Baptist Drug and Alcohol Rehab

Baptist Beliefs on Rehab for Alcohol and Drug Addiction

With over 400 million adherents worldwide, the Baptist tradition is one of the largest Christian denominations. In the United States, there are about 50 million Christians who identify as Baptists, and about 35% of American Evangelicals attend Baptist churches. As can happen with members of any faith, sometimes Baptists fall victim to addiction. However, there are many drug and alcohol rehabs available that provide Baptist treatments and programs.

The Baptists originated in England during the 17th century and distinguished themselves from other Christians by embracing baptism by full immersion in water and only for adult believers. Adult baptism is based on the belief that faith cannot exist prior to the age of accountability. Like their forefathers, Baptists today believe in salvation and personal renewal through faith in Jesus Christ. According to Baptist doctrine, a person can build a new life on the foundation of a relationship with God after being “born again” in the Holy Spirit.

Many Baptists practice total abstinence from alcohol and drugs and view using these substances as sinful. Consequently, addiction to them represents a moral failing. However, other Baptists believe that addiction is a disease. Although Baptists sometimes understand addiction differently, most Baptists agree that achieving freedom from substance abuse requires God’s help. In the words of Pastor John Piper, a world-famous Baptist minister, “the more we return to Him, the more we fully become whole and rational and free and joyful. But the more we return to substances, the more we become broken, irrational, enslaved, and miserable.”

Baptist Churches Take a Stand Against Addiction

In response to the opioid epidemic, a major addiction crisis, the Southern Baptist Convention declared in a resolution that “all people, including those battling addiction, are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and maintain an ongoing dignity,” and that “Christians are commanded to love their neighbors (Matthew 22:39), which includes those in our communities suffering from the harmful effects of opioid addiction.” For this reason, the Convention “encourage[s] churches to provide gospel ministry to those in their communities affected by opioid abuse.”

As a result, Baptist churches around the world host faith-based support groups for people in recovery. These support groups involve prayer, Bible study, and Christian discipleship. For example, Steve Curington founded Reformers Unanimous at his Baptist church in 1996. Steve himself had recently almost lost his life to alcoholism and cocaine addiction. Today, there are over 2,000 Reformers Unanimous chapters in Baptist churches in dozens of countries. The program also has its own residential treatment center in Rockford, Illinois.

How Faith-Based Drug Rehab Helps Baptists

The best way to surmount an addiction disorder is to receive treatment at a rehab center. In fact, people who undergo rehab are significantly more likely to achieve sobriety and stay sober long-term than people who attempt recovery without professional help. Fortunately, Baptists have many options for rehab programs that draw inspiration from Christian doctrine and practice. Throughout the United States and in other countries, many rehab centers offers Christian recovery programs. These programs involve prayer, Bible-focused relapse prevention training, church services, and fellowship with other Christians in recovery. Some rehab centers also follow Christian 12-step programs.

Faith-based rehab will involve supervised detox, inpatient and outpatient therapy, and medication. While these features of rehab are not specifically Christian, a faith-based rehab program will undertake them with a Christian approach. For Baptists in rehab, modern recovery methods with a Christ-centered philosophy can make a tremendous difference. Many Baptists who have undergone faith-based rehab say the experience reaffirmed their convictions and helped them form a stronger bond with Jesus. Rehab can be a challenging experience, but Christian rehab can help Baptists stay grounded in their faith and connected to the church as they set aside drugs and alcohol once and for all.

There are essentially no addiction disorders for which a recovery program with a Christian perspective cannot offer effective treatment. Some examples of addictions to substances and behaviors that Baptist Christians can overcome through faith-based rehab include: