ADDICTED SPIRITUAL LEADERS NEED HEALING, SUPPORT AND FORGIVENESS

When confronted with a chemically dependent spiritual leader, the
congregation is often caught between the images of sin and disease. We say
that alcoholism is a disease, but then we behave as if it were a moral
failure, with shame, silence and secrecy. If the pastor, priest, rabbi or
lay leader had cancer or heart disease, the congregation would be public
with support and prayers. But if the spiritual leader has a drinking or
drug use problem, we often are quiet.

Some religious traditions forbid or discourage alcohol use, and most forbid
the use of illegal drugs. Spiritual leaders are expected to set good
examples in most areas, including morality and chemical health. This can
lead to pressure to hide areas of wrongdoing or failure to meet norms about
alcohol use.

The belief that spiritual leaders are above alcoholism and drug addiction
often leads congregations to unwittingly opt for health care plans that
provide minimal coverage for chemical dependency. Many plans cover only
outpatient care. It is quite difficult to break the addiction and start
recovery while serving as a congregational leader. Addiction is a
life-threatening disease; it can be treated best by allowing people time to
begin the healing process.

Chemically dependent spiritual leaders need to recover from addiction. They
also need to be forgiven for the specific things they have done wrong
during the course of their addiction. The Twelve Step programs of
Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous provide a mechanism for moving
from shame to guilt, from guilt to responsibility, and from responsibility
to forgiveness.

Guilt, Not Shame

In recovery, people admit their powerlessness over their addictions and
their unmanageable lives. This is often a shameful time, as the shame of
what they have done and the shame of what they have become floods over
them. Shame isn't a good place to stay. Guilt is better. Guilt means "I
made a mistake." Shame means "I am a mistake."

Next, recovering people make a searching moral inventory of themselves and
admit to God, themselves and another person the exact nature of their
wrongs. This identifies what their guilt is.

Recovering people take responsibility for their lives by becoming ready to
have God remove their character defects and shortcomings. Then they make a
list of the people they have harmed and make amends to them, unless those
amends would make things worse. In making amends, they are bringing
restoration and justice into their lives, and freedom results.

At this point the congregation needs to bring the gift of forgiveness. When
each person takes his or her own inventory, recognizes his or her defects,
and makes amends, the congregation needs to have a gracious response. If we
forgive too early, or in advance of change, we enable the disease to
progress. If we don't forgive at all, we may not hurt the recovering
person, but we impoverish ourselves by passing up the chance for
reconciliation.

Here's what a congregation can do to create a climate of recovery and
forgiveness:

Educate ourselves about the disease of chemical dependency so that it can
be prevented or promptly identified and treated.

Be our brothers' and sisters' keeper by gently confronting each other when
alcohol or drug abuse is in its early stages.

Intervene forcefully to move the chemically dependent person toward treatment.

Provide financial support for treatment and moral support for recovery.

Provide the time away from leadership duties for treatment and for ongoing
participation in AA or NA.

Forgive the conduct for which the recovering person has made amends.

In this, we will bear one another's burdens and become a better fellowship.

http://www.hazelden.org. -- John A. MacDougall is a doctor of ministry and
the supervisor of Spiritual Care at Hazelden, a nonprofit organization
based in Center City, Minn., that provides chemical dependency information,
education and recovery services. More information on addiction and recovery
is available through Hazelden's web site at To contact MacDougall, call
1-800-257-7800, ext. 4465.