‘Our
leaders are but trusted servants they do not govern.’
Tradition 2
of AA and Al-Anon. The full tradition is
‘For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority – a loving God as He
may express Himself in our group conscience.
Our leaders are but trusted servants they do not govern.’
There are
no ‘leadership’ positions in AA/Al-Anon.
There are service responsibilities necessary for the group and the wider
organisation to function and fulfil its purpose. In general each group has a secretary,
treasurer, literature person and person or persons who organise the tea and
coffee. It is considered both a
privilege and a duty to hold a service position. It is a service to the group but it is also an
opportunity for personal spiritual growth.
But the post holders have to stand down regularly, usually after a year
at most. Hanging onto office is firmly
discouraged. It is not healthy for the
individual or the group.
Everyone is
expected to take their turn to maintain the essential group services. Anyone
can volunteer for a service position. The
only requirement is evidence of some capacity to maintain the commitment and,
in the case of AA, some reasonable length of sobriety.
St Benedict
provides for the election of Abbots who then have to stand for re-election
periodically. Matters affecting the
whole community are to be discussed by the whole community. Care has to be taken that all can have their
say, especially the newest and youngest, for, Benedict says, the Lord often
speaks through these.
And just
like the Rule of St Benedict the prescription for a healthy community life in
the 12 step world is rooted and grounded in Scripture.
24 A
dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be
greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them;
and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26 But
you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the
youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater,
the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at
the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
He washes
his disciples’ feet despite Peter’s protests
14 Now that
I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one
another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done
for you.
Leadership
in the churches is usually equated with priesthood or they might be called
pastors. Many churches have moving
services at Easter where a senior clergyman/priest washes the feet of members
of the congregation – lay people. In
theory the church leadership is modelled on a servant leadership ideal. Unfortunately it so often seems that the
reality does not match the ideal or the symbolic actions.
The
Christian universe seems full of books, conferences, blogs, etc, all about how
to be an effective Church leader. All of
it seems to be premised on the assumption that the job of the leader or
leadership is to tell people what to do and how to do it. To give orders. Lip service is paid to the importance of the
faithful followers, usually laity, but the gracious words are not incarnated in
institutional structures. Sometimes it
seems that every Christian should aspire to leadership, being a follower is
very low status indeed.
AA does
things somewhat differently. This is one
of its attractions for many alcoholics who have problems with authority and
authority figures. They are natural
rebels.
There is no
special authority, power or privilege attached to an AA service
responsibility. Any that might attach
has to be given up as rapidly as it is acquired and the position devolves to
another member. Their function is to do
the groups housekeeping, ensure the practical details are taken care of. Setting up the room, putting out the
literature, buying and making the coffee.
The only authority that attaches is the group consensus that the officials
should be allowed to conduct the meeting in an orderly fashion.
People who
fill service positions are not spiritual leaders to the group. They do not have followers or disciples. Their authority is limited to the task they
perform in that meeting. They will share
their experience strength and hope in recovery with the meeting on exactly the
same terms as any other member. No-one
has to take their advice or obey their instructions (should they be so foolish
as to try to give an instruction outside the limited remit of their service
role).
They have
influence to the extent that they are deemed by others to be worthy of it.
They may
not even be the members with the longest sobriety. Newcomers are encouraged to take up service
roles as soon as possible. Service helps
recovery. Oldtimers will step in where
necessary but are usually happy to take a back seat.
It seems to
work. If it doesn’t work out, the group
will have a group conscience and resolve the matter.
Which
brings us on to the first part of the tradition:
“For our
group purpose there is but one ultimate authority – a loving God as He may
express Himself in our group conscience.”
A group
conscience meeting is a short meeting usually held immediately before or after
the real meeting. It tackles any decisions
the group have to make or issues that have to be discussed. Groups are usually pretty keen to ensure the
business is kept brief and to the point and does not interfere with the real
business of the meeting - recovery.
Whoever turns up forms the conscience for that group at that meeting.
It is
common for people who don’t wish to participate in the group conscience to
remain outside until it is over. One of
the reasons it works is that AA business is just that, AA business. AA does not involve itself in outside
issues. It keeps itself as free as
possible from matters to do with property and finance. It is rare for agendas to be prepared,
minutes to be taken at group level. If
there is a hot issue that will be discussed for which the group conscience is
called it will be stated when the group conscience is announced.
There
aren’t even any particular requirements for how often a group conscience is
called. Some groups have them every
month or quarter, some just when an issue is raised that needs some discussion.
An AA group
conscience meeting is not ‘chaired’ by an hierarchically appointed person whose
function is to steer the discussion, take the decision or manipulate the group
into a pre-determined decision. The role
of the AA/Al Anon ‘chairperson’ is simply to facilitate the orderly conduct of
the meeting. In some meetings the person
who leads the group conscience meeting is not the person who then leads the
meeting. It is more like the Quaker
business meeting method and format than a Church Council.
The twelve
traditions are the basis for the organisation and orderly conduct of the
groups, preserving the unity of the fellowships. Additionally the twelve world concepts ensure
that the management of the global and national structures maintain
responsibility to the groups they serve.
In the
“Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions”
Bill Wilson says about experienced AAers, “The elder statesman is the
one who sees the wisdom of the group’s decision, …..whose judgement fortified
by considerable experience is sound, and who is willing to sit quietly on the
sidelines patiently awaiting developments.
They become
the real and permanent leadership of AA.
Theirs is the quiet opinion, the sure knowledge and humble example that
resolve a crisis. They become the voice
of the group conscience…..They do not drive by mandate; they lead by
example. This is the experience which
has led us to the conclusion that our group conscience, well advised by its
elders, will be in the long run wiser than any single leader”
Bill Wilson
then describes a situation where he wanted to do something that he felt was a
good thing, but which the group opposed.
He obeyed the group conscience and realised that this was indeed the
better choice in the long run. The group
on that occasion had a better understanding of the AA method than he, its
founder, did.
Of course,
part of the reason it works is because of the other traditions, they fit
together like a jigsaw – but that is a subject for another post.
Note: For simplicity I have only referred to AA but
the same principles and methods apply equally to Al-Anon.
So many of
the problems of the Churches, some more others, seem rooted in a model of
leadership which is based on power, authority, prescription, layers of
hierarchy and bureaucracy. How
uninviting. We seem to have reinvented
ourselves as modern Pharisees or a remnant of the Roman Empire .
How sad.
Matthew 23: 1-12
1 Then
Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and
the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything
they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they
preach. 4They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s
shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5
“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6they
love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the
synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to
be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
8 “But you
are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all
brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father,
and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one
Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest
among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be
humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
So maybe a
Christian Community could adopt Tradition 2 just as it stands without
amendment. After all, if a load of
alcoholics can make it work, surely the Christian Church can?
