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What is Alcoholics Victorious? Alcoholics Victorious is a network of Christian support groups for chemically dependent persons. We believe that alcoholism is an addiction, and that the alcoholic is an individual who cannot, as a matter of will power alone, control his or her own dependency. Some groups also sponsor meetings for the spouses and concerned friends of addicts. The central theme of Alcoholics Victorious is found in 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." Realizing that faith in Jesus Christ is the true way to peace, these Christians in recovery have banded together in a mutual effort to transfer dependence on their addictions to dependence on Christ. Their common goal is to allow Jesus to become the guiding influence in their lives, and lead them to recovery. By sharing our experience, strength, and hope, we encourage Christian growth as we slowly separate ourselves from the bitter and lonely trauma of alcoholism and its effects on the family. We are devoted to: support and education about addictive problems, reconciliation to GOD and family, and encouragement and support of one another through fellowship in recovery. We are here to grow. In AV meetings, both the Twelve Steps and the Alcoholics Victorious Creed are used. However, AV is not intended to replace Alcoholics Anonymous, Ala-non, or any other support group. Nor is it a substitute for treatment centers, rescue mission recovery programs, or professional counseling. Rather, in appreciation for the work they are doing, AV makes an effort to cooperate with these efforts whenever possible. The focus of Alcoholics Victorious is to provide a safe group environment where recovering individuals who have recognized Jesus Christ as their "Higher Power" can gather together and share their struggles and their victories. Who should attend Alcoholics Victorious meetings?Believers struggling with an addiction to alcohol/drugs who, although committed Christians, may still be suffering in silence out of fear, shame, guilt, and lack of ability to trust -- all of which are characteristic responses to this family disease. Non-Christians still addicted to alcohol/drugs who feel compelled to search out the true "higher power" Jesus Christ, attempting to identify Him, to come to know Him, and then to trust Him for healing power. Why a "Christian AA"?Those who are familiar with AA may well ask the question above. For believers in Christ, the answer is simple: we have identified Jesus as our "Higher Power" and we would welcome the opportunity to meet in His name to deal with the problems that surround addictions. The meetings allow us to speak freely of our relationship with Him, share our struggles with faith issues, and use intercessory prayer for our healing. Christians are NOT immune to addictive or compulsive disorders, and hiding our problems from our church add s to our "shame" burdens and hinders healing. Those who have not yet placed their faith in Christ have an opportunity to come to know the true "Higher Power" spoken of in AA, finding an atmosphere of accepting Christian love in which to form a personal relationship with the Lord. For those unfamiliar with the AA approach to recovery, Alcoholics Victorious provides an opportunity to learn the reality that there is a "spiritual" element in addiction that must be addressed through the true GOD. And here in a Christian environment, forgiveness and release from shame can be found so that we may approach our GOD with freedom and boldness. In Alcoholics Victorious, the 12-step approach to recovery is combined with support from God's Word, confidential sharing among group members, and loving prayers. What Alcoholics Victorious is NOT:
History of Alcoholics VictoriousAV's Beginnings
Dr. Seath appreciated the work of Alcoholics Anonymous and recognized their effective efforts to help alcoholics to gain sobriety. Yet, he still felt that coming into a living relationship with Christ would give the recovering alcoholic so much more. At first he considered calling the new group he was starting the "13th Step" but settled on the name "Alcoholics Victorious." In the years to come, AV experienced phenomenal growth, with groups being sponsored by rescue missions and churches throughout the nation. Recent History Jerry Dunn is a well-known former rescue mission director who also served as one of the past presidents of the International Union of Gospel Missions. In 1965 he wrote God is for the Alcoholic, the all-time best-selling Christian book on addiction. As a result of his recommendation of Alcoholics Victorious in the book, the AV Office received hundreds of requests for information. Many new groups were started as a result. Jerry has continued to have significant involvement with AV over the years. AV groups now meet at several rescue missions, as well as in churches, prisons, VA hospitals, and Salvation Army Adult Rehab Centers. After Dr. Seath's death, Mr. Charles Stegman maintained the AV National Office at the Christian Industrial League until 1988. The National Headquarters then moved to Portland, Oregon, under the direction of George Coleman, who had been a leader of the AV groups in the Pacific Northwest. He and his wife, Ann, maintained AV headquarters up until March 1995, when Alcoholics Victorious became an official program of the International Union of Gospel Missions, known since June, 2000 as the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions. In 2008, with a change in leadership and direction, AGRM deeded Alcoholics Victorious to Footprints, Inc. of Kansas City, Missouri.
In 2012, upon the death of the leader of Footprints, Inc. Alcoholics Victorious was deeded over to Christians in Recovery, Inc. The needs of local AV groups have been served by its staff members since then. How is Alcoholics Victorious Organized?Alcoholics Victorious is now an official program of Christians in Recovery. Founded in 1991, it is a Florida nonprofit corporation operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is governed by a Board of Directors. The following services are provided to chartered Alcoholics Victorious local groups:
How can I start a new Alcoholics Victorious group? How to Form a local Alcoholics Victorious Group If you run into any problems, please contact us for assistance. How does the Alcoholics Victorious program fit into a residential recovery program?The Alcoholics Victorious program can supplement a residential recovery program. The meetings provide people in recovery programs with a safe, non-judgmental setting where they can express struggles, thoughts, ideas, and feelings without fear of rejection. Hearing the stories of others with similar difficulties and how they overcame them, gives the struggling addict great encouragement to go on in a life of sobriety. Healthy support groups can provide a sort of "family" atmosphere that stimulates the hope for a better life for all involved. Because addiction wreaks havoc upon an individual's relationships with others, a good support group is a wonderful place for recovering addicts to begin the difficult and painful process of re-connecting with other people. Alcoholics Victorious can also serve to bridge the gap between the Church and the rescue mission. Sponsoring meetings that are open to the public can give stable recovering Christians from the community a unique opportunity to serve the Lord. They can serve as "sponsors" for mission program men and help them to find a church home and provide them with on-going support after they graduate. When an Alcoholics Victorious group will be meeting at either a rescue mission, church or other institution, it is important for the director or pastor to meet personally with those who will provide leadership for the group. It is critical that he have confidence in the maturity, sobriety, and spiritual commitment of the group's leaders. It is also important to set down guidelines for conducting the group in the mission facility well before the meetings begin. AV headquarters provides guidance and materials to assist missions and churches to establish and maintain local AV group meetings.
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Founded in 1948, Alcoholics Victorious is the true
forerunner of the Christian support group movement. It began at the Chicago Christian
Industrial League rescue mission. Dr. William Seath, AV's founder and director of the
mission was a prominent leader in the