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MISSION STATEMENT:
"To make available to AA's, NA's, and their families the methods of
recovery that were taught by the founders"
We are a group of recovered AA’s and NA’s who are committed to carrying the message we were taught by the earliest members of AA. This message was the foundation of recovery in the early days of AA in the Akron/Cleveland area and was carried faithfully by Dr. Bob and Anne Smith, Clarence and Grace Snyder and many others.
Came to Believe retreat leaders have many years of continuous sobriety... one beginning in January 1964, and most have over 15 years. The Promises have become a reality for us. The Retreats are all operated on a non-profit or break-even basis as a part of our desire to give back a portion of the blessings we have received.
Came To Believe Retreats center on the 12 Steps, just as the founders taught and followed them.
The Clarence Snyder Legacy
One A.A. archivist called him "abrasive." Other AAs called him "controversial." Still others knew he had no love for the Twelve Traditions. And, at one point in his life, he was the subject of a number of "hate mail" epithets.
And yet...
Those who know A.A. history freely concede that the principles of "sponsorship" and "rotating leadership" can be attributed to Clarence Snyder. Bill Wilson several times commented on the astonishing growth of early A.A. in Cleveland from one group to thirty groups in a year's time.
Moreover, a ninety-five percent success rate was claimed for Cleveland AAs of those days. Clarence sponsored the first woman in AA. And many Roman Catholics believe there would be no membership in A.A. today for people of their religious persuasion if Clarence had not insisted on a separate type of meeting in Cleveland "for alcoholics only." Finally, though some may dispute it, there is a good case that the name of the A.A. Fellowship "Alcoholics Anonymous" came from the first meeting under that name which Clarence held in Cleveland on May 11, 1939.
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There is more, however; and the "more" is what is little
known. Clarence passed on to his widow Grace, to his many sponsees and
grand-sponsees who are alive today, and through his retreats the
specific Bible, Oxford Group, and devotional ideas that enabled early
AAs to succeed so well. Moreover, Clarence, like Dr. Bob, felt there was
no need to stay sick. People could recover; and alcoholics who took the
Steps, trusted God, and abided by the Four Absolutes (Honesty, Purity,
Unselfishness and Love) did recover and stayed recovered. Bob took
people through the six steps in an afternoon. Clarence took thousands
through the Twelve Steps in two days. There is a lot to be learned about
Clarence Snyder and A.A. and, though it may not be readily apparent, a
good part of the information begins in Dr. Bob and the Good
Oldtimers.
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Dr. Bob Smith sponsored Clarence Snyder. Clarence met Dr. Bob in Akron City Hospital February 11, 1938, the date Clarence celebrated as his sobriety date for the next forty-six years. Clarence was among the first 40 members of AA and his story is included in the first three versions of ‘the Big Book’ as AA #11, "The Home Brewmeister." He was part of the counseling team that wrote the Big Book
We, Clarence’s sponsees, learned about "How It Works" by being taken through our steps "immediately after having our heads cleared" i.e., usually within the first one or two weeks of sobriety. We were taken through these steps in a total time period of 4 to 7 hours, not over months or years. Our 4th through 7th steps took a matter of 1 -2 hours, not weeks or months. This step process is described in several sections of Dr. Bob and the Good Old-timers.
Clarence and Annette Nelson from Tampa started the first "Came to
Believe" retreat in 1966 at a Methodist Church Camp in Brandon, Florida.
The seed for the retreat format began over 25 years before in Akron, OH,
when just the few AA members needed to find a way to attend to the large
numbers of men seeking help. He later said the retreats were designed to
give a recovering alcoholic/addict "a life-changing experience". We went
through our 12 steps at these weekend retreats and found that the words
on page 63 of our Big Book were a reality... "We were reborn."
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Clarence married Grace M. in September 1972, and the retreat team
expanded as new sponsees took the idea home with them. Dick B. wrote
about Grace and the retreats in
That Amazing Grace, the Role of Clarence and Grace S. in Alcoholics
Anonymous. 1996
During Clarence’s last days, he challenged us to "carry the message to other alcoholics" by continuing the retreats and by assisting those who wished to start retreats in new areas. Retreats now total over 12 locations in the United States and Great Britain. Each retreat is designed around the same successful format as given to us by these founders. The fruits of their wisdom and model are apparent as thousands change their lives and reclaim their joy.
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The Came To Believe retreats apply the methods and principles used
during the beginning years of Alcoholics Anonymous. In the introduction
to his book, That Amazing Grace, writes:
"...then we will get on with some history about Clarence, Grace's
recollections of him, and Clarence's accounts to her about A.A. and
spiritual matters. We will also examine their dedicated ministry
together … and how all this rich history can and does impact on others.
Will we talk about things that some AAs might not agree with? We surely
will. Clarence did just that during all of his forty-six years of
sobriety as he helped shape Alcoholics Anonymous and bring thousands of
AAs to long-term sobriety within A.A.'s own rooms.
That is history. And it has everything to do with the seventy-five
percent success rate early AAs were achieving in their formative years
in Akron and the ninety-five percent success rate they achieved during
Clarence's early work with AAs in Cleveland.
The surprise for me was that I found my much-sought-after history
being applied in Amery, Wisconsin."
When Dick discovered the Came To Believe retreats, he had already
written eight titles exploring various components of early A.A.
spiritual roots and successes.
We invite you to attend any of the retreats listed. Register by phone, or e-mail your inquiry and a flyer will be sent to you. |
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