, radio, TV and films, anonymity stresses the equality in the Fellowship of all members. It does this by putting the "reminder" brake on those who might otherwise exploit their A.A. affiliation to achieve recognition, power or personal gain. In the words of Tradition Twelve, "Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities."

Is Religious Belief Part of the A.A. Program?

A.A. does not inquire into alcoholics' religious beliefs-or lack of them-when they turn to the Fellowship for help. However, the A.A. program of recovery is based on certain spiritual values. Individual members are free to interpret these values as they think best, or not to think about them at all. Most members, before turning to A.A. , had already admitted that they could not handle their drinking-alcohol had taken control of their lives. A.A. experience suggests that to get sober and stay sober, alcoholics need to accept and depend upon a spiritual entity, or force, that they perceive as greater than themselves. Some choose the A.A. group as their "Higher Power"; some look to God-as they understand Him; and others rely upon entirely different concepts. Numerous alcoholics, when they first turn to A.A. , have definite reservations about accepting any concept of a Power greater than themselves. Experience shows that, if they maintain an open mind on the subject and keep coming to A.A. meetings, they will in time find an answer to this distinctly personal dilemma.

What Can Members of the Clergy Tell Alcoholics About A.A.?

Members of the clergy who have worked closely with A.A. emphasize the following points in counseling alcoholics:

1. Explain that A.A. can help only if they have a desire to stop drinking.

2. Urge alcoholics to keep an open mind if the A.A. program initially does not seem to make sense. Suggest that their first impressions will likely change if they keep going to meetings.

3. Stress that A.A. has a single purpose: to help alcoholics achieve sobriety.

4. Remind the alcoholic that A.A. membership embraces a cross-section of society. Newcomers meet members from all walks of life. No matter how different their backgrounds, all share a kinship in recovery from alcoholism through A.A.'s program of recovery.

5. Assure alcoholics that their personal anonymity will be respected.

6. Explain that, according to the best medical evidence, alcoholism is a progressive illness that can be arrested {though never "cured") only when the alcoholic stops drinking. In A.A., alcoholics will find thousands of men and women who, through their shared experience in recovery, can help them make the transition to a sober, fulfilling life.

Do any of the Clergy Belong to A.A.?

Yes. Alcoholism knows no boundaries. A number of alcoholic members of the clergy, representing various faiths, have achieved sobriety in the Fellowship.