At the beginning of this year representatives from a couple of drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs came to our City of Refuge in Baranoa, Colombia looking to recruit trained staff from our leadership pool. It seems whether we are in the United States or in Colombia or in other parts of the world the main complaint is the same, lack of skilled and trained leadership. In this kind of ministry our tendency is to see as far as our nose due to the overwhelming number of men and women addicted knocking at our door. It is a catch 22, we can't bear turning people away but at the same time we never get relief because we do not train future leaders and eventually we burned out. A long time ago a very humble man named Mickey Evans found out the hard way the high price he had to pay for loving drug addicts and alcoholics. He almost died for it, his family suffered so much and a little center he ran called Dunklin Memorial Camp almost closed down. This was when he realized that the best leaders for this kind of work were already with him going through the program. The only thing he had to do was train them to become valid ministers to help others who are coming from the same lifestyle they were delivered from.
Out of this experience the Servant Leadership Training Program began. Dunklin grew from a small struggling camp to a thriving community of about 70 men with a full staff and averaging 15 Servant leadership trainees constantly in the last 8 years . A remarkable feat in their 45 year history. Dunklin affiliates are now located in 7 states and 8 countries including Canaan in Colombia. Canaan in the last 8 years had grown from a fledgling mom and pop operation into a full blown program with 40 residents and full time staff with a Servant leadership training program. They had also trained leaders from Costa Rica, Honduras and Peru. Such growth would not have been possible without a focus on growing leadership from the very same people who came to their doors for help. With the high demand right now for drug rehabs that would help addicts and alcoholics, the need for leadership ever more increases.
There are several factors we have to consider when we are facing such an epidemic in global proportions: Addiction is not only a poor man's disease but it discriminates against no one, it attacks all races, all genders, all economic levels, all levels of education and all levels of occupation. It is not only a medical and psychological problem but in all reality a spiritual problem. There is a void in a man's heart that can only be filled by God and only Him. Therefore the root of addiction can always be traced back to the family dysfunction. Our family was designed by God to provide safety, love, healthy relationships, boundaries and leadership. Our parents are actually our first encounter with authority and their authority are suppose to help us understand the Fatherhood of God. When this model is distorted trauma happens to us so we are left to trying to survive, filling the void with vices and having a distorted view of God. Drug addiction and alcoholism is not the problem but a symptom of the bigger problem; which is the lack of God in a person's life. Another factor to consider is that people who are addicted are poly-addicted which means that any chemicals will trigger them and lead them back to their drug of preference. Drug addicts and alcoholics do not only need treatment but regeneration. There needs to be a transformation of the heart and long term belonging to a community that would help compensate for the void and give them purpose in life. This most often take a life time to help in the maturity process. The medical, psychological and spiritual model need to work together to make a person whole.
The concept of a City of Refuge is to recreate a healthy environment where family is at the center, recovery ministry is not only being imparted to those who are addicted but also to their families. But most of all these same families are given hope that they can do the same for others who are coming from where they came from in their dysfunction. Therefore the City of Refuge as a concept contains three components: 1) The Regeneration program 2) The Recovery church 3) The Training Center. The method of ministry in this work is using the same men who came through the program as models for those are just starting out. They live with their families in the City Of Refuge and their families interact with the residents on a daily basis. There is a factor most important in this, the residents are being adopted by families that understand first hand where they are coming from. But to bring such a family to this point need a lot of healing and training; however once they get on the other side these same families become missionaries with a vision and mission and nothing can stop them from giving back with compassion and commitment to those who are hurting.
In these 7 states and 8 countries this model has been setup, there is evidence that these Cities of Refuge not only helps the families affected by the illicit drug trade but also impacts the communities, governments and standard of living in their region. Wherever they are at, they are providing effectively services that national governments cannot provide because of one single factor, adoption and family style community living which only the church and Cities of Refuge can provide. During the Networking Conference in Orlando, April 24-26, the implications brought up was that faith base recovery support services are a great need that no other institutions can fulfill. Their concept in healing addicts can also be used to alleviate poverty and help develop communities. This is the very reason why there has to be an emphasis on grass roots training of former addicts and alcoholics to do the work of the ministry. As the saying goes, " give people fish and they will be hungry again but teach people how to fish and they will never go hungry."
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