Introduction - Dunklin Memorial Church

Introduction
I.
II.
Letter from Staff of D.M.C ................................................................................ i
Bridge Builder Poem........................................................................................ vi
Chapter 1 - Historical Models ...............................................................
...............................................................1
...............................1
I.
II.
Historical Biblical Model...................................................................................1
Servant Leadership.............................................................................................2
III.
IV.
Old Covenant Governmental System.................................................................3
New Testament Model.......................................................................................4
Lost Secret of the Early Church...................................................................5
A Holy Spirit’s Ministry ......................................................................5
B. The Scriptural Place for Meeting.....................................................6
C. Members One of Another ................................................................7
D. Practical Application Today.............................................................8
E. Jesus’ Ministry Centered Around People ........................................9
F. Restoring Jesus’ Leadership to the Church....................................10
Monastic Model ...............................................................................................10
Salvation Army Model.....................................................................................11
Teen Challenge ................................................................................................12
Faith Farm Ministries.......................................................................................13
Modern Models in the DMC International Network .......................................14
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
Chapter 2 - The New Reformation................................
Reformation ......................................................
......................................................1
...................... 1 7
I.
II.
III.
The Paradox of Religion ..................................................................................18
Our Message Mandates a New Reformation ...................................................20
The Cities of Refuge ........................................................................................22
Chapter 3 - The Dunklin Model................................
Model ..........................................................
..........................................................27
.......................... 27
I.
II.
III.
Segregated Ministries vs. the Trinity Models ..................................................27
Specific Advantages of the Trinity Model.......................................................29
Dunklin Governmental System........................................................................30
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
Leadership Transition ......................................................................................31
Community ......................................................................................................33
Mission Statement............................................................................................36
The Recovery Program ....................................................................................36
Family Recovery Church .................................................................................39
Ministry Training .............................................................................................46
1. Stage II .................................................................................................48
2. Servant Leadership Training................................................................48
3. Internship Program & O.J.T. Staff Training ........................................49
4. Freedom Seminary ...............................................................................49
5. Continuing Education ..........................................................................50
6. Ministry Development .........................................................................50
7. Policy for Ordination ...........................................................................56
Chapter 4 - Dunklin Biblical Foundations & Core Values ..................59
.................. 59
I.
II.
III.
Dunklin’s Core Purpose...................................................................................59
Biblical Foundations ........................................................................................59
1. Build a Christ Centered Recovery Program.........................................59
2. Christian Community...........................................................................60
3. Biblical Governmental System ............................................................61
4. Home Grown Leadership.....................................................................61
5. Relational Therapy...............................................................................61
6. Mission Vision .....................................................................................63
7. Stewardship of Personal & Corporate Possessions..............................64
8. Morality & Corporate Ethics ...............................................................65
9. Wellness Focus ....................................................................................66
10. Restorative Relationships.....................................................................67
Core Values......................................................................................................67
1. We Will Receive Indigent Clients .......................................................67
2. We Will Work Toward Developing Compatible Industries ................68
3. We Will Practice No Indebtedness Policy ...........................................68
4. Need-Based Compensation for Staff ...................................................68
5. Staff Care .............................................................................................69
6. After-Care & Lasting Relationships ....................................................70
Chapter 5 - How to Start New Cities of Refuge ..................................
..................................73
.. 73
Birthing New Training Centers
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
XV.
XVI.
Identifying the Visionary .................................................................................73
Clarifying the Vision........................................................................................74
Write the Vision...............................................................................................77
Short-term Visits to Existing Facilities............................................................77
Long-Term Internships ....................................................................................78
Choose a Board of Advisors ............................................................................79
Start a Monthly Newsletter ..............................................................................80
Start an Overcomers or Celebrate Recovery Group ........................................81
Start-Up Trustees .............................................................................................81
Operational Boards of Trustees and Elders .....................................................81
Establish Legal Accountability ........................................................................82
Choose and Train Staff Members ....................................................................83
Build a Proposed Budget for First Year of Operation .....................................84
Choose a Place to Start ....................................................................................84
Start Small and Grow Slow..............................................................................85
Chapter 6 - Organizational Structures
Structures .................................................
.................................................87
................. 87
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Consider Traditional Forms of Government....................................................87
Eldership Team Job Description......................................................................91
Board of Trustees.............................................................................................92
Jesus the Greatest Leader.................................................................................93
Government of New Testament by Eldership..................................................97
VI.
Counterfeit Cities of Refuge ............................................................................98
Chapter 7 - Administrative Procedures .............................................
.............................................103
............. 103
I.
II.
III.
Insurance ........................................................................................................104
Purchasing......................................................................................................105
Account Receivables (Industry).....................................................................105
IV.
V.
Licenses and Permits......................................................................................106
Financial & Accounting Policies ...................................................................106
Chapter 8 - Intake,
Intake, Medical and Legal
Legal ..............................................
..............................................1
.............. 1 11
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Intake Interview .............................................................................................111
Legal Status of Men in Program ....................................................................124
Medical Treatment .........................................................................................125
Setting Up a Medical Clinic...........................................................................128
Chapter 9 - Creative Industries .........................................................
.........................................................131
......................... 131
I.
II.
To Sustain Cities of Refuge ...........................................................................131
Cottage Industries ..........................................................................................132
III.
IV.
V.
Built in Problems ...........................................................................................133
Thoughts to Consider.....................................................................................134
Creative Ideas from Other Cities of Refuge ..................................................134
C I T I E S
O F
R E F U G E
I n t r o d u c t i o n
This manual is first draft of a “model City of Refuge” that will always be a “work in progress.”
It is a short evaluation of concepts and core values that we have accumulated in our first 43 years of
history, and an overview of the foundational organizational structures and relational covenants that
have supported the ministries of Dunklin Memorial Camp.
Our purpose of writing it was two fold: First, to require our present leaders to define and
re-evaluate the concepts that we hold in common and to agree on the core values that we hold
“non-negotiable.” Second, to provide a primer textbook for the next generation of visionaries who
respond to God’s call to build new Cities of Refuge. Our prayer for them is that they can profit from
some of the things that we have learned from the painful process of trial and error and that they will
be inspired by studying our primitive model of the past to “go to the uttermost parts of the earth” to
build bigger and better Cities of Refuge and write new manuals to encourage the next generation to
go farther to extend the Kingdom of God.
Our first bridge was from addiction to recovery. Dunklin Memorial Camp
was started in 1962 when Mickey and Laura Maye Evans responded to a
vision God entrusted to them to build a small “camp” for
recovering alcoholics in a wilderness area of South
Florida. Their first men were older alcoholics who
were mostly widowed or divorced. But their
population changed and grew rapidly when the
epidemic of crack cocaine and amphetamines
invaded Florida in the mid 1970’s. The average age
dropped radically to the 20-30’s and many of the men
still had remnant relationships with their dysfunctional
families. This inspired the beginning of the “Family Recovery
Process” classes and the building of the Good Samaritan Inn and the
Emmaus Retreat Lodge to house the families that came to spend
the weekends to participate in the reconciliation programs.
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C I T I E S
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This new ministry required a second bridge to accommodate the flood tides of parents, wives and
children that came to rebuild the burned bridges of broken relationships caused by alcohol and drug
addiction.
The population explosion on weekends required additional facilities and posed a huge problem of
where we would find counselors who understood addictions and family recovery. Where, also, would
we find caring counselors that would give their whole weekends to work with these indigent families
who had no funds to pay for professional counseling? This new ministry threatened to burnout our
small staff by the additional hours required to prepare and lead the family recovery programs.
The founding of Laos (people of God) Institute in 1970 sowed the first seeds of succeeding crops
of trained laymen and laywomen who would volunteer their weekends to work in this very fruitful
field of ministry. Not surprisingly, these volunteers came from the people who had been recipients of
the family recovery programs themselves who returned to “comfort others with the comfort that they
themselves had been comforted of the Lord.” (II Corinthians 1:4) The equipping of these new
counselors required the building of the third bridge and the beginning of the Servant Leadership program.
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I n t r o d u c t i o n
Again we had to pioneer a new field in building this next bridge. Our college and seminary
training textbooks had never explored this exploding mission field. The A.A. “Big Book” was the
only available roadmap into this new adventure. The absence of Christ-centered curriculum required
us to write our own textbooks; again, learned by the painful process of trial and error.
We “milked every cow that came by” to slowly accumulate the “cream” that we preserved in our
first Regeneration, Family Recovery Process and Servant Leadership Training manuals. Many of the
concepts that we incorporated into this first manual were learned by our close relationships with the
writings and workshops of the leaders of the Lay Renewal Movement and the Charismatic Renewal.
Some of the men and women who graduated from our Servant Leadership Training courses felt
led of the Lord to remain at Dunklin to be part of our permanent staff. We built additional homes to
accommodate these new families and slowly our little recovery camp grew into a small recovery
community of families that created a new paradigm of the recovery church, “which is the Body of
Christ.” Again, we learned to live in community by the slow and painful process of trial and error.
Imperfect as we will always remain, the Lord has inspired many of our staff and students to be
“sent out” to start new Cities of Refuge. Tearfully and prayerfully we are learning to “bless out”
many of our finest staff and families who are called out to the new recovery mission fields.
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C I T I E S
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Because of our bonded relationships we continue to network and share curriculum and send
mission teams to help each other to slowly build “the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.”
Certainly we don’t understand our tiny network to be “the Kingdom of God” or even the
organizational structure for a new denomination to further splinter the Body of Christ. But we do see
a glimpse of the larger picture of God’s earthly and heavenly family.
We too, have still experienced the vision that the Apostle Paul had when he “saw in a dream, a
man from Macedonia, calling, come over and help us.” And many of our staff and ministry training
students have gone out to South and Central America, Africa, Estonia, Spain, Australia, Jamaica,
Alaska, Canada and many places in the United States.
The fourth bridge must continue into the future. As new Cities of Refuge build ministry training
programs they will produce mature leadership that can reproduce models that will fit in the language
and culture in which they are planted.
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I n t r o d u c t i o n
If they follow the biblical pattern of missions modeled by the church of Antioch in the book of
Acts of the Apostles they will pray until the Lord selects the leaders that He wants to send out to
establish new Cities of Refuge. We should not be surprised when He chooses the best teachers and
most spiritual leaders in our congregations.
Our Savior’s first message when He began His public ministry was to “proclaim the Gospel of
the Kingdom” and His last commandment was for His first disciples to “Go to Jerusalem, Judea,
Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth, to make disciples and to teach others” what He had
taught them. His promise to them and to us was that He would be with us until the “end of the age.”
With His abiding presence and provision how can we fail?
The fruit that abides from our four-decade adventure are both “temporal and eternal.” Many
“lost” prodigal sons were found, welcomed home into their Father’s house and having “graduated to
glory” they left behind their abiding testimonies as “jewels from the Devil’s junk pile.” The temporal
“fruit that abides” are the new Cities of Refuge, half-way houses, Overcomers ministries, jail and
prison ministries where our alumni students continue to give back the “comfort that they, themselves
have been comforted of the Lord.”
The cost of this manual has already been paid by the “blood and tears” of these who shared the
experience that we have recorded to give to the next generation of recovery ministries. We share
with an open hand what we have learned about building and maintaining a City of Refuge.
But we challenge you young Joshua’s and Timothy’s to write the manuals of what you learn in your
odyssey with God so that the next generation can learn from your mistakes and profit from your successes.
Lots of Love,
The Staff of D.M.C.
2005 A.D.
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C I T I E S
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R E F U G E
C I T I E S
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R E F U G E
THEN THE LORD SPOKE TO MOSES SAYING, “SPEAK TO THE SONS OF ISRAEL
AND SAY TO THEM, ‘WHEN YOU CROSS THE JORDAN INTO THE LAND OF
CANAAN, THEN YOU SHALL SELECT FOR YOURSELVES CITIES OF REFUGE
THAT THE MAN SLAYER WHO HAS KILLED ANY PERSON UNINTENTIONALLY
MAY FLEE THERE. AND THE CITIES SHALL BE TO YOU AS A REFUGE FROM
THE AVENGER THAT THE MANSLAYER MAY NOT DIE UNTIL HE STANDS
BEFORE THE CONGREGATION FOR TRIAL. AND THE CITIES WHICH YOU ARE
TO GIVE SHALL BE YOUR SIX CITIES OF REFUGE. YOU SHALL GIVE THREE
CITIES ACROSS THE JORDAN AND THREE CITIES IN THE LAND OF CANAAN,
THEY ARE TO BE CITIES OF REFUGE. THESE SIX CITIES SHALL BE FOR REFUGE
OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL, AND FOR THE ALIEN AND FOR THE SOJOURNER
AMONG THEM, THAT ANYONE WHO KILLS A PERSON UNINTENTIONALLY
MAY FLEE THERE.’” (NUMBERS 35:9-15)
I. Historical – Biblical Model
The concept of Cities of Refuge began in the heart of God when he instructed Moses to dedicate six
of the forty-eight captured cities given to the Levites where people could find fair judgment when they
were involved in the accidental death of one of their countrymen. They were also commissioned to give
hospitality to aliens and sojourners who needed food and shelter and they were God’s special provision
for the hurting and homeless people who desperately needed sustenance, shelter, and reconciliation.
Historically they were the first rescue missions and recovery centers. These six cities were
named and strategically located so that they were accessible in less than a days journey from anywhere
in the Promise Land. The Levites were charged with the responsibility to keep the roads well marked
and cleared yearly so that nothing would hinder access of those fleeing for safety and mercy.
In Deuteronomy 19:3 God commanded that the nation build highways, not just footpaths to the
Cities of Refuge. Sources outside the Bible give us more details about how important it was to
maintain these highways so that nobody was ever hindered in getting to these cities. Bridges were
built across every ravine that the highways came to, so that the person
running for refuge wouldn’t have to waste time climbing down to the
bottom and then up the other side. The highways were rebuilt every
spring after the heavy winter rains so that the roads would be smooth
and easy to run on. At every intersection there were big bold signs
pointing the way with the word Refuge in large letters.
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The gates of the Cities of Refuge were never locked because if someone arrived when the gates
were closed they could still be cut down by the Avenger of Blood. Another feature was that the city was
to be well stocked with food for any fugitive, alien or sojourner who came to stay for an extended
time. They were not only guaranteed legal protection but also provided food and places to live.
II. Servant Leadership
The tribe of Levi was selected by the Lord to be sanctified (set aside for divine use) for the
spiritual ministry to the rest of the tribes of the sons of Israel. Their only inheritances in the
Promised Land were the forty eight cities that were interspersed in the parcels given the other tribes.
They were exempt from the secular vocations and dedicated to be servant leaders to the spiritual life of
the nation. They carried the tabernacle through the forty year wilderness journey and served as
scribes to make copies of the scriptures, teachers of the Levitical laws, singers, musicians, and
judges in the civil courts of God’s government. They were “living reminders” (Exodus 19:6) that
they would bless all nations on the earth as a model of a theocratic government and monotheistic
religion. They were to teach other nations, bound by idolatry, how to worship and live by the
commandments of their Creator.
In their wilderness training program the Lord gave them the Ten Commandments to instill his
moral and spiritual laws in their hearts and He gave them exact instructions for how to build the
tabernacle where they could worship and be led by His manifested presence. The Tabernacle was
called the “tent of meeting” where people could meet with their Creator and fellowship with him in
prayer. The Shekinah Glory cloud hovered over the Tabernacle as a “cloud by day and a pillar of
fire by night,” air-conditioning the scorching desert in the daytime and warming the chilling nights
with his protective presence.
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III. Old Covenant Governmental System
The Levitical laws brought swift judgment and punishment to the guilty, but the Cities of Refuge
were God’s plan for restorative justice. They guaranteed a fair trial and superseded the law of the
Avenger that demanded retribution and revenge.
In Israelite society there was no police force to investigate crimes. It was the moral responsibility
of the family member who was closest to the victim to investigate and avenge the murder. He was
called the Avenger of Blood. But this persons own emotional sensitivity, passion, and anger at the
loss of a family member could cloud their judgment, and they might not go to the trouble to figure
out whether it was an accidental killing or in fact it was premeditated murder. They might end up
avenging the death of a relative by indiscriminately killing someone who was not guilty of a capital
crime. That’s why these Cities of Refuge were needed.
The Cities of Refuge didn’t repudiate capital punishment, rather, it was God’s way of allowing
both justice and mercy to prevail. Only the innocent were protected, not the guilty. One cannot help
but wonder how O.J. Simpson would have faired under such judicial system.
What God was doing in establishing these Cities of Refuge was setting the wheels in motion for
what would ultimately be due process of law. Our western legal system finds its roots in this kind of
Biblical teaching that declares a person innocent until proven guilty. Until everything was investigated
by the elders and justice was handed down in a full hearing before the whole community, he enjoyed
the security of presumed innocence.
The world is being bathed in blood today by avengers. Street gangs have turned ghettos into war
zones where young gang members kill other gang members in retribution. The floors of our prisons
are stained with blood by ethnic gang killings. This vicious cycle of revenge fuels the fires of “ethnic
cleansing” that terrorizes whole countries in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and South and Central
America. Like the infamous feud between the “Hatfield’s and McCoy’s,” the apartheid in South
Africa and the civil wars being fought around the world fan the flames of hatred and spark forest
fires of massacres. The law of the streets that demand retribution motivates the conflicts in Jerusalem
that threatens to bring every nation in the world into a global war.
Restorative Justice is a legal term used to define programs and people that are concerned for the
rehabilitation of the lawbreakers and restitution to victims of crimes while they are incarcerated for
their crimes. They do not try to withhold the enforcement of laws or the punishment of lawbreakers
but they offer options of recovery programs. Locking people up in a 6´ x 9´ cages animalizes far
more people than it rehabilitates. The astounding recidivism rate (70-80%) is positive proof of this.
The Reconciliation movement offers options of in-prison drug and alcohol recovery programs,
educational courses, and vocational trade schools to prepare them for life after incarceration.
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Cities of Refuge were the first therapeutic community models. Medical, psychiatric, and social
workers use the term to describe programs designed to give progressive support to people in
recovery from physical or addictive problems that require extended care. The Christian recovery
programs that offer long term residential care to the alcoholics and drug addicts are modern day
Cities of Refuge built to respond to the tremendous epidemic of substance abuse and serve as an
important paradigm of the Christian response to the addictive community.
The Leviticus priest assigned to the six Cities of Refuge, were given specific duties that were
different than the other 42 villages. They certainly would maintain the same spiritual disciplines in
their families and corporate worship as the other Leviticus communities practiced in their services
but they were admonished by the Lord to provide refuge hospitality and residential care for
accidental homicide, sojourners, and aliens. The Apostle Paul taught that the New Testament pastors
who served in the same role as Old Testament Levites were “to be given hospitality.”
But sadly, when they lost sight of the “high calling” of their vocation they became “religious officials”
more interested in being blessed than being a blessing. Jesus confronted their failure in his parable of the
Good Samaritan when told of a priest and Levite who “passed by on the other side of the wounded man in
the ditch.” By his own example he taught them how to minister to the needs of the street people. “I am the
good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.” (John 10:11 N.I.V.)
IV. New Testament Model
The early New Testament Church existed as an underground City of Refuge. Because of the
extreme persecution from the Roman government and the opposition of the Jewish leaders, the
Church in the book of Acts became a community within a city. They held secret meetings in their
homes where they: “continued steadfastly in the apostles teaching sessions and with the communion
services and prayer meetings…and all the believers met together constantly, sharing everything with
each other, selling their possessions and dividing with those in need.” (Acts 2:42-45 L.B.)
They sustained themselves with their secular vocations while they worked together to fulfill the
great commission that Jesus left them “to make disciples of all nations.” Jesus had planted His
“world-view” in their hearts; they not only built local communities, but they sent out missionaries to
help establish other Christian communities all over the world. Their concept of the Kingdom of God
was both local and global. Unlike the Jewish religion that centered on special buildings like the
temple or the synagogues, they saw themselves as the “Body of Christ” that existed in the bonded
relationships of the larger Christian community. Jews and Gentiles, slaves and soldiers were
welcomed into the fellowship that centered on the Lordship of Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:11-16)
The legalization of Christianity under Emperor Constantine and the subsequent organizational
structure of clergy and laity moved the Christian Church away from its original concepts toward
institutionalism. Later in history, denominationalism moved it even further away from its original
foundations of community and Kingdom concepts.
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THE LOST SECRET OF THE EARLY CHURCH
We are given to understand that within about thirty years after the crucifixion of
Christ, the first Christians had spread the gospel over the then-known world. After
two hundred years of the bitterest persecution, in which emperor after emperor had
attempted to blot out the name of Christ by destroying every believer, half the
members of the Roman Empire had become secret Christians! All of this was
accomplished without the aid of any of the means we have today, even without
printed Bibles.
Yet today, in spite of the assistance of
radio, television, recordings, printings,
convenient travel, modern education, and the
like, we are failing even to keep pace with the
growth of heathenism. Had the early Church
some secret which we have lost today?
A close examination of the New
Testament show us that while they preached
the same message, yet they used a
different method – a method which at first
sight seems far inferior to our own, but
which on closer examination show a
capacity for greater results.
Some will say, “Revival is the answer.” We certainly need revival, but a study of
revivals will show that though some have been as great as and possibly greater than
Pentecost, we have always failed to conserve and spread the blessing in the way that
the early Church accomplished it. Perhaps God is withholding revival ‘till we learn
and practice this secret.
A. THE HOLY SPIRIT’S MINISTRY
John’s Gospel, chapters 13 to 17, needs a very special study. Here we see the
Lord Jesus telling His disciples that in spite of all the teaching He has given them,
they still lack vital knowledge. This is to be brought to them by the new invisible
Teacher, the Holy Spirit, who is to be sent in Christ’s place. “When he is come, even
the Spirit of truth, he will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13) To show that this
does not apply to the Apostles solely but to all believers, we have only to read how
John tells us that believers have an “unction” or an “anointing” (the Holy Spirit) so
that they can be taught apart from human aid. (I John 2:20, 24, 27)
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This does not mean that divine teaching will not often reach us through human
channels. But the emphasis is on the source rather than the channel. This as we shall see
presently, is very important. The fact is that as soon as a person is truly born of God, the
divine Teacher himself comes to dwell within him.
B. THE SCRIPTURAL PLACE FOR MEETING
A study of the Acts and Epistles reveals that the only place where believers are
said to have held their regular meetings was in the home. It is true that they used the
temple in Jerusalem for public testimony, but they were “breaking bread from house
to house.” (Acts 2:46) Over twenty times we read of them carrying out their united
worship in the home of a believer. Four times “the church in the house” is specifically
mentioned. (Romans 16:5; I Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 2)
At first sight it would seem that a church meeting in this way is subject to many more
limitations than our own modern method of holding services in special public buildings
called churches or chapels. But further thought will show several distinct advantages:
(a) In a small group, which meets in the friendly associations of a home, everybody
can know each other, and relationships are more real and less formal.
(b) With such a small number, it is possible for everybody to take active part in
the meeting, and so the whole Body of Christ present can function.
(c) The big expenses involved in the building and upkeep of a large church building
are saved and can be used to help the Lord’s “poor” and also its missionary work.
(d) When the group grows too large for the house, it can divide into two homes.
These two can divide again, so that the church grows and expands rapidly over
a much larger area.
(e) Holding meetings informally in the home avoids much of the unrealityfostered by the usual putting on of special clothes to go to hear a special man
in a special place.
(f) Ministering to small groups in homes overcomes much of the temptation to
self-importance, which ruins so much of God’s work where large buildings
and a big congregation are involved.
(g) Having a special building for meetings nearly always involves the idea of a
special person as minister developing into “one-man ministry” and preventing
the full exercise of the priesthood of all believers.
(h) If the “church in the home” falls through, there is left no dead organization to
maintain as a spiritual, financial, and social liability on all connected with it.
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We are given to understand that for the first 200 years after Christ, the Church
never had special buildings of their own. When at last they did own them, the art of
exhortation degenerated into the issuing of commands.
Many groups which began in homes and have now become well-known
organizations have lost out in spiritual effectiveness since they moved into special
buildings for their gatherings. This has not happened suddenly, for a special building
is not a sin but merely a sincere effort to glorify God. But ultimately it involved more
drawbacks than advantages.
C. MEMBERS ONE OF ANOTHER
The believers in the early Church were taught to regard themselves not merely as
a collection of saved individuals but as active members of the Body of Christ. Not
only did all believers form the one body universal but each group functioned locally
as the body. In each of the three cases where these are mentioned (Romans 12;
I Corinthians 12; and Ephesians 4), there is no suggestion of one man ministering to
the whole group. Each has the responsibility to minister his gift to the rest of the local
church. Every believer is thus looked upon as a minister to the rest.
Modern research in education has shown that we learn little by merely listening.
But when we try to impart what we know to others, we really begin to master our
subject. This shows us the wisdom of God planning the Church, not as a vast
congregation of listeners, but as a small body sharing with each other what they learn
from the Holy Spirit.
The picture we have of the early Church, therefore, is something very simple but
very vital. Wherever two or three would gather together in the name of the Lord, there
they would expect to find their once crucified, now risen Lord present in the midst of
them. They would also expect the Holy Spirit to work in each of them and to share with
each other what was thus revealed. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
teaching and admonishing one another.” (Colossians 3:16) As the Holy Spirit worked
in the midst, some or all of the nine gifts of the Spirit mentioned in I Corinthians 12
would be manifested as He divided several to every man as He chose. Each would
himself be edified by his gift, and those who heard would likewise be blessed.
As each small group divided and so grew into a number of groups, they continued
in fellowship with each other. All the small gatherings in one city would form the
Church of God in Ephesus (or wherever it might be). Yet each group would have no
say in the way another was carried on. The Lord was the Head of each and worked in
each as He saw fit. But they would be free to exhort and admonish each other, though
not to command.
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It appears that in those days some houses were built with a large upper room;
possibly these belonged to the more wealthy members of the community. But the
Lord saw to it that when such a place was needed, the owner would be saved and
willing to have it used in this way. There is never any suggestion, however, of such a
room being dedicated or specially set apart. In fact, the whole emphasis of the New
Testament is that God’s temple is the individual believer, and the local group, and the
whole Church, rather than any building made by man.
D. PRACTICAL APPLICATION TODAY
What practical suggestions can come out of this study? The answer is very simple
but, we believe, would have profound and worldwide repercussions. Let believers keep
up their present connections with organized Christianity as faithfully as possible, but let
them also practice the simple procedure of the early Church. That is, whenever two meet,
let them realize that the Lord is in the midst. And as they commune together about Him,
let them expect a repetition of the walk to Emmaus, as told in Luke 24. Whenever two or
three Christians find themselves together in the home of one of them let them remember
the Lord is in the midst. Let them have a simple worship and prayer. Let them share the
meditations they have received of Christ and His ways. Let them turn to some passage of
Scripture suggested by the Spirit and trust Him to teach them from it.
Let the reader of these words see if the Lord is guiding him to arrange for a few
loving hearts to gather in the home regularly, at such a time that it would not interfere
with normal activities of their denomination. Let them trust the Lord to lead them out in
prayer, in worship, in Bible study, in waiting on God for His gifts, or in the breaking of
bread. Let God choose how the time should be spent by laying it on the hearts of one or
two, and by the rest feeling that this burden is the mind of the Spirit.
As time goes on, the Lord could guide for the invitation of others. Personal or
united witness to unbelievers would bring in more new members. The Lord would “add
to the church…such as should be saved.” The group could divide and spread as further
guidance is given. The plan would be not to seek larger buildings but more groups.
W.J. Pethybridge
Keswick Conference
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E. JESUS’ MINISTRY CENTERED AROUND PEOPLE
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring
good news to the suffering and afflicted. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted, to announce liberty to captives and to open the eyes of the blind. He has sent
me to tell those who mourn that the time of God’s favor to them has come, and the
day of his wrath to their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel he will give: beauty for
ashes; joy instead of mourning; praise instead of heaviness. For God has planted
them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory. (Isaiah 61: 1-3 L.B.)
Jesus gave insight to this form of
ministry when he confronted the Pharisees
with a parable of the Good Samaritan. A
priest and Levite were going or coming
from “church services” in the Temple in
Jerusalem. Their concept of serving God
involved preaching, singing, and religious
rituals as acts of worship. But they “passed
by on the other side” of the wounded
pilgrim who lay bleeding and half dead in the
ditch. The despised Samaritan demonstrated
true Christianity and exercised the “gift of
hospitality” by the compassion he showed
the neighbor in need that he had never met.
Ministry looks very different when you
define your core values. If you are called to
serve in the Jewish temple; ritual, homiletics,
and music appreciation are helpful studies;
but if you are called to work with wounded
souls different skills are required.
The City of Refuge was not a resort-retreat center where people came for a vacation, it was
literally a life or death refuge for the man and his family. This refuge cannot be explained by the
comfortableness of the buildings but rather by the testimonies of the people who come there for help.
The “man in the ditch” in the parable of the Good Samaritan defined “ministry” vastly different than
the Priest and Levite on their way to church “services” in the temple in Jerusalem.
The Inn, in the wilderness, where he brought the dying man to treat his wounds and to provide
extended aftercare was certainly a model of a true therapeutic community. (Hospitality - Romans
12:13, I Timothy 3:2, Titus 1:8, I Peter 4:9)
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F. RESTORING JESUS’ LEADERSHIP TO THE CHURCH
God is restoring and renovating the current administrative driven model of the church
government to rely on Divine input in leadership selection and decision making. In the new
government, ministry is no longer being conducted exclusively by pastors and assistant pastors.
Ministry is being placed in the hands of the people, with pastors, teachers, and elders being involved
primarily in the training and equipping of the people for the work of the ministry.
Church government is returning to its originally intended matrix of connected co-workers in
trusting relationships. It is moving away from its current business model of people in a hierarchy,
competing with each other for advancement.
He is the one who gave these gifts to the church; the apostles, the prophets, the
evangelist, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people
to do His work and build up the church, the Body of Christ, until we come to such
unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown
in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-12 N.L.T.)
Christ is more than one block in the foundation. He is the cement that holds the building
together. The living stones touching each other are people, relating to God and to each other in
gentle, life-giving ways according to the principles Christ taught in the Sermon on the Mount and by
the grace Christ supplies through His indwelling Spirit.
By the grace God has given me, I have laid the foundation as an expert builder, and
someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no
one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
(I Corinthians 3:10-11)
V. Monastic Model
In church history, monasteries served as Cities of Refuge for many religious orders. These
Christian communities were formed to preserve and propagate spirituality in the early Church. They
were the first seminaries for training religious workers and offered retreats and schools of prayer to
enrich the spiritual life of the Church. They also served as the first and only hospitals to minister to
the sick and wounded of the larger community.
The monasteries were self-sustaining with agriculture and industries to support not only themselves,
but it also gave a financial base for their evangelistic and missionary endeavors. Even during the
“Dark Ages,” they were spiritual lighthouses that preserved the spiritual integrity of the Church.
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…To establish Christianity where paganism once ruled, it is necessary to present not
simply a code of morals, nor the mere laws and regulations, nor even the theology of
the Church, but an actual pattern of Christian society. Such a “working model” is
found preeminently in the monastery; and so it is the monastic order which has
proved itself the apostle of the nations in Western Europe. To mention a few
instances of this – Saints Columba in Scotland, Augustine in England, Boniface in
Germany…were monks who, by the example of a Christian society, which they and
their companions displayed, led the nations among whom they lived from paganism
to Christianity and civilization. Nor did the monastic apostles stop at this point, but by
remaining as a community and training their converts in the arts of peace, they
established a society based on Gospel principles and firm with the stability of the
Christian faith, in a way that no individual missionary, even the most devoted and
saintly, has ever succeeded in doing.
G. Roger Huddleston
VI. The Salvation Army Model
In 1865, William Booth, an ordained minister with the Methodist
New Connection, along with his wife Catherine, formed an
evangelical group which preached to the unchurched people living in
appalling poverty within London’s East End. Booth’s ministry
recognized the inter-dependence of material, emotional, and spiritual
needs. In addition to preaching the Gospel, Booth became involved
in the feeding and shelter of the hungry and homeless and in alcohol
rehabilitation.
Booth’s ministry, originally known as the Christian Mission,
became the Salvation Army in 1878 when that organization evolved
on a quasi-military pattern. Booth became “the General” and officers’
ranks were given to ministers. The Salvation Army has functioned
successfully within that unusual structure for more than a century. Its outreach has been expanded to
include 103 countries, and the Gospel is preached by its officers and soldiers in 160 languages.
The basic social services developed by William Booth have remained an outward visible
expression of the Army’s strong religious principles. In addition, new programs that address
contemporary needs have been established. Among these are: disaster relief services, day care
centers, medical facilities, shelters for battered wives and children, family and career counseling,
vocational training, correctional services, and drug rehabilitation.
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VII. Teen Challenge
Teen Challenge is the oldest and largest program of its kind in
the world. It was established in 1958 by David & Don Wilkerson,
and it has grown to more than 150 centers in the United States and
250 centers around the world. Teen Challenge’s mission is to
develop recovering addicts into productive citizens who are committed to the Christian faith and its
values. They accomplish this in many ways:
•
They have year-long residential recovery programs for adults. During their one-year stay,
the residents do not work outside the center, so they can focus on their program. The
residents are challenged to embrace the Christian faith and follow strict rules and
discipline. They adhere to a daily schedule which includes chapel, Bible classes, and
work assignments on or near the grounds. While most of their centers are for adults, they
also offer residential programs for teenagers.
•
Many community services are offered, most of them for free, for example: teams of 8-10
people from one of their centers will go into schools to educate them about the dangers of
drugs, or they will open up the doors of Teen Challenge Ministries for visiting groups
like the Boy Scouts of America.
•
They have an outreach program that goes into the jails, prisons and juvenile halls to give
these men and women hope for their lives and to tell them how-to turn their lives around.
•
Many of their centers hold weekly support group meetings such as Turning Point. Turning
Point’s purpose is to assist the local church in establishing effective small groups.
•
Teen Challenge provides community based drug education, prevention, and restoration
programs on a national and international basis. This creates a framework that challenges
people to reach their full potential: spiritually, socially, educationally, and occupationally.
Teen Challenge and its founders have birthed a multitude of children that they have nurtured and
mentored to start new ministries of their own.
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XIII. Faith Farm Ministries
Garland “Pappy” Eastham, after the death of his wife, Loraine, was on his way home from the
funeral when he felt God calling him to help the destitute. He had heard of a Rescue Mission in
Chicago, Illinois, so he traveled there to visit. He dressed himself as a homeless man and walked into
the bowery where other homeless people were located; he then spent the night in the mission. During
the church service, a man, who had befriended him, leaned over and said, “You’ll get better
treatment if you go to the altar.” After his experience there, he wanted to establish a place where
men would all be treated fairly and have an opportunity to meet Christ.
He returned to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, purchased an unfinished building, and started a twentyfour hour prayer chain. The original name of the ministry was “Mission of Prayer,” and the year was 1951.
Upon completion of the building, he housed ten homeless men in the back and held church services
for them in the front. He found that many of the men were homeless because of substance abuse.
The ministry soon became the “Ft. Lauderdale Rescue Mission.” In just a short while, a farm,
located two miles from the mission, was donated to the ministry. It became a place for men to go
who wanted more than just overnight food, shelter, and Christian counseling to help get them get
back on their feet. It was a place where they could learn how to walk out their salvation. In this
setting, the ministers provided intense discipleship by giving Biblical instruction in class, as well as
walking and working along side of the men on the farm throughout the day.
In order to do this, housing was built on the property, not only for the men but also for the staff.
In addition, a building was erected for worship. This
created an immediate sense of community. While always
open to the public, the church had the men and their
families as its main
mission field. Many
families from the cities
surrounding the ministry
attended the church and,
just by being there, modeled Christianity for the men and their
families. This ministry was named Faith Farm.
Two more farms were established using the above model. One, located in Boynton Beach,
Florida, was established in 1963; the other one, established in 1984, was located in Okeechobee,
Florida. With the three works housing a combined total of four hundred men and women
residentially, they became one of the largest works in the United States.
So, out of the Mission of Prayer, was birthed what was to become known as Faith Farm
Ministries. Pappy answered the call when he was forty-eight years of age and lived to see all of Faith
Farm Ministries established. He went to be with the Lord in 1992 at the age of eighty-four. He was a
true pioneer of the Christian Recovery Movement.
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IX.
IX. Modern Models in the Dunklin International Network
•
Liberty Lodge/Central Church – Titusville, Florida
•
Open Homes Fellowship – Orlando, Florida
•
No Longer Bound – Cummings, Georgia
•
Broken Shackles – Augusta, Georgia
•
Cross Training Ministries – LaBelle, Florida
•
Eagles Nest City of Refuge – Virginia
•
Refuge Ranch – Okeechobee, Florida
•
Hebron Center/Wheeler Mission – Indianapolis, Indiana
•
Canaan-Dunklin Camp – Baranoa, Colombia
•
Christ Center Dunklin – San Jose, Costa Rica
•
New Hope Project – Sao Paulo, Brazil
•
Keswick Colony of Mercy – New Jersey
•
Village of Hope – Estonia
•
Potters Wheel – Mt. Olive, North Carolina
•
Fresh Start – Orlando, Florida
•
Helping Hands – West Palm Beach, Florida
•
Abba House – Moore Haven, Florida
•
The Love Center – Ft. Pierce, Florida
•
Lamb of God – Okeechobee, Florida
•
Matthew 25 Ministries – Okeechobee, Florida
•
New Testament Ministries – Sebring, Florida
When you see the Christian life from a Kingdom of God perspective, you see the importance of
the roles the Cities of Refuge play in the government of God. They are far more than mere detox
centers for addicts; they play an important role in Restorative Justice in our judicial system, serving
as hospitals for wounded souls and families, and seminaries for
training new workers for the “fields ready to harvest” in drug
and alcohol ministries.
Cities of Refuge are not meant to be memorials to
their founders whose ministry would die at their death
without their having raised up leaders to make the
necessary transitions. They are not vegetable gardens
that produce food for a few meals or fruit trees that bear
only in their season, but like oak trees that produce
acorns with DNA to produce useful trees for the next
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generation. They are permanent, not seasonal, and reproduce similar ministries by the people who
reach spiritual maturity under the protection of its sheltering limbs.
Each City of Refuge is unique in its culture and emphasis but all contain core values that are vital
to the City of Refuge concept. Starting a new City of Refuge differs in scope from traditional church
planting. No one would argue the importance of reproducing church models to nourish the saints and
to equip them to do the work of the ministry, but Cities of Refuge specialize in working primarily
in the recovery of alcoholism and drug addiction and are designed to meet the particular needs of
their dysfunctional families. They are not better than traditional churches, just different as apples
from oranges.
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THE BOOK OF ISAIAH, THE PROPHET, WAS HANDED TO HIM, AND HE OPENED
IT TO THE PLACE WHERE IT SAYS: “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME; HE
APPOINTED ME TO PREACH GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR; HE SENT ME TO HEAL
THE BROKENHEARTED AND TO ANNOUNCE THE CAPTIVES SHALL BE
RELEASED AND THE BLIND SHALL SEE, THAT THE DOWNTRODDEN SHALL BE
FREED FROM THEIR OPPRESSORS, AND THAT GOD IS READY TO GIVE BLESSINGS
TO ALL WHO COME TO HIM”…THEN HE ADDED “THESE SCRIPTURES CAME
TRUE TODAY!” (LUKE 4:17-21 L.B.)
In an obscure village called Nazareth, in a tiny Jewish synagogue, a 700 year old prophesy was
fulfilled in a moment of time…and a reformation began that would affect all mankind forever. As a
rock dropped into a still pond, the ripples went out in concentric waves until they had encircled the
whole world. The message preached to a tiny congregation two millenniums ago has become the
mission statement for the eternal ministry of Jesus.
The service followed the time-honored traditions in the beginning. A hometown man named
Jesus, son of Mary and Joseph the carpenter, was visiting the synagogue that he had attended most of
his thirty years of life. The elders invited him to read from the ancient scroll of the Prophet Isaiah
almost to its end, and he read a passage recorded in Chapter 61. It was a familiar passage that had
probably been memorized by most of the congregation; a messianic prophecy that spoke of the
ministry of the Messiah that the Jews prayed every day would come to lead them to deliverance from
the hated Roman Empire. Every Jew, in every synagogue and in the temple in Jerusalem, prayed for
the Messiah to come…but when Jesus read the prophecy…and simply stated, “These scriptures
came true today!”…all hell broke loose!
The congregation was stunned at first! They could not believe what they heard Jesus say. Was
this not the carpenter they had known all of his teenage and adult years? How could He make such a
statement? Their murmuring grew louder, and their anger turned to violence. Soon the congregation
that had gone to the “house of God” to worship turned into an angry mob that literally pushed Jesus
out of their sacred building and tried to cast Him over a cliff to His death.
“He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.
He came unto His own and His own received Him not.” (John 1:10-11)
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“And this is the condemnation that light has come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth evil hateth
the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” (John 3:19-20)
These are two of the saddest scriptures in the whole Bible. Creation rejected the Creator. The
Jews believed that the prophet’s words spoken in the past would manifest sometime in the future, but
their theology was irrelevant to the present. Their religious misconceptions had been challenged.
They were given a revelation that demanded a decision. Messiah had come and revealed Himself to
them, and they had to receive or reject Him. To receive Him would mean they had to acknowledge
Him in His rightful place as the promised Messiah…the fulfillment of every Old Testament
prophecy they had learned and waited on.
I. The Paradox of Religion
It could have been different that day. If they had only received the message and the messenger,
all of the precious promises of God’s blessing could have been experienced in their hearts, and the
synagogue would have become a shrine to celebrate that historical event. Nevertheless, when they
rejected the messenger, they forfeited their right to the blessing of the message. They set a precedent
that day that would follow Jesus wherever He went. The “good folks,” the Pharisees, Sadducees, and
priests (the church leaders) rejected the Savior because they had no conviction of sin. They were
righteous in their own eyes and felt no need for repentance or for a Savior. Sadly, this precedent has
stood until this very day!
But the Bible also says, “The common people heard Him gladly.” (Mark 12:37) The sinners
(unchurched street people) welcomed the Savior and received the prophesied promises. The woman
at the well in Samaria, who had had five husbands and lived most of her life in marital discord,
“heard Him gladly” (John 4:7-14) when He spoke to her about a spring of water that would be
inside her to satisfy her deepest thirst for acceptance and security. The woman caught in the act of
adultery and brought to the temple, the house of God, to be stoned to death, heard Him gladly when
He challenged the angry mob and said, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” (John 8:3-11)
His presence saved her life, and His forgiveness saved her soul. The Gaderene demoniac, who lived
naked in the tombs separated from family and friends, tormented by the demons who possessed him,
heard Him gladly the day He cast out the demons and set him free to return to his family “clothed
and in his right mind.” (Mark 5:15) Last but not least, a dying thief on a cross, who simply asked to
be remembered when Jesus came into His Kingdom, heard Him gladly when Jesus promised:
“Today you shall be with me in paradise.” Today, sinners still receive and “hear Him gladly”!
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The cross was the climax of this decisive paradox. Those same “good folks” stood below the
cross where the Savior hung, jeered, and ridiculed their very verbal rejection of Jesus. This was
happening while the thief was asking for a place in the Kingdom. From His birth to His death, Jesus
divided people into two groups not always so easily defined as “good” and “bad” but rather as
“receivers” or “rejecters” of the Savior. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: He that
believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on Him.” (John 3:36) “But as
many as received Him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on His name.” (John 1:12) Their decision divided those who were lost, walking the broad road to
destruction, from those who were saved, who followed the Savior on the narrow path that led to
eternal life. This paradox of good people lost and bad people saved has remained a mystery the
world cannot understand even to this day. The mystery that the apostle Paul wrote, “was hid in ages
past, that the gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body and partakers of his promise in
Christ by the gospel.” (Ephesians 3:5-6)
Biblical Christianity alone among all the religious and governmental philosophies in the world
has a message of good news that sinners can be saved through the sacrifice of the Savior. This
Gospel burst through the boundaries of Old Testament Judaism that put a wall around the Old
Testament covenant. The message that the early Christians carried to “Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria,
and finally to the uttermost parts of the earth” was that Jesus had fulfilled the old covenant and
sacrificed His body on the cross to create a new covenant that included not only the Jews but to
“whosoever will may come and drink of the waters of everlasting life.” They echoed the prophesy
Jesus gave in the temple when He said “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink, and out
of his innermost being shall come rivers of living water. For this spoke He of the Spirit that those
who believed upon Him would receive.” (John 7:37-39)
This message and messenger that the world system has rejected is the very foundation upon
which we stand today. We have formed a City of Refuge based on our belief in the message and our
commitment to follow the messenger. We are called and committed to a common task. We like our
Savior can say:
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“The Spirit of the Lord is upon us. He has appointed us to preach good news to the
poor, sent us to heal the brokenhearted and set captives (of alcoholism and drug
addiction) free…to give beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, praise instead
of heaviness…We shall rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing waste cities, the
desolations of many generations.”(Isaiah 61:1-4)
… and our men, from our Cities of Refuge, who were once in the captivity of chemical addiction and
blinded by “Satan, the god of this world,” but now they are redeemed and set free by the message we
believe… “shall be called the priest of the Lord and men shall call us the ministers of our God.” (Isaiah 61:6)
We are called to be a “chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people;
that should show forth the praises of Him that called us out of darkness, into His marvelous light;
who in time past, we were not a people, but are now the people of God.” (I Peter 2:9-19)
II. Our Message Mandates a New Reformation
Five religions seek to re-form and dominate the world we live in. They are:
1. Communism…the Religion of Atheism
This form of government enforces its beliefs with gun barrels and blood.
They preach freedom and equality but practice imprisonment to all who do
not accept their beliefs and death to those who defy them. This religion is
far from dead. It is alive and growing in China, the most populated
country in the world, and it will soon be resurrected again in Russia, the
most heavily armed and dangerous country in the world. This godless religion has spread
like a deadly virus, all over the world and bathed every country that embraced it in blood.
2. Islam…the Religion of Allah
This is the religion embraced by most Arabic people. It is one of the
fastest growing religions in the world today. Over 890 million people now
adhere to the Islamic religion and are willing to create human revolutions
and die in battle to achieve Allah’s blessing. Islam comes to power in cleric robes and
because of this exudes a dangerous aura of double authority, both in religion and
government. They have a world-view and mission program that includes the whole planet.
3. Secular Humanism…the Largest Religion in America
Its members explain their existence by a godless theory of evolution that denies
the existence of a divine creator. The Humanist Manifesto declares that “man
alone, is master of fate and captain of his soul.” The New Age Movement has
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developed a devious theology that tries to deify man and humanize God. It has devised an
education system from kindergarten to college that encourages students to accept a
world-view of “openness” that says everything is relative, that there are no truths and no
lies or standards of right and wrong, good or superior in either men or civilizations. A
prime example of these beliefs in action is the moral indiscretions of some of our political
leaders, and it reveals the general apathy of the American people to hold our political
leaders to any standard of morality. The scandals that made our country the laughing
stock of the world did not affect popularity ratings on the political surveys. This was a
sad commentary on the spiritual and moral health of our country. The Bible prophesied
that “in the last days men would have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof
…ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (II Timothy 3:1-7)
4. The New World Order
The political philosophy embraced by so many of our leaders…promises to create a oneworld government that will bring peace among nations and harmony between the world’s
religions. They promise peace by making war. What a paradox! The Bible prophesies that
such a government will come and that counterfeit Christian religions will propose it.
However, it clearly warns us that this is the organizational government of the anti-Christ,
not the Savior we serve. (Revelation 13:1-18)
5. Biblical Christianity
While all of these religions press toward their goals, a complacent, self-centered and
introverted institutional Christian Church slumbers and sleeps like an ostrich with its
head in the sand hiding from an approaching lion. Churches that isolate themselves
behind stained glass windows refuse to acknowledge the correlation between Biblical
prophesy and current events are “at ease in Zion” (Amos 6:1) and refuse to hear the
warning of God’s prophets, who are warning us of impending judgment from God.
The reformation needed in the next millennium will not come through political reform. It will
start, as it did in the beginning; in the hearts of the followers of Jesus who are willing to build
communities that will model the lifestyle taught by Jesus and practiced by the early Church. Their
radical love for Jesus and their passion to share the gospel with the “uttermost parts of the earth”
built the Kingdom of God in the midst of a deteriorating Roman government and a hostile Jewish
religion. The early Christians overcame the cruelest persecutions because they were convinced that
they had received the gift of eternal life. While the arenas of Rome ran red with the blood of
Christian martyrs, Christianity grew as the Roman Empire died.
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III. The Cities of Refuge
The Cities of Refuge can play a major role in this reformation by providing new wineskins to
hold the new wine of a spiritual awakening. Like Queen Esther, we have also “come into the Kingdom
for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14)
The worldwide epidemic of alcoholism and drug addiction and the economic chaos has (and will
continue to) create a demand for affordable and self-sustaining therapeutic communities. The expensive
hospital-based secular programs have already succumbed to the economic cutbacks from the insurance
industries and the limited funding of government rehab programs have left huge populations of addicts
no other alternatives except Christian communities that will accept them without funds.
In times like these, God instructed Noah to “build an ark for the saving of his house.”
(Hebrews11:7) He was given a pattern for a floating City of Refuge to not only shelter his family,
but also all the animals that God wanted to spare from the flood. He was warned of the impending
judgment in time to prepare and to warn his neighbors and call them to repentance. The Lord
provided the Passover ceremony to shelter His people from the plagues of the Egyptian judgment.
The same plagues that brought death to the disobedient brought deliverance to the obedient.
I believe that God’s purpose for Cities of Refuge is vastly more than survival strategy for the
Body of Christ; they can and will become boot camps for the conversion and training of an army of
missionaries that will be part of the spiritual awakening of the new reformation. The greatest
paradox is that the epidemic of substance abuse that brought so many into satanic captivity has also
captured many for Christ.
The church in America is in desperate need of a new model for the local church. We
currently build churches based on a model of ministry that was developed several
hundred years ago, rejecting the fact that the society for which the model was designed no
longer exists. The model has become obsolete and ineffective. There must be a search
of its roots to find its original viability.
George Barna
Our present paradigm is not reaching the “now” generation because it is flawed in its organization
with a reversal of roles and tasks. We have lost the apostolic pattern of “equipping the saints for the
work of the ministry” and have made Christianity a spectator sport led by an electronic church that
has majored on entertaining the saints instead of confronting sinners with the claims of Christ and
“making disciples” of the Saints.
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The Cities of Refuge offer a refreshing new paradigm rooted deeply in the pattern of the early
Church recorded in the book of Acts. It goes beyond Martin Luther’s reformation that corrected
some of the apostasies of the corrupt Church government of his day. He brought renewal through the
Protestant Reformation, but he did not lead the Church back to its apostolic roots, leaving the clergylaity differentiation intact. Though they preached the “Priesthood of Believers,” they failed to equip
the laymen for the “work of the ministry.” The clergy-laity caste system survived that reformation
and exists to this very day.
On the contrary, the City of Refuge concept stresses the original theological precepts that make
laymen and women the primary ministers of the New Covenant and places the apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastors, and teachers in the role that equips the saints by repairing the impaired and to
prepare them to fulfill their God ordained destiny.
For many years, the church renewal movement has bombarded the institutional church with this
proposed program, but it has been met with great resistance because it threatened the security of the
clergy and called for a reversal of the roles that their seminaries had trained them for. Ralph
Neighbor, a leader in the church renewal movement, wrote, “After twenty-five years of actively
trying to bring renewal to the institutional church, I am finally and firmly convinced that it can’t be
done.” Where Do We Go from Here? is his latest book that calls for the creation of house churches
where laymen and women are the primary care givers.
The Dunklin model of a City of Refuge has sought to incorporate the Biblical principles of the
lay renewal movement and synchronize them with a spiritual approach to the recovery movement.
The men and women now in full time ministries leading Christian therapeutic communities, aftercare and prison ministries are the “fruit that abides” of our theology.
I believe with all my heart that God is raising up Cities of Refuge all over the world to play an
important role in this great end time drama. There is a fresh wind of revival blowing that has started
unprecedented movements led by laymen, like Promise Keeper’s, Youth With a Mission and Campus
Crusade for Christ. These movements are superseding denominational barriers to bring unity and
spiritual awakening to the Body of Christ. In addition, all Heaven is breaking loose in South
America and parts of Africa. The people who have “ears to hear” are hearing the voice of God with
great clarity calling His people to spiritual renewal.
Christian history has been marked by times great spiritual movements that caused smoldering churches
to catch fire again and impact whole cities and nations. The “Great Awakening” under the leadership of
Charles Finney, the revival in England birthed through such men as John Wesley, the Welsh revival, the
Pentecostal awakening that began in the early 1900’s, and the Charismatic Renewal starting in the 1960’s
have set the historical precedent for the next, perhaps the last, great spiritual awakening. These past
movements took place in the darkest hours when human spirituality was at ebb tide just as it is now.
Renewal movements, like waves on the seashore, recede, after reaching their limit come under and provide
the impetuous for the next wave to exceed itself with the incoming tide. Tides are caused by cosmic forced
beyond mans control. Reformation is a sovereign act of God in response to an area of human need.
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Jesus told the religious leaders of His day that the new wine of His Kingdom could not be
contained in the old wineskins of their religious institutions. He also gave them a shocking new
definition of what a “minister” looks like by going to the seashores instead of the seminaries to
recruit men who would be leaders in the new movement He was starting. He was neither politically
or religiously correct in His choice of disciples, but it was later said of His ragamuffin disciples that
they “turned the world upside down.” (Acts 17:6)
I sincerely believe that our Lord is again beginning a new movement that will fulfill the promise
of Pentecost, that in the “last days He will pour out His spirit on all flesh.” (Acts 2:17) Once again,
He is shocking the religious community by calling men and women from the streets instead of the
universities to proclaim the Good News of His coming Kingdom. In the beginning and the ending of
Christian history, we are reminded by the apostle Paul that:
…not many wise men, not many mighty, not many noble are called: But God has
chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things to
confound the mighty, And the base things of the world, and things which are despised,
has God chosen, yes and things which are not to bring things which are: that no flesh
should glory in His presence. (I Corinthians 1:26-27)
I see this tremendous truth illustrated in new recovery ministries that are springing up all over the
world. The “desolate places” are being restored; old nightclubs and crack houses in the ghettos are
being transformed into missions, churches, and halfway houses by recovered addicts with God’s
vision burning in their hearts. They are turning dens of iniquity into refuges for drug addicts and
alcoholics that shine like lighthouses, and they are literally changing entire ghetto areas. I have
personally witnessed these miraculous transformations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach,
Fort Pierce, Orlando, Russia, China, Costa Rica, and Columbia. I believe that what we have seen are
only the first fruits of a mighty movement that is about to sweep over the earth.
God’s time clock is not tied to ours. The Bible reveals the Lord’s timetable and gives authoritative
definition to life’s most profound questions. (where we came from? why we are here? and where we
are going?) The blessed book is more relevant than today’s newspaper because it gives us a prophetic
forecast that describes in detail the moral, social, economic, and spiritual conditions of the final
chapters of human history and it predicts both judgment and spiritual awakening, simultaneously.
“…woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down to you, having great
wrath because he knows that he has only a short time.” (Revelation 12:12)
However, the Bible promises that we shall “overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and the
word of our testimony.” (Revelation12:11) If you will read the last chapter in the Book, you will be
reassured that when the smoke of the final battle clears…we are on the winning side! Hallelujah!
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Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair shall not go on forever….The people
who walk in darkness shall see a great light – A light that will shine on all those who
live in the land of the shadow of death… For unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is
given; and the government shall be upon His shoulders. These will be His royal titles:
Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
His ever expanding peaceful government will never end. He will rule with perfect
fairness and justice from the throne of David. He will bring true justice and peace to
all the nations of the world. This is going to happen because the Lord of Heaven’s
armies has dedicated Himself to do it. (Isaiah 1:1a-7)
Then I saw heaven opened and a white horse standing there; and the one sitting on
the horse was named “Faithful and True” — the one who justly punishes and makes
war. His eyes were like flames, and on his head were many crowns. A name was
written on his forehead, and only he knew its meaning. He was clothed with garments
dipped in blood, and his title was “The Word of God.” The armies of heaven, dressed
in finest linen, white and clean, followed him white horses. In his mouth he held a
sharp sword to strike down the nations; he ruled them with an iron grip; and he trod
the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. On his robe and thigh
was written this title: “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” (Revelation 19:11-16 L.B.)
“And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that
all nations will hear it, and then, finally, the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14 L.B.)
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The uniqueness of the Dunklin City of Refuge is in the combination of three distinct ministries
combined under one umbrella of leadership. We refer to this as the “Trinity Concept.” It differs from
traditional models because of the synergy produced by a Christian recovery program that has a
specialized church designed to meet the needs of recovering families combined with ministry
training on the same campus providing the hospital for interns to receive hands-on training under the
mentorship of older more experienced teachers in the recovery field. It encourages the recovering
addict to discover his own spiritual gifts and to learn how to exercise them in the context of the
Christian community.
Explaining the Dunklin model is comparable
to the three blind men who tried to describe an
elephant. One felt of his trunk and said, “An
elephant is like a snake, long and supple.” Another
who felt of his side said, “An elephant is like a
barn, big and sturdy.” The third man felt of his leg
and said, “An elephant is like a tree, round and
tall.” All were correct – but incomplete in their
overview, for the sum total is so much more than each
individual component. Addiction ministries have been in existence
for centuries and so have churches and Bible schools, but they are rarely combined in one
community. Unless relational bridges are built, the three ministries remain segregated in their goals
and purposes. However, when they are integrated into a single vision, they complete a cycle where
impaired people can be repaired and prepared to fulfill their God-given destiny.
I. Segregated Ministries vs. the Trinity Models
Modern Christianity has created three distinct ministries on different campuses that sometimes
have different goals that make it hard for a recovered addict to make the transition from addictions
recovery to ministry training. Segregated Ministries might include:
1. Rescue Missions…have historically cared for the homeless addicts in the chronic stages
of alcoholism and drug addiction. Combining needed physical care such as food and
shelter with a sincere presentation of the Gospel message that has been and still is the
“frontline” ministry to homeless and indigent addicts. They have modeled Christian
compassion for over a century in America and will always play an important role in the
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recovery field. But the scope of their ministries is usually limited to homeless addicts that
represent only 3-5% of the addicted community. The epidemic of substance abuse has
created a mission field much wider than the skid row missions are equipped to cover.
This does not diminish the need for rescue missions but challenges us to look at the larger
window of opportunity for addiction ministries.
2. Traditional Churches…have proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom for two
millenniums and have been the foundational structure for all ministries birthed under
their umbrella. Their primary goal is evangelism, sanctification, and discipling the saints.
Many churches have reached outside their walls to create other forms of ministries to the
unchurched population but most churches refer the people who have severe addictions to
secular medical and psychiatric treatment programs or to rescue missions. Most
communities are not deprived of traditional denominational and non-denominational
churches. In many areas they have more buildings than occupants but there are huge
areas around the world that have no residential programs available to indigent addicts and
even fewer places where their dysfunctional families can find Christian care and
participate in the recovery process with their mate or children.
3. Colleges, Seminaries and Bible Schools…have for many centuries provided training for
clergy and church-related vocations. Many of our outstanding universities such as
Harvard, Yale, and Princeton started out as Divinity Schools to train clergy. Modern
training is usually done in the academic setting of the classroom with curriculum
designed to teach theology, homiletics, and church history with specialized courses to
prepare people for pulpit ministry and leadership in their particular denominational
church structures.
TR
The uniqueness of Cities of Refuge is in the combination of three
US
RS
TE
E
D
ES
distinct ministries combined under one umbrella of leadership. We refer
EL
DMC
to this as the “Trinity Concept.” It differs from traditional models
Alcohol & Drug
because of the synergy produced by a Christian recovery program that
Recovery
has a specialized church designed to meet the needs of recovering
Family
Reconciliation
families. The ministry training on the same campus provides the
Recovery Ministry
hospital for interns to receive hands-on training under the mentorship
& Training
of older more experienced teachers in the recovery field. It encourages
the recovering addict to discover his own spiritual gifts and to learn how to exercise them in the
context of the Christian community.
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II. Specific Adva
Advantages
ntages of the Trinity Model
1. There are obvious economic savings of having all three
institutions utilize the same buildings rather than separate
campuses. All three can be correlated to flourish under the
most primitive conditions in jungles or ghettos, and the cost of
construction and maintenance of buildings is minimized.
2. The leaders of all three institutions provide an eldership that gives a much broader
umbrella of experience and resources that insures balance and security to the individual
components. “A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12) This
prevents “burn-out” by giving a larger pastoral oversight to care for the leaders.
3. The recovery church family and the advanced students provide a healthy body life
atmosphere that can absorb the sickness of new members coming into recovery because
they are the majority working with the minority. There are more well people than sick
ones in the community so “the strong bear the infirmities of the weak.” (Romans 15:1)
4. The “older brothers” set the moral
standards and the morale for the campus
rather than the sick and acting-out
newcomers. The older brothers mentor
and impart life skills to the new students.
5. The older brothers are sensitive to the
fears and special needs of new members
coming into the community. They can best “comfort others with the comfort they
themselves have been comforted of the Lord.” (II Corinthians 1:4)
6. There is an interchange of relationships on all three
levels so that “loners” can learn the skills of lasting
relationships.
7. The families of the men in recovery are exposed to
church and staff training families that give them a much
larger support base. They baby-sit with each other’s children
and enjoy social events and homecare groups together.
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8. The overall community provides a place for all spiritual gifts and talents to be cultivated
and utilized. Teachers, counselors, cooks, and carpenters are recognized for their unique
gifts and contributions to the whole community. All gifts are essential to the welfare of the
whole and are recognized and appreciated. (I Corinthians 12:1-27)
9. Special classes for both single men and married couples are taught to emphasize the
sanctity of marriage by giving a Biblical foundation of defined roles that husband and
wives play in establishing a healthy home life for their children. Classes for single men,
the family recovery process, parenting classes, and marriage enrichment all help
transform dysfunctional family lifestyles.
10. The leaders and students share a common “world-view” that embraces the “Kingdom of God
on Earth.” We are open to network with the international community and are blessed by
the constant flow of international leaders and students into the community. Also, we send
out apostolic mission teams to help “paraclete” (come along side of and reach over to
help) ministries started by students that have graduated our ministry training school and
request teams to teach or work on special projects.
III. Dunklin Governmental System
E
MA
RS
LDE
EM
NAG
ENT
T RU
ACC
STE
OUN
TA B
ES
ILI
TY
Family
Reconciliation
Alcohol
Recovery
& Drug
Ministry
Recovery
& Training
Our government grew slowly from single leadership in the beginning to a much broader base of
both leadership and accountability.
The Board of Trustees are necessarily first because they have the financial ownership of all properties
and are accountable to the government for any infringement of rules, regulations, permits and taxes.
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The trustees live in the larger community and they are prayerfully chosen for their spirituality
and expertise in legal, medical, insurance, industries, financial and other areas of interest so they are
very supportive to the vision of a City of Refuge.
The Elder Board came later as we matured we
learned the importance of team leadership. Elders live
and work in the community and they are very carefully
chosen for their spiritual maturity and leadership skills.
Their job is to manage all the affairs of the programs
including writing the budget, the curriculum and planning
the every day affairs of the whole City of Refuge.
Under these two roofs the men and women in all the recovery programs have a double covering.
“And He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelist, and some pastors of
teachers.” (Ephesians 4:11)
These five-fold ministry gifts are gifted men that are eldership material. They were chosen by a
double criterion. First, they were mature Christian men who had walked in leadership roles in the past
and secondly, they felt that the Lord had called them to take leadership responsibilities at Dunklin.
These two things are non-negotiable factors in the life of any elder, at any place but especially in a
City of Refuge. The older elders were called “ruling elders” in the Bible.
Younger elders are chosen by the older elders so that
they can mentor them by letting them sit in on the elders
meetings and learn how the older men handle problems in
the community. The elders meet twice a week to pray and
discuss the needs of the community. One of the meetings is
reserved just for prayer and journaling.
Both the Elder Board and the Board of Trustees meet
together quarterly to discuss the financial status of the
programs and to receive reports from all levels of our ministries. We enjoy a luncheon together for
fellowship and begin our meeting with prayer and communion. Once a year we go camping together
and pray about the vision for the coming year.
These two boards working separately and meeting corporately have provided a strong skeleton of
government that holds us together in fulfilling out common vision for Dunklin City of Refuge.
IV. Leadership Transition
Then Moses said unto the Lord, O Jehovah, the God of the Spirits of all mankind, before I
am taken away, please appoint a new leader for the people, a man who will lead them
into battle and care for them, so the people of the Lord will not be as sheep without a
shepherd. The Lord replied, “Go and get Joshua, son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him,
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and take him to Eleazar, the priest, and as all the people watch, charge him with the
responsibility of leading the people. Publicly give him your authority so that all the
people will obey him"…”So Moses did as God commanded, and took Joshua to Eleazar
the priest. As the people watched, Moses laid his hand upon him and dedicated him to
his responsibilities, as the Lord commanded. (Numbers 27:15-20 & 22-23)
All ministries, as we do in our own lives, remain in a constant state of growth, change or
transition. The Lord continues to move a viable ministry to new spiritual growth, which may or may
not be accompanied by fiscal or physical growth. It is critical that those in leadership continue to
seek and hear God if the ministry is to be God’s.
Most ministries are started by a visionary. Unless the visionary is wise enough and sensitive to
those the Lord sends and raises up around and under him, then the ministry will die with the visionary.
The actual passing of the “mantle” of the ministry should be accomplished before the death of or the
ageful incapacitation of the visionary. As this happens, the visionary is free to continue to function, as
God would call him instead of being chained to the need to control and direct the details of the existing
ministry. The visionary then moves to the role of “grandfather” with the ministry.
We must be careful not to allow a transition from that of ministry to secular institution. Many
good lessons may be learned from the perspective of business and world institutions (e.g. raising
leaders, delegation, efficiency, etc.) but remember there remains a fundamental all important
difference that must be maintained in order to remain a spiritual ministry. A Christ centered ministry
has, as its greatest priority the lives of those who are the object of the ministry. These lives and the
impact God has upon them are for all eternity, and as such are “gold, silver and precious stones.”
A worldly institution has as its priority and focus on itself, the institution, and normally it’s
growth in temporal forms of money, buildings, size, etc. There may be a predominant rationalizing
that the bigger the institution, the more people can be touched, but a focus has shifted and the gifts
and blessings of provision and prosperity from the Lord now become curses as the ministry loses it’s
Godly focus and begins to melt into the mire of the world systems. The “ministry” can become an
organization of functioning “wood, hay and stubble;” that it has sold its very soul and birthright.
When you get business ahead of ministry, you have no new generation coming up. If not careful,
concern for the dollar will override concern for man and ministry will change and become overextended.
It is very important that older founders, elders, and
trustees train and set in place the next generation of young
leaders while they are still functioning so that the younger
men can benefit from their experience and be mentored to
take their places. When this is not done properly it leaves a
vacuum that can sometimes loose the vision and direction
that older men have established.
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V. Community
Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but
are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s
country and you belong in God’s household with every other
Christian. What a foundation we stand upon now; the apostles
and the prophets; and the cornerstone of the building is Jesus Christ
Himself! We who believe are carefully joined together with Christ as
parts of a beautiful, constantly growing temple of God. And you also are
joined with Him and with each other by the Spirit, and are part of this
dwelling place of God. (Ephesians 2:19-22 L.B.)
We are blessed by the flow of visitors that come from many parts of the world to see the Dunklin
model of a City of Refuge. I often give guided tours through the Camp to show the farm industries
and buildings that house the community, but I am very aware that our visitors have not really seen
Dunklin until they have met the people who form the Dunklin family. I stop often as we ride through
the property to introduce our visitors to different people. I ask them to share their testimony of what
brought them to be a part of the Dunklin family because you have to understand the “parts of the
Body of Christ” to comprehend the real meaning of a City of Refuge.
Alcoholism and drug addiction destroys families by
segregating people from their most significant relationships. The
Camp provides a “foster family” where they can rebuild the
broken bridges to their own families through the application of
divine grace that erases the shame and guilt of past performances
and teaches men how to build healthy and loving relationships
both with God and other people. The detoxification of the
chemical effects of their addiction is just the first step in a new direction.
Most of our staff ministers have been through the program themselves, and they understand the
needs of the men who come to Dunklin for help from their addiction. From interview to graduation,
each person in our community makes a contribution to the bridge building process by sharing their
testimony and helping the men in the program find their place in the family. Through induction,
orientation, regeneration, inner healing, and discipleship, our teachers offer their particular “spiritual
gifts” to help wounded “loners” learn the life-skills necessary to be a healthy member of the
Christian family and to discover their own spiritual gifts.
It is easy to see the interdependence of the “parts of the Body” as an “older brother” takes a
scared young man under his wing and begins to mentor him to learn to trust and build relationships
with the Camp family and then his family of origin. Fathers, mothers, wives, and children of the men
in the program are invited to the Camp on weekends to participate in the family recovery process.
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When you sit down for a meal at the dining hall, you enjoy the
fruits of the corporate labor of the whole community. The farm
crew raises and processes most of the meat and the garden crew
furnishes the vegetables for the kitchen crew to prepare for your
meal. Another crew will wash the dishes and clean the dining
room. Every meal is a theology lesson on how the Body of
Christ functions as a family.
The administration of a City of Refuge requires numerous
different kinds of gifts to manage the affairs of a whole
community with such varied needs. Program building, staff
training, and bookkeeping each require a different team with
specific skills. They help us maintain the precarious balance
between the physical and spiritual needs of the community. They also plan the outreach ministries
into the larger community with after-care groups and prison ministry teams.
The industries that help support our ministries are vital both
to the spiritual and financial part of the community. Teaching a
recovering addict a good and proper work ethic and accountability
to the other members of his work team is a very important
component of a healthy recovery program. Each crew leader is
a pastor assigned to his area, and they help the men learn how
to practice the principles they have learned in the classroom.
Every work session begins with a prayer huddle to ask God’s blessing and presence in the work place.
When we have described the three components that make the whole, we have defined a unique
segment of society called community. It is the whole elephant that was inadequately described by
each of the three blind men. The whole is so much more than the sum of its components. It is the
living expression of Paul’s analogy of the Body of Christ.
We will lovingly follow the truth at all times – speaking truly, living truly – and so
become more and more in every way like Christ who is the head of His Body, the
Church. Under His direction the whole body is fitted together perfectly, and each part
in its own special way helps the other parts, so that the whole body is healthy and full
of love. (Ephesians 4:14-16 L.B.)
Rehab centers can be very unhealthy places to live. When you have a majority of sick,
dysfunctional people being ministered to by a minority of healthy staff members, you have an
atmosphere that tends to drain the healthy members who are constantly giving themselves to the
ministry with little opportunity to receive spiritual refreshment. In this environment, they can
eventually “burn out” and become emotionally and spiritually sicker than the people they serve. The
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Christian recovery movement is filled with tragic examples of people who suffered personal
shipwreck while ministering recovery principles to others.
Community is the health spa that keeps the staff in shape.
The laughter of little children, the campfire Gospel singings,
watching a young father teach his son how to catch a fish in
Lake Elijah, the “Happy Birthday” songs we sing in church
and in the dining hall, the reconciled families standing with a
man who is graduating the program…it is all of this and a
thousand more beautiful memories that constitutes community.
Cities of Refuge provide an alternate society in a
deteriorating world that is increasingly disturbed by ethnic
groups trying to exterminate their neighbors. We have neighborhoods where no one knows or
cares about the welfare of
their neighbors. Children raised
in dysfunctional homes pass
that legacy on to their children, and neighborhoods deteriorate into
ghettoes where streets become war zones of racial violence.
Community defies description. It is impossible to articulate the many relationships and acts of
kindness that make Christian community unique from a village or neighborhood. Community is
family – God’s family! It is a good place to live. It is a good place to die.
The advantages of having the training program
integrated into a three-fold self-sustaining community are
manifold. First, it follows
closely the Biblical pattern
of community where
leaders were raised in
context of community rather
than imported from other
cities and cultures. The recovery program becomes a
hospital where doctors and nurses are trained so that
healing takes place in an environment of Christian love and
relationships. The Body of Christ is formed by theological
concepts but also by bonded spiritual relationship. The
church operates in a seven day a week environment, not
just a causal Sunday morning meeting, and the combined
skills of the community of servants provide every skill
necessary to support the whole community.
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VI. Mission Statement
MODELING THE TRANSFORMING LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST
BY INVESTING THE TIME IT TAKES TO DEVELOP
THE CHARACTER AND SKILLS REQUIRED
TO LIVE THE VICTORIOUS LIFE
AND SHARING THE HOPE WITH OTHERS.
Dunklin Memorial Camp exists as a New Testament church with the purpose of propagating the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. We provide a community environment, Biblical instruction and work
opportunities for men trapped in the bondage of chemical addiction. They are given the chance to
become new creatures in Christ Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, and trained to apply the
Gospel to all areas of their lives. Critical components of the renewal process are for the men to learn
the importance of a strong work ethic and to begin to demonstrate Christian qualities in the family
and the workplace. It is also our purpose to train students to develop other ministries such as
Overcomers groups, Halfway Houses, and Cities of Refuge in other areas around the world and to
share our concepts and curriculum with other organizations and cultures.
VII. The Recovery Program
A Christ-centered recovery program is distinctly different from secular
medical and psychological approaches. It includes the skills learned
from the scientific community, but it centers in man’s relationship
with God and his need for reconciliation and spiritual healing. The
recovery program is not an addendum to the church program but is
the primary focus of the City of Refuge.
The decrease in short-term hospital based, insurance supported
programs have created a vacuum in a growing epidemic. The physical,
social, and spiritual devastation caused by chemical addiction has caused
a tremendous mission field that is “white unto harvest.” The Dunklin
recovery program offers long term, residential treatment to substance abuse addicts.
The ten-month program is divided into distinct levels that men are moved through in block movements:
Induction – The first phase of the program is designed to integrate the men into the program and
get their feet on the ground as they come out from under the physical and psychological effects of
chemicals. The focus is placed on their relationship with God and beginning healthy relationships
with other men in the program.
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The basics of having a responsible quiet time each morning include taking a soul searching daily
moral inventory designed to identify and correct negative attitudes. Contemplative prayer and
journaling are introduced by a personal mentor who will work with the new student until he masters
the skills of listening to God.
Orientation – This phase gives men a basic understanding of the ways that drugs and alcohol
have affected their relationships with God and their families and how it has given them a false
concept of themselves. They are taught a Biblical understanding of salvation and the principles of
reconciliation with God and how to start building bridges to restore broken relationships with the
significant people in their lives.
In order to help each student make the most of their time in the program, we have designed a
contract to spell out the various areas that need to be improved. They are identified in specifics, not
in generalities. The contract includes an in-depth look at their home of origin noting areas of
strengths and weaknesses. Secondly, they describe in detail the home life of their present home
sharing how their addiction affects other members of their family. Relationships that need restitution
and reconciliation are specifically outlined and letters are written to people to ask for forgiveness
and reconciliation.
Body Life
“You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and
enjoys it’s results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other,
treating each other with dignity and honor.”(James 3:18 the Message)
“Body Life” is simply the ministry where the members of the “Church, which is
the Body of Christ” (Ephesians 1:22-23) bless and strengthen each other. The Bible
admonishes many times to “Love…pray…encourage…admonish…reprove…correct…
one another.” Men are taught that every Christian is a minister and are shown how to
participate in the ministry of building each other up.
The Daily Moral Inventory quiet time is a structured
opportunity for men to learn to pray and hear the Holy
Spirit’s encouragement. An “older brother” mentors the
new men in the program and reads his own journal to share
his own prayer life with his “little brother.” This kind of
ministry care goes on constantly in class time, prayer
circles, work teams, and in the rooms at night where
people gather in informal prayer and sharing groups.
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The Sociogram provides another opportunity for men to “speak the truth in love”
and face to face confront each other for inappropriate behavior and affirm positive
improvement. This is done in a controlled environment facilitated by a staff member.
This process allows peers to confront peers rather than staff confronting peers. The
benefits of this “Body Life” are tremendous if the confrontation is done in a loving
atmosphere and every response of brokenness is followed by affirming prayer.
The benefits of the Sociogram are:
1. Causes a man to discipline himself to accept correction from his peers without
defending himself with an angry response.
2. Causes a man to reflect on how his past actions have affected others around him.
3. Protects from the “us and them” mentality that is a result of staff being the
only one to correct and redirect.
4. It forces men to be transparent with each other and breaks through their denial
defenses.
5. It directs men back to God for his help to overcome negative behavior.
6. It promotes accountability and responsibility at all levels of the program by
taking away “staff pleasing” and making the men take responsibility for their
working their own personal recovery program.
7. Peers are the ones who are most familiar with and have opportunity to see the
behavior of a man needing to be addressed.
Regeneration – In this level, men learn the physical and psychological effects of chemical
addiction and how to take responsibility for their own recovery. They explore the stages of growing
dependency on chemicals and what commitments are necessary on the road to recovery. It includes
scientific information on chemical dependency as well as insights into the damage done to our
thinking processes. It is important to understand how the mind has been contaminated in order to
understand the controlling effects of addiction. Each student learns to identify his “personal style” of
building up to drink or drug and he develops safeguards to keep from relapsing into his addiction.
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Inner Healing – In this phase, men learn how to handle deep emotional wounds without
medication. They learn that the key to inner healing is the application of the Gospel in their lives.
Forgiveness is essential to mental health and the cross is the focal point of all forgiveness.
Inner healing is a prayer therapy, which allows God to give us insight and healing concerning
certain problem areas of our lives that are related to past events. It does not change our history, but it
allows healing to take place in memories of childhood abuse, rejection, and fears.
Discipleship – Men are taught the difference between religious knowledge and a relationship
with the Lord. They learn that commitment means relinquishing control of their lives to God and how
to identify and develop spiritual gifts. They study the stewardship principles of the Christian life.
Discipleship lasts 10 weeks, and is the last class in the 10-month regeneration program. Here the
men are held to the highest standard. They are the leaders in the program and they are expected to
live as such. The disciples are given myriad leadership opportunities that should encourage a sense
of worth. Some of those positions assigned are as such: dorm monitors, jobsite leaders, and probably
most importantly, when a new brother comes into the program they are responsible for teaching
them how to journal and hear from the Lord.
The lessons that are taught in the classroom are meant to challenge faulty belief systems about
God and their own personal relationship with Him. At this phase, the Sociogram is brought back, but
the level of accountability is even deeper. The men also return to small groups where they help lead
and teach the younger brothers how to write and process the forgiveness letters. Again, we are
teaching important principles such as giving back and helping others. After Discipleship, the men
have completed the program and they go on to graduate.
VIII.. Family Recovery Church
VIII
A recovery church is a family of individuals at
different stages of growth and maturity
who belong to each other by a deep tie
of relatedness. Being a family implies a
sense of caring, trust and responsibility.
It does not imply the absence of conflict,
but calls for a means of dealing with differences that contribute to the healthy development
of each family member. The church is an assembly of people who
are drawn together, by the working of the Holy Spirit in their
hearts, for the purpose of worshipping and serving a living Savior.
Ralph Osbourne
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Historically, the Christian Church has been the larger part of the safety net giving aid and comfort to
the afflicted of the world. But tragically, in recent decades, the Church has abdicated this role to the
secular humanistic care-giving professionals. As a result, there are very few church-based ministries that
respond to the worldwide epidemic of substance abuse. Secular medical and psychological programs
offer expensive, short term, hospital based recovery programs that are out of reach to indigent addicts.
A new paradigm is needed, a church model uniquely designed to offer long-term treatment in
therapeutic communities. These communities help entire families rebuild the broken relationships
between God and family members caused by chemical addiction. The recovery church is certainly
not the model needed for every church, but every community needs at least one “kidney church” that
serves the whole Christian community by filtering out the poisons from the Body of Christ. They are
inconspicuous to the public, but extremely necessary to the health of the community. There are many
churches designed to edify the saints and to evangelize the sinners, but very few that are specifically
trained to minister to the special needs of the addicts in recovery programs.
We do not mean to imply that family recovery does not take place in the institutional churches.
Certainly it does, but the church that best serves the recovery program must have counselors
especially trained to understand and relate to the wounded parents, spouses, and children of addicts.
The recovery church centers around the spiritual needs of the men in the program and their
families, but it certainly does not exclude healthy Christian families. They are welcomed as part of
the Body of Christ. They help create a balance, because they possess the life skills that are
desperately needed for families in recovery, and they can serve as role models in the community.
Special curriculum is developed and classes designed to speak to such issues as forgiveness, codependency, sexual problems, finances, and parenting skills. The process helps couples to break the reactions of
blaming each other for their dysfunctional lifestyles and to learn to accept responsibility for their own actions.
But the recovery church is not just treatment oriented. It is concerned with spiritual healing and
health, not just the study of the disease of addiction. The whole community celebrates every step in
the family recovery process.
Sunday Celebration Service
The church that meets at Dunklin gathers at the Tabernacle
on Sunday to celebrate what God has been doing throughout the
week. It is a place where those who are wearied by the week’s labor
can come and be refreshed. The celebration service includes praise
and worship, corporate and individual prayer, testimonies, the
preaching of God’s Word, exhortations, program graduations, and,
of course, our famous love (hug) offering time.
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During the celebration service, the men in the recovery
program and their families, along with alumni families as
well as families from the surrounding communities who
feel God has planted them here, blend together to form this
very unique cross-cultural, multiracial expression of the
Body of Christ. As members of this Body come together,
each contributing their part, serving as God’s hands, mouth,
ears, heart, etc., something powerful happens corporately that cannot be duplicated or experienced
during one’s own personal and private time of worship.
The family recovery church differs in many ways from the
traditional service practiced in most denominational churches
where the emphasis is on the preacher’s sermon and the choir’s
musical rendition. These are certainly inspirational to most
congregations but they play a secondary role to the celebration of
healing that takes place in the many interactions in the family
recovery program.
The “church” takes place around a barbeque grill
where a father cooks a meal for his family, a larger
“church” takes place when two families share a picnic
table under the gazebo and hold hands while a father
thanks God for his reunited family and blesses his
parents who have come to visit him. Worship services
become spontaneous expressions of praise when someone
starts strumming a guitar around a campfire or a singing
group comes to bless the Camp with their songs of praise. Long lasting friendships are made at the
playground as lonely children from dysfunctional families learn to play together.
The Nursery
The goal of the nursery is to promote a healthy, peaceful experience
physically, emotionally, and most important, spiritually. We want our children
to have a fun, yet safe place to stay while their parents have an opportunity to
grow and worship. We try to remember we are changing lives not just diapers.
The nursery opens around 9:15 a.m. and is available until the end of the
worship service, welcoming all children between the ages of 4 weeks to 4 years
and is also available for afternoon Family Classes.
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Dunklin’s Extreme Youth
Dunklin’s Extreme Youth group meets every Sunday
morning to grow together, support
one another, build lasting friendships,
and allow Jesus to carry out His purpose in their
lives. They also have mid-week Bible studies to help fire their passion
and intense desire to know Him. As they reach out to other fellow
students, attend youth camp, and participate in Christian based social
events, they not only reach new spiritual heights themselves, but they
find purpose and meaning for their lives. They are then able to have an
impact on other young people by introducing them to the Lord.
Women’s Bible Class
Sunday mornings have become a special time for the women of the
church to gather for Bible study and prayer. The two-fold purpose of the
class is to be in the Word and before the throne of God. Through this,
the Lord ministers over and over again as the women share the privilege
of entering into the unity that has been birthed in Him.
Children’s Church
At Dunklin, we have a church custom tailored to meet the
demands of ministering to young children today – Kid’s
Church! We have prayer, praise & worship, games, object
lessons, and life application – just like “big” church, but with a
younger congregation! Children ages 4-12 meet in the Good
Samaritan building during the regular church time. We use a
curriculum from “Charisma Life” developed for ministry to large groups of kids, specifically
designed to be fast moving and entertaining while teaching at the same time. In a day when children
have video games, movies, TV, game-boys, etc., captivating and holding a young person’s attention
is really a challenge. In our fast paced society, we need to
give kids what they are used to – fast paced, high energy
and fun Biblical lessons they can use as they venture out
into their often-difficult world. Kid’s Church strives to
give them a strong and sound understanding of how Jesus
can make their life the best it can be – for a lifetime!
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Children’s Sunday School
The goal of the Children’s Sunday School Program at
Dunklin is to ignite a passion for Jesus in our children.
Rather than just giving them head knowledge about Jesus,
our goal is to actually bring them to His feet. Our class
curriculum is designed to help convey a clear picture of
who Jesus is and of who they, as individuals, are in
Christ. Our ultimate end is to instill a hunger for God in
our children, teach them to seek His face, follow in His footsteps, and thus develop a personal
relationship with Him at an early age. There are Sunday School classes for children ages 4-5, 6-8,
and 9-11. At age 6, we divide the Sunday School classes by gender.
Adult Class
One of the primary areas of a church is the training
of its members. Jesus’ great commission was to go and
teach. The twelve apostles spent their time in the study
of the Bible and prayer so they could “feed the flock”
and feast on God’s Word. The adult class is dedicated
to the study of great Bible themes and exposition of the
Word of God. Men in the program and adult members
from the community are those in attendance.
Family Recovery
The family recovery process is a ten to thirteen week class set up for
the men in the program and their wives. It is designed to help couples
detach from attacking each other and hear from the Lord on an individual
basis about areas of their lives that need healing. As they grow into a
relationship with the Lord, they are then able to grow in a relationship with
each other, learning to communicate and work out their problems. We also
have a separate Family Recovery Class for members of the surrounding
communities that meets on Sunday morning.
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Advanced Marriage Enrichment
Building loving, intimate, God-anchored marriages is the
goal of the Advanced Marriage Class. That intimacy has three
primary facets: emotional intimacy, spiritual intimacy, and
physical intimacy. In the class, each of these is explored in depth
from God’s perspective. Following brief teaching segments,
couples engage in one-on-one practical application of what has
been taught. Old negative patterns of relating are torn down and
new positive interaction is begun as husbands and wives work through their “stuff” together. The
class is small by design so there can be open sharing within the group. Confidentiality is key. The
length of the class varies from seven to twelve weeks and completion of the Family Recovery Class
is a prerequisite.
Overcomers & Home Groups
Home groups affiliated with Dunklin Memorial
Church are widely dispersed and multi-flavored. Their
format consists of reading scripture together, interspersed
with discussion, and ending around intercessory prayer.
“House churches” are cell groups specially designed
to give additional pastoral ministry to the congregation of
the recovery church. They provide opportunities for
spiritual growth through the “Body-Life” of small group sharing. Recovering families are
encouraged to attend house churches when they finish the Overcomers after-care group.
Emmaus Retreat Center
“Then Jesus suggested, ‘Let’s get away from the crowds for a while and rest.’ For so many people
were coming and going that they scarcely had time to eat.” (Mark 6:31 L.B.)
Building retreat centers in our recovery
camp has been a vital part of our overall
ministry by providing motel-type accommodations for families to spend weekends with
their husbands or sons, so they can have quality
time together in family recreation and for the
reconciliation classes on Sunday. This was our
primary reason for building both retreat centers.
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In one building, we have an extra kitchen and
dining hall. In the other, we have a large open room.
These extra rooms serve a multitude of other purposes to
our training school, church and the larger network of
recovery programs and churches. The buildings are in
constant use by providing extra space for:
•
Classrooms and auditoriums.
•
Children’s Church.
•
Leadership Training & Seminary Classes.
•
Video Studio.
•
Church Elder Retreats for local churches.
•
Library.
•
Offices for staff to do personal counseling & mentoring.
•
Hosting:
- Prison ministries during Prison Invasions to local prisons.
- Delegations that come from US & overseas to study the DMC model.
- Emmaus Walk Retreats for staff team & candidates.
- Networking meetings for training & fellowship with other ministries.
- Alumni Reunions & Homecoming.
- Private rest & spiritual refreshment for weary pastors
and missionaries.
“Come to Me and I will give you rest – all of you who work so
hard beneath a heavy yoke.” (Matthew 11:28 L.B.)
The Potter’s House
The church also works at the Potter’s House
in Indiantown. This is a special place set aside
for men who have graduated from the program
and are working at Dunklin to help establish
them back into the mainstream of society. Here
they learn how to handle finances, be more
responsible in their area of work as well as
learning to live together in a loving and
supportive way off camp. They learn to give
back to others through facilitating an Overcomers group and supporting local churches and
community needs.
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IX. Ministry Training
O Timothy, my son, be strong
with the strength Christ Jesus
gives you. For you must
teach others those things
you and many others
have heard me speak
about. Teach these great
truths to trustworthy men who
will, in turn, pass them onto others. (II Timothy 2:1-2 L.B.)
But you know what I teach, Timothy, and how I live, and what
my purpose in life is. You know my faith and how long I have suffered. You
know my love and my patient endurance…But you must remain faithful to the
things you have been taught. (II Timothy 3:10,14 N.L.T.)
In most recovery ministries today there are three constant needs that are faced daily. They are
money to run the ministry, property and buildings to facilitate the needs of the people God sends,
and the staff to make it work. Out of these three the most important is the latter. It has been said that
a ministry can only grow as much as its staff grows. Too many times ministries receive the property,
buildings, and money to maintain them and grow, but they lack the ministers to manage them. Many,
having the burden of the call and the constant pressure of the needs of individuals surrounding them,
go ahead and develop their program without the staff to run it. The results, of course, are disastrous.
Working with addicts requires special skills not usually addressed in most colleges and
seminaries. Untrained workers unfamiliar with the special needs and idiosyncrasies of addicts soon
burn out from codependency or become too harsh in coping with the manipulative games that
addicts play. To place untrained staff in positions of responsibility is like asking “Pink Lady
Volunteers” to run the Hospital Emergency Room. It is disastrous both to the staff and to the people
in the recovery program.
The demand for well trained and well equipped men and women to minister in recovery
programs is at an all time high. Drug addiction and alcoholism, despite ever increasing awareness of
the problem is still on the rise. Many recovery programs throughout the world complain about the
lack of trained staff members and many have overworked staff members who are confessing their
lack of experience and asking for training. “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few!”
(Matthew 9:37)
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It is this very need that Dunklin faced in years past as we pursued the call and vision of God for
the Recovery Program. All we knew was that God wanted a safe place for addicts to come and be
restored to Jesus. However, it wasn’t long before we realized that if anything happened to the
founder the ministry would die from lack of leadership. Through the help of a near-death accident,
Mickey was prompted to address this issue of raising up the next generation of leadership by starting
the Servant Leadership Training classes.
At that time, not many people felt the call to minister in recovery programs. In years past, the
seminaries trained men and women to minister in traditional churches, but their students were illequipped to minister to street people and the addicted. However, one thing we learned was that the
drug addicts and alcoholics actually residing in the program were the very ones called to the
ministry. These men, when snatched from their addiction, have a burning desire to comfort men and
their families who had been affected by addiction, but there was no place to train these men to
minister. Most of them lacked the financial resources or academic background to go into a seminary,
and those who were able were trained to go back into the traditional church and preach. Few were
making it back to the Recovery Program as leaders.
Just as the needs of the Recovery Program birthed the Recovery Church to minister to men and
their families, so the need for a Training Center was born out of the need to equip men called into
recovery ministry. The evolution of these three components: The Recovery Program, the Recovery
Church, and the Training Center became what we know today as a City of Refuge. In this City of
Refuge, the Training Center, which is the third component of the Trinity Concept, becomes the place
to raise the leadership for the Recovery Program and the Recovery Church.
The training within the Dunklin Community is conducted at all levels and is designed to meet the
various needs and to utilize the gifts of the staff and the men in the program. This training includes:
•
Training in the field of regeneration for the men in the program.
•
Training for staff in the overall philosophy and ministry of Dunklin.
•
Specific training for staff specialties. (e.g. church leadership)
•
Training for future leaders and elders.
•
Training for specialized teaching.
•
Training for trustees.
• Training for the community life of a recovery church.
The unique training at the Dunklin Community is designed to model the transforming life of
Christ, applying the scriptures to a man’s life and developing the skills and character to reproduce
other Godly lives. The training is done in an affirming community, committed to modeling the
Christian life. We believe that training is an ongoing process of enabling one to function effectively
as part of a team effort for the good of the community.
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Our D.M.C. Model Offers Training on Several Levels:
1. Stage II
In this portion of the program, men receive an in depth look at the phases of the Christian life
and the proper use of the power of our identity in Christ. They study the disciplines of contemplative
prayer and identify God’s specific call to vocation and family. This is a ten-week class immediately
following completion of the ten-month recovery program. During this time, he is observed by the
elders of Dunklin for leadership qualities and how he handles responsibility. They move from the
Camp to the Potter’s House in Indiantown to allow them freedom to attend local churches and house
groups as well as to host an Overcomers group themselves. They study Purpose Driven Life,
Masculine Journey, and Victory Over Darkness textbooks.
2. Servant Leadership Training
This class is for graduates of the regeneration program who desire further training in the field of
recovery ministries. To be accepted into the SLT program, the graduate must have a clear call by
God and the maturity to take on leadership responsibilities.
To be considered for the SLT Program, a candidate must first have completed the Stage II
Program. If accepted into the SLT Program, he begins a journey that will equip him to be a minister
in a City of Refuge.
It is a hands-on training program which takes approximately ten months to complete. The trainee
is assigned a work site to assist a staff member in supervising a crew. There he learns how to run a
crew, minister to men while on the job, and exemplify work ethics to younger men in the program.
He is expected to deal with his own issues, react appropriately, and, at the same time, minister to the
needs of the men in the program. He also has an opportunity to intern in different classes of the
recovery program. He is assigned a staff teacher who mentors him in teaching the curriculum while
simultaneously ministering to the men in a classroom atmosphere. He, along with the staff teacher,
also follows up with the men in their dorms, sharing and praying with them. Also during this time,
he is given the opportunity to observe the intake interviews, learning the skill of determining
whether or not a man being interviewed is ready to enter the program. On Saturday, each SLT man
takes turns working the desk in the front office, interning with the staff member in charge. On
Sunday, he is assigned one of the ministries in the Worship Center. During the second half of his
training, the SLT man “shadows” the Camp Director, Program Director, or one of the pastors. This is
done so a man gets a feel for the day-to-day operations of the Camp in all areas. A man who has
completed SLT will have training in every component of the City of Refuge.
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3. Internship Program & O.J.T. Staff Training
Because of the great need for training, many leaders throughout the world are calling Dunklin
asking for help. Some leaders have caught the vision of the City of Refuge and desire to build a
model in their communities. It has been amazing how different countries have ended up in the
swamps of Okeechobee observing the Dunklin program, lifestyle, and community. Leaders from
China, Russia, South Africa, Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Jamaica, England, Alaska, Peru,
Australia, and Estonia have asked for training. This is how Dunklin International Training Center
(D.I.T.C.) was born.
This training is offered to the top leadership of foreign countries and the United States. The
training can be from two weeks to one year, depending on the situation of the trainee. During this
time the trainee observes classes, Servant Leadership Training, the Sociogram, the interviewing
process, and the administration. They are also given a mentor and an interpreter, if necessary, to help
process what they are learning. During this time, they will also accompany older staff members in
their teaching and counseling duties to receive from these seasoned men the experience they have
acquired over the past forty years.
The Internship Program will also train a team as a whole to work together in a City of Refuge.
They will learn how a recovery pastor, a Director of Programs, and the Director of Training operate
individually and how they relate to each other. This is a key point in this training. If these men grasp
the relationship aspect of the leadership of the City of Refuge, they can understand how a City of
Refuge works.
4. Freedom Seminary
Dr. George Overby founded Freedom Seminary in 1973. He earned his Ph.D.
from the University of Florida. He felt education had to go beyond the walls of a
structured classroom and thus external-teaching programs were started and
opened the door for external degree programs. It was his vision to help the local
pastor and lay person to receive an affordable Biblical education without leaving
the setting of the local church.
Dr. Bob Roach is the present President of the Seminary. He is both teacher and administrator. He
has started the process of accreditation with The Association of Biblical Higher Education (ABHE)
In an agreement with Freedom Seminary, Dunklin became a satellite campus with Dr. Bob
Crowe as an Adjunct Professor of Freedom and Dean of the Dunklin Campus. Men who are in
Servant Leadership Training, who desire to be involved in ministering to the addicted, can acquire
some of the semester hours required by Freedom Seminary to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical
Studies. Some requirements can be met as “Life Experience Credits” which they have acquired
during their training at Dunklin. The intensity of the training at Dunklin enables the required hours
to be met in compressed time.
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Presently, classes are being taught on Thursday evenings over a six-week period to many who
are not living at Dunklin, as well as residents living here. A month-long block of classes are being taught
in the mornings to those enrolled in the Servant Leadership Training phase of ministry training.
As this training program evolves, Dunklin with Freedom Seminary will set up overseas
campuses that will allow our Cities of Refuge in other countries to train and equip dedicated
ministers with the equivalent of seminary training. People who desire to establish Cities of Refuge
find that not only must they be trained in rehabilitation skills but are able ministers of the Gospel
trained to lead the recovery churches which are a vital part of the City of Refuge concept.
5. Continuing Education
We must be careful to continue training our permanent staff workers or each generation will
have a tendency to be less than the founders. When a carpenter cuts a pattern for framing a house, he
never uses the board he just cut to mark the next board. If he did, each board would become shorter
by one saw-cut, and he would soon be in trouble trying to make them fit. Even leaders who are
competent tend to plateau. Their strength is their weakness. They can continue to minister at a level
without there being a reality or Spirit-empowered renewing effect. Recognition of “plateau-ing” is a
difficult thing. Even if one recognizes such a thing, there is a built-in tendency to ignore it and to
feel powerless to do anything about it. Usually outside help and mentoring is needed.
Continuing education is required of doctors and school teachers and is a practice of every successful
industry to keep their leadership on the “growing end” of their profession. It is even more important that
we who are called into the recovery ministry to work with the victims and families of the worst disease
on earth should remain in a constant learning mode. There are whole libraries of new books written by
Christian authors who are skilled in the different aspects of the recovery ministry. Workshops and
seminars are available to working staff members who desire to continue their education.
6. Ministry Development
Gethsemane Ranch
Jesse and Karen Jones have long been a part of Dunklin Memorial
Church, however over the past year they have come to know Dunklin as
their home. Last year, after some changes in the ministry they were
part of, Jesse and Karen came to Dunklin to pray and seek God's
will for their life. It was not long before they heard the Lord tell
them to stay for the ten-month Servant Leadership Training. Over this
ten month time the Lord began to put a vision in their hearts to open a
ministry for the Dunklin community youth and the youth of the
program families. This program will reach the kids through the use of horses, Christ-centered rodeo
events, camps and other relationship building activities.
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Gethsemane Ranch will be located behind the current
Gethsemane property at Dunklin. They are already
ministering to the youth at Dunklin but building on the
Gethsemane property has begun and will include a staff
house, horse stables and rodeo rings.
Ministering to children is imperative if we are going to
stop the cycle of addiction and dysfunction in the family
and we have already seen the fruits of this ministry in the
children's lives. Dunklin looks forward to working along side Jesse and Karen to bring this vision to
completion. Please pray for the Jones' as they seek to ministry in this much needed area.
The Refuge Ranch
Fred Beeson has served on Dunklin’s board of trustees for many years. He and his wife, Melanie,
have also been a part of the Dunklin community for a long time. Over a year ago Fred heard the
Lord call him to build a Christ centered recovery program for women in addiction using the same
recovery principles Dunklin has used for over 40 years. After much prayer Fred approached
Dunklin’s leadership and told them of the vision the Lord had given him. They were all in agreement
to pursue the building of this ministry and so Fred began by following the Lord in naming the
ministry the Refuge Ranch.
Soon God blessed the Refuge Ranch with the property needed to begin the project. West of
Dunklin off highway 714, 120 acres of wooded land will be home to a “City of Refuge” for women
whose lives have been devastated by chemical addiction. In the setting of a family home the women
will be given the opportunity to receive Christ and begin building their personal relationship with
Jesus. Through classes, counseling and the building of relationships God's healing power will change
each willing heart.
The building project has already begun, the staff is being trained, the leadership is put in place
and we hope to be ministering to women in late summer or early fall of 2006. The Refuge Ranch is a
natural extension of the Dunklin program, what the regeneration program provides for the men we
will soon be able to provide to women.
We look forward to what the Lord will do through the Refuge Ranch and the people he uses to
carry out this vision. Please pray for us as we seek to fulfill this call His way and in His time.
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Martin County Jail Ministry
There are many fingers on the hand of outreach from
Dunklin. One of these is a ministry in the Martin County Jail.
There is a Substance Abuse Intervention Program (S.A.I.P.)
at the jail. A zone in the facility has been dedicated for the
program allowing a small community made up of people
serious about changing their lives to develop in the jail. The
men are required to journal and hold each other accountable
for working the program. There is large group teaching, small group processing and one-on-one
counseling. The men are taught to hear God and it revolutionizes lives.
One goal of the program is to build a model that will be reproducible in other county jails around
the country and the world. They will be used as adjuncts to other programs with which we have
relationships. We also have a vision to build a bridge from jail to a treatment facility like Dunklin,
begin after-care groups like Overcomers and to work with the families of men while they are still
incarcerated. It is a tremendous tool to reach outside the facility of Dunklin and into the county jail.
It is a bit of hope in a desperate, lonely place.
The Dunklin Role
Situation:
Projection:
An outcropping of mini-ministries are materializing throughout the
world aimed at ministering primarily to the chemically addicted.
It appears that we are on the threshold of a giant movement of God in
the fourth world of chemical addiction. What we have experienced
thus far has been merely the tip of a huge iceberg that is soon to appear
in its entirety on the near horizon. As chemical addiction intensifies,
this movement of God will intensify to offset it, to set the captives free,
and to bring vast multitudes into a Kingdom relationship with Him.
So long as we stay Christ-centered, we will remain part of the hub of God’s ministry to the
chemically addicted. The hub is an integral part of the base that supplies a type of anchorage for the
multiple mini-ministries.
Though we will take both active and passive roles in many of these ministries, we will not
become part of the ministries themselves. The ministries will remain autonomous, apart from
Dunklin, accountable to their churches or elders or directors. Dunklin will assume no liability or
responsibility of any kind.
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Dunklin as Supplier:
We will continue to supply workbook material to the mini-ministries as needed. To offset the
cost of their original set-up, Dunklin may donate the initial material, but the ministries will be
expected to become self-sustaining, with an ability to repay Dunklin the cost of all material supplied.
In instances where we can supply other material, such as beds, bedding, clothing, etc., we will do
this also.
Dunklin as Trainer:
We will establish criteria upon which to allow certain qualified individuals to visit Dunlin for a
period of three months for the purpose of hands-on training. This training will include, but not be limited to:
•
How to conduct an intake interview.
•
The proper application of the Dunklin printed material, including all workbooks.
•
Facilitating small group activity, including the Sociogram.
•
The economic acquisition of food and other supplies.
•
The application of work projects as an integral part of the ministry.
•
Intensive gardening, where applicable.
•
Translating Dunklin material into foreign language and culture, where applicable.
•
Other assistance peculiar to the ministry of the trainee.
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54
Discernment
(Being-Doing)
Finishing Well
(Being -Doing)
Model
Destiny Hints
Ministry
Backlash
Mentor
Monitor
Ministry
Peak
Ministry
Completion
Motivate
Multiply
Destiny Fulfillment Destiny Completion
Ministry
Convergence
Destiny Preparation Destiny Revelation
Ministry
Training
O F
Ministry
Entry
Leader Has a Growing Awareness
Leader is Completely Identified
Commitment to Leadership. Spiritual Growth Plan Developed.
Leader Knows Authority is from
of Their Sense of Destiny. God Not Man.
with Christ and the Cross. (Union)
Having Purpose and Destiny.
- Ministry skills, ministry tasks
- God, family, and ministry- Movement into ideal role. - Leader influences more
- Integrity checks, obediencestart being developed.
___________________________ in order.
indirectly than directly.
checks, word checks.
(geographic location)
___________________________
___________________________
______________________________________________________
Giftedness Discovery. (Natural
Flesh Battle Takes Place
Abilities, Acquired Skills,Leader
Gifts)Learns Difference Leader is Focused and Has Leader Has a Storehouse
Between Self Flesh Acts & a Lifetime Perspective.
of Wisdom.
in Leader´s Life.
- Bible communication skills,
Divine Appointment.
- Body, soul, spirit wholeness.
- Fruits and gifts of the - Leader is celebrating years
and listing skills are being
___________________________
- Team building and group
of fruitful ministry.
Spirit maximized.
developed.
______________________________________________________
___________________________ skills are being developed.
Mentor is Placed in Developing
___________________________
Leader Wants to Pass on Legacy
Facilitates Others and Allows
Ministry Flesh Acts, Ministry
Leader´s Life. (Accountability)
Kingdom of God Insights. Holy Spirit to Move Freely. to Other Leaders.
Obsession and Impulsive Acts.
- Leader learns how God
(Leader Starts Seeing Big Picture)
- God consolidates gifting,Leader can't wait until he is face
- Organization, time
speaks and guides.
___________________________ management, priorities
to face with his Savior.
acquired abilities and
- Relationship with God, self,
___________________________
natural talents.
skill learned.
and others processing.
Self Discipline Processing
___________________________Leader Exemplifies How to Die
___________________________ (relationships)
and Formation.
___________________________
Complete Transparency with Well, as Well as How to Live.
Prayer and Faith Challenges.
- Foundational doctrines
God, Self, and Others.
Vision, Vision Death, Vision
- Leader is concerned about
- Leader starts learning
learned.
Casting, Vision Application
___________________________ Spiritual warfare.
eternal destiny not earthly
- Leader ministry is love
___________________________Developed.
destiny.
centered (empathy) not
Leader Starts the Process
___________________________
Leader Ministry Philosophy - Leadership backlash/ministry
power centered.
of Sanctification.
___________________________Leader Does Not Need to be
conflicts & confrontations.
Starts Being Formed.
- False beliefs about God
___________________________
Recognized by Man, Only God.
Leader is Equipping and Sending
recognized and corrected. - Leader is trusted with small
DEEP PROCESSING
Out Leaders.
___________________________ level of influence over others.
- Leader is a funnel for
___________________________ - Ministry conflicts, crises,
- Spiritual power encounters everything the Lord gives .
Church and Body Ministry
___________________________
Information Starts Becoming isolation, backlash and
healing and signs and
Insights Developed.
Leader is Focusing on Ultimate
Life-formation.
suffering.
wonders.
- Leader learns how to serve
___________________________
___________________________Contributions.
others. (foundation of all else)
God Chooses Leader
Leader is Operating in the Power,
- Leader sees his need for
Crucifixion. (Dark Time
Favor, and Anointing of God.
Christ more than ever before.
of the Soul)
- Sovereignty of God realized
- Leader surrenders and has in all circumstances.
white funeral. (HUMILITY)
_________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Character Formation Ministry Formation Relational Formation
(Being)
(Doing)
(Being)
Leadership Development Time-Line
C I T I E S
R E F U G E
Apostles
Overseers
and SentOut Ones
Stage II
Reproducing ministry and community
Emphasis on God's Kingdom in
A new quality of partnership with
in other places. Enrichment training
all places in the world. A sense
God inof
His salvation work in the
and directing leadership of staff
oneness of mankind and their
world.
and community.
problems.
O F
13
10 -
Lifestyle commitment to this particular
Emphasis on loving one another
A deepening in faith amidst the
place and people. (becoming a spiritual
unconditionally. Sense of oversight
paradoxes of life and ministry.
grandfather)
and responsibility for the A
whole
growing responsibility for the
of Dunklin with no time limit.
next generation.
Mature
Inner Healing
Staff (Elder)
6 - 10
Discipleship
13Community
Staff (Elder)
Reproducing ministers and overseers
Emphasis on gentleness and Reflective thinking of oneself in
of work responsibility.
kindness for modeling respect
of
relationship
to identity in God and
(spiritual fatherly training) other staff and leaders. How
to (DMC) faith community as a
this
reproduce yourself in others.
new center of value and power for
living. Formation of life's vocation.
Commitment to the ministry of Peaceful countenance comingEntering into and being a part of
addiction. Becoming responsiblefrom commitment. The "need community
to"
life and its stories.
for others.
and "how to" of ministry. The
Seeing God's involvement shaping
(young man to adulthood)
letting go of worldly concerns.
your life and relationships.
Christ-like character formation.
Galatiansand faithfulness A
Obedience
with
deepening trust in body of Christ
5:22 - Love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness,
gratitude.
Leading to the call
of
and God.
Emerging sense of the
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
selfministry
in sacrificial service.
Kingdom of God expressed at DMC.
control. (adolescence to young man)
4 - 6
Orientation
Faith Development
Faithfulness to the ministry and
ministers
Patience
and perseverance with
Moving from "they" to "we" of
of the ministry. Becoming responsible
the ups and downs of ministry
community as an image of identity
over areas of the ministry. (becoming
and staff relationships. The
"why"
with
many stories to tell of seeing
spiritual fathers and raising them
up)
of ministry
from God's
God at work in "us" as expression
perspective.
of His Body.
Staff
Induction
Lesson to
Learn or
Be Emphasized
The nature, cause, consequencesConfession, repentance,
Mutuality and Trust. Childish
and remedy of sin of addiction forgiveness, and reconciliation.
image of God. Emerging desire
through relationships.
Learning the "basics".
to belong.
(young boys to older brothers)
Areas of
Challenge
and Growth
Mid-Level
Staff (Elder- Regeneration
in-Training)
21/2 - 4Young
and OJT
Main Program
and Stage II
Characteristics
Duty and
Similar to Those of
Responsibility
or Function Regular Program
1 - 21/SLT
2
0 - 1
Years
at DMC
Dunklin as a Model of Spiritual Maturation Process
C I T I E S
R E F U G E
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7. Policy for Ordination
Dunklin Memorial Church, being a unique recovery church, sets standards in line with the type
of service it offers to the Gospel ministry. Ordination is for those whom Dunklin Memorial Church deems
qualified for the recovery ministry. Qualifications follow the directions given in I Timothy 3:1-7.
I. Candidates for Ordination
A. Source
1. Candidates for ordination come chiefly from persons who are actively engaged in
the recovery ministry and who demonstrate gifts and calling from God that set
them apart as teachers and shepherds.
2. Initiation of the Ordination may come from the elders (ruling) at the Dunklin
Memorial Camp.
3. Requests, from other recovery ministries, to begin the process of Ordination may
be initiated through the elders of Dunklin Memorial Church.
B. The Process
1. At the meeting of the elders of Dunklin Memorial Camp requests from other ministries
or action within the elder body will initiate a consideration of such requests.
2. Approval by the elders will begin an examination of the request and the candidate.
This examination may require telephone conversations, written correspondence,
and questioning of the candidate to determine qualifications.
3. Normally, the process should be a two-step one. When the candidate is observed
to have gifts and skills that indicate a calling by God, the elders would license the
candidate to practice the gifts in a ministry that would allow greater examination
by the elders. An appropriate period of time, length of which would be
determined by the elders, to meet the qualifications of I Timothy 4:6 & 5:22 (not a
novice which would prove detrimental and “lay hands on no man suddenly”).
4. Upon completion of the examination process, the elders will, through prayer and
deliberation, come to a unanimous decision and set a time for the Ordination
Service of those chosen for Ordination.
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C. The Ordination Service
1. The Ordination Service will be conducted before the congregation of the Dunklin
Memorial Church and invited guests if appropriate.
2. Testimonies as to the qualifications of the candidates will be shared followed by a
“laying on of hands” for empowerment of the candidates for their God-called
ministry. The laying on of hands will be preformed by the elders present.
3. The action will be entered into the minutes of the Board of Trustees at their
regular meeting date following the Ordination Service.
II. Revocation of Ordination (Defrocking)
A. Cause of Revocation
1. When persons who are ordained by the Dunklin Memorial Church demonstrate
that they have departed from the qualifications (I Timothy 3:1-7) of their high
calling and do not exhibit “good report” of those who observe and have fallen
into “the snare of the devil,” they shall be investigated by the elders of the church.
2. If the investigation demonstrates to the elders that the person who had been
ordained by Dunklin Memorial Church is indeed not worthy of that honor and has
dishonored the calling, the elders by unanimous decision shall revoke the ordination.
B. Action to Follow
1. It shall be entered into the minutes of the next regular meeting of the Board of
Trustees that the act of revocation has been done.
2. The elders shall appoint one of the elders to notify the defrocked minister of the
action of the church.
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C I T I E S
O F
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I. Dunklin’s Core Purpose
Our primary purpose is training, through a unique tri-level program that is interdependent with a
common goal of “equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, building up the Church, the Body
of Christ, to a position of strength and maturity.” (Ephesians 4:12)
II. Biblical Foundations
1. Build a Christ-Centered Recovery Program
I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great His power is to help
those who believe Him. It is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead
and seated Him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in heaven, far, far above
any other king or ruler or dictator of leader. His honor is far more glorious than that
of anyone else either in this world or in the world to come. God has put all things
under His feet and made Him the supreme Head of the Church – which is the Body,
filled with Himself, the Author and Giver of everything everywhere. (Ephesians1:19-23)
There is no question that every Christian would agree with this doctrinal statement and scripture,
but making Christ the motivational factor for our behavior in both our personal and corporate lives
requires a deep level of commitment to surrender to His indwelling government (right to rule). It
requires both personal and community time spent in contemplative prayer. Jesus said, “Why do you
call me Lord if you do not do the things I say…”
Short term medical and psychiatric treatment centers offer important aid to recovering addicts
because they provide the medical expertise to help patients through the detoxification stage by
stabilizing the physical and emotional turmoil caused by the withdrawal from toxic substance abuse.
Christian Cities of Refuge welcome their role and partnership in the recovery process. Most Christian
rehab programs do not have the expertise or facilities needed to do medical detox and wisely refer
people to available medical services for intoxicated and mental problems that require medications.
But Cities of Refuge are uniquely qualified to give extended care to establish and strengthen the
spiritual life of the addict and his family. We believe every person was created to have fellowship
with God and that spirituality is the key factor in restoration. A healthy body, a happy soul, and the
indwelling Holy Spirit are all necessary components of wholeness. One of the root causes of
substance abuse is the void caused by the inability of individuals to answer the essential questions of
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his own spirituality. We are created spiritual beings and we must maintain a connection with the
source of our spiritual life.
In the Cities of Refuge concept every phase of the program is focused on restoring intimacy with
God. Spiritual healing flows from the fountain of Jesus’ indwelling presence. Lasting change comes
from the inside out and it transcends beyond temporary behavior changes into true value systems and
inner convictions.
On the last day, the climax of the holidays, Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If anyone is
thirsty, let him come to me and drink. For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living
water shall flow from the inmost being of anyone who believes in Me.” He was speaking
of the Holy Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in Him; but the Spirit
had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet returned to His glory in Heaven.
(John 7:37-39)
Daily devotional prayer in a structured quiet time is taught so that a personal two-way
communion is established with the Lord.
Rehabilitation is a secular term that means to “restore to a former estate.” Spiritual regeneration
means “to become a new creation.” (II Corinthians 5:17) There is a vast difference in the two
approaches to recovery. Sobriety is the goal of rehabilitation but regeneration has an eternal goal that
restores relationship with God and prepares the whole family for a home in heaven.
2. Christian Community
“We who believe are carefully joined together with Christ as parts of a beautiful, constantly
growing temple for God. And you are joined with Him and with each other by the Spirit, and are
part of this dwelling place of God.” (Ephesians 2:21-22)
Again, this is a theological concept well believed but seldom modeled as a City of Refuge.
“Church” is too often defined as a building called the “House of God” where we attend religious
services rather than a committed community who meet daily to “study the apostles’ teachings, and
fellowship in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:42)
The early Christians met in house churches for the first three centuries and formed networks
within each city. They were bonded together by their common commitment to Christ and His
Kingdom on earth. Religious denominationalism has divided and segregated the Body of Christ and
caused Christian “churches” to be competitive rather than forming true communities.
“You can develop a healthy robust community that lives right with God and enjoys it’s results
only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and
honor.” (James 3:18 The Message)
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3. Biblical Governmental System
“Now you are the Body of Christ, and members in particular. And God has set some in the
church, some apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that, miracles, gifts of healing,
helps, governments, and diversities of tongues.” (I Corinthians 12:27-28)
The clergy-laity caste system was unknown in the New Testament. Leadership was determined
by God’s calling and gifts of His Spirit in each believer not by human selection and religious
authority. Each spiritual gifting was used for the welfare of the whole Body.
“There are many ways in which God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does
the work in and through all of us who are His. The Holy Spirit displays God’s power
through each of us as a means of helping the entire Church.” (I Corinthians12:6-7)
Study the booklet Restoring Jesus to Leadership of His Church by Dr. Trevor Craig and Alan
Smith for more extensive commentary.
Decisions are made by prayerful unity not by majority vote. The Board of Elders and the Board
of Trustees decide major policy changes, but it requires unity in and between both boards. This is
achieved through prayer.
4. Home Grown Leadership
“Oh, Timothy, my son, be strong with the strength Christ Jesus gives you and many others have
heard me speak about. Teach these great truths to trustworthy men who will, in turn, pass it on to
others.” (II Timothy 2:1-2)
Raising up local leadership from within the community is Biblical and far better than importing
leadership for short term commitments. Migratory apostles, pastors, and teachers are great blessings
to plant and refresh the churches, but Cities of Refuge require lifetime commitments to the
community. The Apostle Paul always raised up local eldership to govern the churches he established.
The development of local leadership teams must have priority over purchasing property or
completing projects if any ministry wants to stay strong and survive the death of its founder.
5. Relational Therapy
Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we
believe because someone has told us something different or has cleverly lied to us and
made the lie sound like the truth. Instead, we will lovingly follow the truth at all times –
speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly – and so become more and more in every way
like Christ who is the Head of His Body, the Church. Under His direction, the whole
Body is fitted together perfectly, and each part in its own special way helps the other parts,
so that the whole Body is healthy and growing and full of love. (Ephesians 4:14-16)
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The recovery community must be built on covenant relationships that can overcome personality
problems and disputes by using Biblical principles to solve personal injustices and retain peace in
the Body of Christ.
If a brother sins against you, go to him privately and confront him with his fault. If he
listens and confesses it, you have won back a brother. But if not, then take one or two
others with you and go back to him again, proving everything you say by these two
witnesses. If he still refuses to listen, then take your case to the church, and if the church’s
verdict favors you, but he won’t accept it, then the church should excommunicate him.
And I tell you this – whatever you bind on earth is bound in heaven and whatever you
free on earth is freed in heaven. (Matthew 18:15-18)
Relational theology demands far more than doctrinal statements expounded on from a pulpit or a
classroom. It must be attained and retained in the fiery furnace of community where the “wood, hay,
and stubble” of our prideful egocentrics, personal agendas, and selfish aspirations are burned to
purify the “gold, silver, and precious stones.” Jesus said, “The world will know you are my disciples
because you have love for one another.”
I beg you – I, a prisoner here in jail for serving the Lord – to live and act in a way
worthy of those who have been chosen for such wonderful blessings as these. Be
humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s
faults because of your love. Try always to be led along together by the Holy Spirit
and so be at peace with one another. We are all parts of one body, we have the same
Spirit, and we have been called to the same glorious future. (Ephesians 4:1-4)
Biblical education must, if it is relevant to the needs of our present generation, touch three vital
areas to produce lasting change in people in recovery.
A. Historical - What does the Bible say?
II Timothy 2:15
I Cor 10:11 “Now all these things happened…”
B. Theological – What does the Bible mean?
II Timothy 3:15-17
C. Relational – How do I apply the Bible to my life?
Hebrews 5:11-14 This level is worked out in recovery community life
James 1:22-27 “Doer not hearer of the word”
The first two levels are foundational and important but without the practical application our
religion can become a “form of godliness that denies the power thereof…ever learning but never
able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (II Timothy 3:5-7)
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6. Mission Vision
He told His disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and earth. Therefore
go and make disciples in all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and then teach these new disciples to obey all
the commands I have given you; and be sure of this - that I am with you always, even
to the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Jesus implanted His world-view in the hearts of His first disciples and they carried the “Gospel
of the Kingdom” to the known world in their generation. It is just as vital to our generation to have
this mission vision as it was for the first disciples.
Our task is easier by far because of modern transportation and communication. We have the
blessing of written Bibles and Christian literature so that all we lack is for the Lord to implant His
mission vision in our hearts.
Networking - the cooperation and interdependence of Christian Recovery Centers could greatly
advance the establishing of new recovery centers and the strengthening of new or weak centers in
under privileged areas of the world. Following are some of the organizations formed to expedite
cooperation between existing recovery ministries:
Equipping Hearts
Ed & Maritza Khouri
5016 Longfield Street
Claremont, NC 28610
ISAAC
C/O Rev. David Parlington
Burchfield Commons
Reading RG 7344 W.K.
44-1189836684
Net-Casting Ministries
C/O Rev. Ron Ross
[email protected]
179 S. Shady Rest Road
Statesville, NC 28677
Net Training School
Jean & Charles LeCour
704-876-9769
[email protected]
P.O. Box 536875
Orlando, FL 32853
Dunklin Camp
Bi-Monthly on 3rd Thursday
3342 SW Hosannah Lane
407-236-9400
www.netinstitute.org
Okeechobee, FL 34974
772-597-2841
www.dunklin.org
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7. Stewardship of Personal & Corporate Possessions
What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you,
which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
(I Corinthians 6:19-20 K.J.V.)
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed
thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even
this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat
in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open
you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room
enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not
destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time
in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall
be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:8-12 K.J.V)
For if you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing
measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over.
Whatever measure you use to give-large or small – will be used to measure what is
given back to you. (Luke 6:38 L.B.)
We often miss the mark when we define stewardship by the Old Testament guidelines that
required a tithe (10%) of income as a love offering to God and a commitment to attend feast days to
celebrate the ordinances that reminded them of their covenant with God. The prophet Malachi boldly
confronted the whole Hebrew nation for their lackadaisical attitude about their stewardship to God.
They offered the “lame, sick, and blind” animals from their herds for temple sacrifices and moldy
bread for the shewbread table while complaining about having to give to God at all.
A son honors his father, a servant honors his master. I am your Father and Master,
yet you don’t honor Me, O priests, but you despise My name. “Who? Us?” you say.
“When did we ever despise Your name?” When you offer polluted sacrifices on My
altar. “Polluted sacrifices? When have we ever done a thing like that?” Every time
you say “Don’t bother bringing anything very valuable to God!” You tell the people,
“Lame animals are alright to offer on the altar of the Lord – yes, even the sick and
the blind ones.” And you claim this isn’t evil? Try it on your governor sometime –
give him gifts like that – and see how pleased he is! (Malachi 1:6-8 L.B.)
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Jesus placed stewardship on a far deeper level when He taught them that their giving was not a
religious ritual to gain “brownie points” with God or make their alms to the poor and temple
offerings a public spectacle to impress people with their generosity.
The Apostle Paul commended the churches in Macedonia for their sacrificial giving to the
impoverished saints in Jerusalem.
Though they have been going through much trouble and hard times, they have mixed
their wonderful joy with their deep poverty, and the result has been an overflow of
giving to others. They gave not only what they could afford but far more; and I can
testify they did it because they wanted to and not because of nagging on my part.
They begged us to take the money so they could share in the joy of helping the
Christians in Jerusalem. (II Corinthians 8:2-4 L.B.)
But remember this – if you give little, you will get little. A farmer who plants just a
few seeds will get only a small crop, but if he plants much, he will reap much.
Everyone must make up his own mind as to how much he should give. Don’t force
anyone to give more than he really wants to, for cheerful givers are the ones God
prizes. God is able to make it up to you by giving you everything you need and more
so that there will not only be enough for your own needs but plenty left over to give
joyfully to others. (II Corinthians 9:6-8 L.B.)
8. Morality and Corporate Ethics
And by that same mighty power He has given us all the other rich and wonderful
blessings He promised; for instance, the promise to save us from the lust and
rottenness all around us, and give us His own character. But to obtain these gifts, you
need more than faith; you must also work hard to be good, and even that is not
enough. For then you must learn to know God better and discover what He wants you
to do. Next, learn to put aside your own desires so you will become patient and
Godly, gladly letting God have His way with you. This will make possible the next
step, which is for you to enjoy other people and to like them, and finally you will grow
to love them deeply. The more you go on in this way, the more you will grow strong
spiritually and become fruitful and useful to our Lord Jesus Christ. But anyone who
fails to go after these additions to faith is blind indeed, or at least very shortsighted
and has forgotten that God delivered him from the old life of sin so that now he can
live a strong, good life for the Lord. So, dear brothers, work hard to prove that you
really are among those God has called and chosen and then you will never stumble or
fall away. (II Peter 1:4-10 L.B.)
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Moral failure and personal character defects affect both community and our reputation and
witness to the world that has a right to judge us for our failure to “practice what we preach.” “If we
would judge ourselves we would not judged by the world.” (I Corinthians 11:31)
The following excerpt is from David Cumming’s The 7 Functions written for the Wycliffe
Organization.
“Accountability”:
Due to a growing number of significant factors, it is now important to highlight
financial and personnel accountability as a major function. This may have been seen
to be handled under administration in the past. However, with the rising awareness of
this subject, it is wise to make a separate emphasis of this function. Some of the
factors influencing this separate attention are:
A. The number of Christian organizations that have not been scrupulously
careful with the funds they have received from the public.
B. False and/or exaggerated advertising of needs.
C. Funds being directed to causes other than were advertised.
D. Individual persons benefiting from income designated for specific projects.
E. Increasing education of constituency ensuring that the donor is getting the
best use and stewardship for the money given.
F. A growing concern on the part of the donors (and encouraged by some
concerned agencies) for greater accountability as to how funds and
personnel have been utilized. When members make assignment changes
without consultation with their supporters it is seen by some as lack of
accountability.
G. The non-disclosure of some major Christian institutions, (i.e., their
financial operations are not available for public review), has caused
unprecedented concern and suspicion.
Team leadership provides spiritual covering and personal accountability that encourages our
peers to “speak the truth in love” into our lives. If our commitment to Christ and community is
strong enough to receive correction, character defects can be healed and moral failures can be averted.
If staff and men in all the programs can be taught and held accountable to practice the principles of
confrontation according to Jesus’ teachings, personal healthy relationships can be maintained.
9. Wellness Focus
“Come unto Me, all ye who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest, take My yoke
upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart and you shall find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
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Jesus never lectured people on the symptoms of their diseases. In a City of Refuge paradigm,
addicts can move from being self and sickness centered to a “weller than well” position where they
can “comfort others where they have been comforted of the Lord.” (II Corinthians 1:4)
10. Restorative Relationships
If a brother sins against you, go to him privately and confront him with his fault. If he
listens and confesses it, you have won back a brother. But if not, then take one or two
others with you and go back to him again, proving everything you say by these two
witnesses. If he still refuses to listen, then take your case to the church, and if the
church’s verdict favors you, but he won’t accept it, then the church should
excommunicate him. (Matthew 18:15-18)
The Cities of Refuge concept provides a therapeutic community that provides a surrogate family to
learn healthy relationships where the individual’s behavior is molded by the “Body Life” of a spiritual
community and through peer pressure and daily routine disciplines that set standards for the future.
This is done in an environment where each individual can make choices that bring consequences both
positive and negative. A strict code of ethics is enforced by an honor system throughout the whole
program. Self-centered “loners” are shown how to tear down their walls of isolation.
A sense of belonging gives each individual the opportunity to explore new relationships in a
healthy way, learning boundaries and to identify behavioral problems that are acceptable and
unacceptable to the community that surrounds him. Daily Moral Inventories help identify yesterdays
attitudes that effected personal behavior that affected other people and help people become aware of
corrections that need to be made in attitudes that effect relationships.
III. Core Values
1. We Will Receive Indigent Clients
No person should ever be refused treatment because of his financial status. However, it is
important that the incoming man be confronted with the need to become responsible for his own
recovery program. Our policy is to charge the same fee to a pauper or a millionaire. We ask what
they have to invest in their recovery program. An old car, jewelry, sports equipment, guns, or tools
are some of the things that men can “give up” to make an investment in their recovery. If a man has
nothing, we accept him on the same criteria as a man who can pay the full fee.
We want to see a man taking responsibility for himself not cause further financial hardship to his
family. All fees for medical treatment, motel rooms, and food for their families are simply charged
to their account, and they are encouraged to make small payments during their program and larger
payments after graduation when they have jobs. Charging fees is not about the money. It is about
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taking responsibility for their stewardship of life. Many never take the responsibility for any
indebtedness before or after treatment, but they usually relapse because of their lack of commitment
or follow-up with responsible behavior. Other men faithfully send small checks to pay off their
recovery programs for the rest of their lives if that is how long it takes. That is a commitment to do
what is right.
2. We Will Work Toward Developing Compatible Industries that Will Help Us Become
Self-Sustaining (See Chapter 9)
3. We Will Practice No Indebtedness Policy
The Board of Elders and Trustees of Dunklin have agreed to build on these basic foundations:
•
Pray fervently to the Lord as our Provider and Source.
•
Create industries that fit our ministry goals.
•
Practice a policy of zero indebtedness.
•
Practice a policy of good stewardship of His provision.
•
Tithe faithfully both personally and corporately.
4. Need-Based Compensation for Staff
And all the believers met together constantly and they shared with each other, selling
possessions and giving to those in need. They worshipped together regularly at the
temple each day and met together in small groups in homes for communion and
shared their meals with great joy and thankfulness. (Acts 2:44-46)
The early Christians did not practice Communism, the governmental system that confiscates
private property for the welfare of its leadership, but rather they practiced “community” created by
lovingly sharing with those in need. They gave to missions motivated by their love for the Kingdom
of Christ rather than by government taxation.
Working in a City of Refuge is a ministry not a job. People are paid according to the needs of
their families not because of position or seniority. This is a very important principle that requires
sacrifice and commitment to the welfare of the total ministry.
One of the duties of the Executive Committee is to set the “salaries” for each staff member. We
use the term salary loosely because we do not pay on a sliding, position-based scale. Our salaries are
determined based on the needs of the individual and their family. Need-based compensation is a
Biblical concept. The ministry should meet the needs of the people who work in it because we are
responsible for the people God sends to us. There are many reasons why we use the need-based
method versus the position-based method. (See Chapter 7 page 103)
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5. Staff Care
The staff are to be treated as family in the City of Refuge, and they must have
their physical needs met. They need good housing and necessary financial support to
meet all their individual and family obligations. They are due a double portion of
support and care. It is important to recognize that both those with families and those
who are single have physical needs. It is often easy to overlook the needs of the single
staff, because their needs seem so minor compared to the families. They, however,
are no less important to the overall success to the City of Refuge. It is important to be
sure that needs for housing, clothing, food, transportation, and medical care, just to
mention a few, are all satisfied. It is equally important to make sure that social and
relational needs are being met in the community life of the City of Refuge. It is the
primary responsibility of the elders to see that these needs are met. There should be
social activities that appeal to families and social activities that appeal to the single
staff and some that appeal to both. Physical needs are the most obvious and therefore
usually taken care of. It is the spiritual and emotional needs that are most easily
overlooked and neglected.
Who cares for the pastors (all those who are called to fulltime service, staff, and
elders)? Those who are called to fulltime ministry are often overlooked as having
ministry needs of their own. Many times those in fulltime ministry are not open to
receive ministry but only see themselves as givers. This is especially dangerous in a
City of Refuge where all the staff has been in addiction themselves. In the rush to
serve the ever-increasing needs of the addicts, with all their dysfunction, it is easy to
overlook the needs of staff, especially their spiritual and emotional needs.
The staff becomes so involved with those that God has brought to them that they
forget about themselves all together. They forget to apply what they learned in their
regeneration process. They forget that their own spiritual and emotional health is
critical to their ability to minister. Like an athlete they get in a slump, because they
have forgotten to practice the basics. If their needs go unmet, they will either
experience burnout or relapse in their addiction even if they have been drug free and
serving others for years. If not cared for, they are not immune to relapse.
The City of Refuge community will be as healthy as the leaders are. This means
healthy in all areas of their life. The staff cannot minister health into the lives of those
who God sends if they are not healthy themselves. They need continuing education
and training, accountability, and, most of all, ministry from the Body. The best people
to minister to the staff are other staff members (different parts in particular). They
need a specific forum for this to take place. The best “place” is the small group forum
where each must give an account of their emotional and spiritual condition and, both
give and receive, ministry as necessary. This must occur on a regular basis and be
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given priority by the leadership. It can be compared to a required weekly spiritual and
emotional checkup. While the staff should have access to the elders and other
counselors for one-on-one help, this small group forum offers body ministry with the
maximum impact of all other staff. This small group should be lead by someone who
is not part of the staff but is a part of the “family” to assure objective facilitation and
accountability. It must, however, be motivated by love and not the law. It is not a
forum for discipline but of ministry and prayer.
It is also important to recognize that the elders, while the ruling body of the City
of Refuge, are also part of the community and need to receive the same kind of care
as the staff. They are often the most overlooked in the entire city for having their
spiritual and emotional needs checked and met. All of the same techniques that apply
to the staff need to apply here also. Healthy leaders produce healthy leaders. Healthy
leaders, also, produce a healthy community. It is very important to recognize that
everyone needs time off. Many in ministry think that it is a sin to play. Everyone
needs a break. In the City of Refuge, there is no such thing as a break or vacation if
you do not leave the City. The work is everywhere and all-consuming. There are
demands night and day. In order to really rest and get recharged, it is necessary to
leave and go away. In the addiction ministry, the need for rest breaks and play time is
even greater than in the business world. It seems that the business world recognizes
this need better than ministry. There should be ample opportunity for these breaks
with staff. In order for this to happen, the City must be adequately staffed.
Fred Beeson
6. After-Care & Lasting Relationships
Jesus had two after-care programs:
1. Forty Days After His Resurrection – Peter, Emmaus Road, and the Upper Room.
2. Greatest After-Care – New Testament Church. (Acts 2:41-47)
Many church groups still share Jesus’ concern for the weak ones who need more than a Sunday
sermon to rebuild their personal lives and families that have been shattered by substance abuse.
Overcomers groups, Celebrate Recovery, and home churches offer open doors of hospitality and
encouragement to help people who have graduated from recovery centers. Half-way houses are
another very important part of the recovery process. We have eight places to refer single men to
throughout the state of Florida.
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Insights for After-Care:
1. Have Half-Way House directors visit the Camp and meet men preparing to graduate that
want to move to their area to be close to their family and get a job.
2. Invite pastors to visit and have lunch with men from their area. Ask them to ask their
people to visit the men’s families and see about their needs. Also, encourage interested
pastors in beginning Overcomers groups in their church by offering to train their leaders.
3. Form an Alumni Association for your graduates. Make a mailing list for monthly
newsletters and information about special retreats. It is also invaluable to stay in contact
by phone. Maintain good relationships.
4. Invite alumni men to participate in outreaches to jails, prisons, overseas missions, and
local Overcomers groups after they complete the recovery program.
5. Encourage people who bring men into your program to participate in graduation services
and to help the men get established with jobs and new friends when they leave the Camp.
6. Have quarterly “mini-homecomings” for alumni and
Overcomers groups from different areas. Ask them to
prepare a picnic lunch for the men in the program.
Bring barbeque or sandwiches to serve.
7. Ask alumni to write testimonials for your publications
and have them share at the Alumni Reunions.
Alumni Association
It is so easy to expend all of our energy on men
coming through the front door that we forget those
who have graduated that still need after-care. Ideally,
they will join a good church with a caring pastor who
will continue their discipleship training and be a
spiritual mentor to them. However, this is not always
the case. Most alcoholics and drug addicts are not “church people” because they
project rejection, real or imagined, and feel uncomfortable in a church environment. This is
especially true if they have not made friends in the church before and during their recovery program.
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Chapter 5
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Birthing
Birthin g New Training Centers
The goal of Dunklin is to share curriculum and to serve as midwives in the birthing process of
starting new recovery centers. We are committed not only to pray for the “Kingdom of God to come on
earth as it is in heaven,” but also to network with Christian ministries in other countries in Kingdom
cooperation. If training centers can be developed in strategic locations, whole continents can be
impacted. This concept is in its infancy now, but as we work and pray together, it will be expanded.
We have no desire to create a new denomination that would further fragment the Body of Christ,
and we have no intention to govern or control any of the ministries that we aid in birthing. Each
center must be autonomous and self-governed by national leadership. They must also be selfsustaining by their own labors and community support. We believe that this is the pattern practiced
by the early Church in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. With this commitment, we offer the
following suggestions to those who desire our help in training those who are called to found new
Cities of Refuge.
I. Identifying the Visionary
An old Chinese proverb says that, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” However,
taking the first step in the right direction is vitally important. Cities of Refuge do not begin with property or
programs. They begin by the vision and call of God in the hearts of His chosen leaders. A person without a
call and vision from God will never be successful in building a ministry as extensive as a City of Refuge.
Identifying the person that has a “burning bush” vision in his heart is the key that unlocks the door to
God’s provision. Without this, people only walk in the wilderness and never reach the Promised Land.
Cities of Refuge are not built by committees that ascertain needs; they are birthed in the heart of
the visionary who has heard a mandate from God and has responded to go into this specific field of
ministry. If this call is certain and the commitment to obey is firm, the leader will endure whatever
hardships necessary for the vision to become a reality. Trying to build without this key person is like
building a house on a foundation of sand, it will not stand the storms that will inevitably test it.
The dictionary definition is inadequate when it describes a vision as (A) an act or power of
imagination or (B) a mode of seeing or conceiving unusual discernment or foresight. A better
Biblical based interpretation would be a compelling conviction that God is leading to a conceptual
plan to meet an observed need. Behind every great achievement is a visionary who is a dreamer of
great dreams. Much more than a dreamer is required to bring the dream to reality, but the Godinspired dream must be there first.
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A City of Refuge vision has to be large enough to embrace three vital components of the whole
community: 1) the Residential Recovery Center, 2) the Recovery Church, and 3) Staff Training Program.
These three elements can be accomplished by a single person on a small scale under the most primitive
conditions, but it is essential that the visionary have an overview of the total concept of the City of Refuge.
The visionary must be able to conceptualize the vision to see the “end at the beginning.” The
Bible defines this as the gift of faith. The Bible records the supernatural achievements of the great
leaders who walked by faith.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.
For by it the elders obtained a good report…By faith Noah, being warned by God of
things not seen as yet, moved with fear, preparing an ark for the saving of his
house…By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should
afterward receive for an inheritance obeyed, and went out…for he looked for a city
whose builder and maker was God…By faith Moses, chose to suffer affliction with the
people of God, than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season…for he endured as seeing
Him who is invisible. (Hebrews 11:1-27)
God does not call novices who are new to the faith to exercise authority out of context to the
larger Body of Christ. Many young people, who are “lone rangers” or loners, dream fantasies of
building great ministries but have never been faithful in serving in other ministries. They lead out of
their dominate personalities not out of the character of spirituality that God has worked into their
lives. They are more likely to establish cults than they are to build healthy Cities of Refuge. If a
vision is truly from God to build a City of Refuge, it will stand the test of scrutiny from mature
elders in their local communities. If they have not been servant-leaders in their local church body
and built healthy relationships with mature leaders that will support their vision, they are not ready
to apply for training in an International Training Center that specializes in recovery ministries.
II. Clarifying the Vision
“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18 K.J.V.)
“When an organization lacks vision, the workers drift off course.” (Proverbs 29:18 Paraphrase)
— Written on a church wall in England 1730
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Where was the Vision for a City of Refuge Birthed?
A. The Mind –
Like the infamous Walter Mitty, who daydreamed of great accomplishments while
expending all his mental energy building “castles in the sky.” Many people see
buildings and properties that they “visualize” becoming a City of Refuge, but they have
no Divine direction, physical resources, or stamina to make their dreams come true.
The corporate business world pays top dollar for visionaries who can plan for the future and
produce profits. Every architect “sees” the completed building as he draws the blueprints. Every
songwriter “hears” a song in his mind before he scores the musical notes. Politicians win elections
by simply articulating projected platform promises to make our world a better place to live. Jude
calls them “clouds without water.”
B. The Emotions –
Many people are motivated by a codependent “need to be needed” that deceives
them into believing that they can “mother” addicts into sobriety and wellness. Out of
the compassion of their hearts, they try to respond to the enormous needs of
substance abuse people. They are sometimes under the illusion that they can help
people in bunches better than they can individually. They say, “My __________
is/was an alcoholic, and I want to do something to help the addicts in my community. I want to start
a recovery center because my area does not have one.” Or, out of a pure burden of their hearts, some
say, “I was an alcoholic. I know how they feel, and I want to help other people quit drinking and
drugging like I did. I must do something for them.”
Many “good works” are started by co-dependent people who “need to be needed,” and they serve
others out of human compassion and response to observed needs. Many who are Christians even
invite God to join them in their projected endeavors, but their dream does not come from God. He is
only invited to bless their plans and to supernaturally make provision for all their projects. Often
they are disappointed and embittered when God does not cover all of the checks “they write by
faith.” God always provides where He leads, but He never obliges Himself to provide “manna” for
those who simply go “picnicking” in the wilderness. Ezekiel warned, “Thus saith the Lord God, woe
unto the foolish prophets that follow their own spirit and have seen nothing.” (Ezekiel. 13:3)
Sometimes people who are emotionally sicker than the people they try to help. Cultish leaders try
to control the people who come to them for help “for their own good.” But the question arises
“whose good” are they most interested in? Unhealed counselors hurt those they try to help.
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C. Birthed in the Spirit –
When the Holy Spirit births a true vision in a person, He energizes their mind, will, and
emotions to obey His will for what He wants them to do as a co-worker in His Kingdom
project. Jesus prophesied that His disciples would do greater works than what they had
witnessed because He would send His Holy Spirit to empower them. (John 14:12)
A ten-day prayer meeting in the Upper Room gave birth to the living Body of Christ that continues to
function under His leadership. He boldly stated to his first disciples “You have not chosen Me, I have
chosen you and ordained you that you should bear fruit and your fruit will remain…” (John 15:16)
The Apostle Paul encountered by Christ on the Damascus Road where He implanted His vision
in Paul’s heart to become “an apostle to the nations” and to plant Christian communities in foreign
countries. The Holy Spirit inspired him to write thirteen epistles to “correct and instruct in
righteousness” those he had led to become Jesus’ disciples.
The Bible is filled with Divine intervention when God revealed Himself to people and put His vision
in their hearts. Moses discovered his destiny at the “burning bush” where God called him to bring
deliverance to His people. Young Samuel heard God’s call in the night to become a prophet to Israel.
Joshua was “set in place” as Moses’ successor by God’s command, so he could finish the work that God
started through Moses. Nehemiah felt the “burden of the Lord” to repair the ruined walls of Jerusalem,
and Ezra responded to God’s call to rebuild the ruins of Solomon’s temple. Peter, Andrew, James, and
John left their fishing business at His call to become “fishers of men.” Christian history is the story of
men and women who “walked by faith” to fulfill the vision God burned in their hearts.
The City of Refuge is a special vision to a specialized segment of God’s great mission field. The
“church” that serves God’s Kingdom best stays within the area of their “spiritual gifts and callings.”
God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you
the ability to prophesy, prophesy whenever you can – as often as your faith is strong
enough to receive a message from God. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them
well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If you are a preacher, see to it that
your sermons are strong and helpful. If God has given you money, be generous in
helping others with it. If God has given you administrative ability and put you in charge
of the work of others, take the responsibility seriously. Those who offer comfort to the
sorrowing should do so with Christian cheer. (Romans 12:6-8 L.B.)
I can never stop thanking God for all the wonderful gifts He has given you, now that
you are Christ’s: He has enriched your whole life. He has helped you speak out for
Him and has given you a full understanding of the truth; what I told you Christ could
do for you has happened! Now you have every grace and blessing; every spiritual gift
and power for doing His will are yours during this time of waiting for the return of
our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Corinthians 1:4-7 L.B.)
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III. Write the Vision
I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and watch and see what he
will say to me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the Lord answered
me and said “Write the vision and make it plain upon tables that he may run (as a
messenger) that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end
it shall speak, and not lie, though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it
will not tarry.” (Habakkuk. 2:1-3)
It is helpful in defining the vision to write it on paper and to summarize it with a mission
statement. The discipline of writing the vision clarifies it both to the visionary and to the team
members he enlists to help build the vision. Detail and specifics are important. Vague generalities of
fantasies to “be all things to all people” are usually just that…fantasies!
We would not imply for a moment that every vision from God is a City of Refuge. His Kingdom
on earth has a tremendous variety of effective ministries that He birthed and blessed. Every vision
that comes from God is valid and should be pursued. Many training centers around the world prepare
Christians to function in their place in the Body of Christ. The Apostle Paul makes this very clear in
I Corinthians 12:1-27. The Body of Christ is blessed with many varied “gifts” and “gifted people”
who fit and function where the Holy Spirit places them. What we are saying is that people should be
trained in the area that they are called to serve. We do not send musicians to medical school or
dentists to intern on an oil-drilling platform in the ocean. It is poor stewardship to train people in
ministries that God has not called them to serve in. It would also be unwise to send kindergarten
students to college.
The bottom line is that we must carefully screen prospective students before we send them
through leadership training to make the best use of our limited facilities. The training program is
intensive and expensive requiring mature and committed leader-level people who are capable in
utilizing their training in actually building Cities of Refuge.
Shortt-Term Visits to Existing Facilities
IV. Shor
It is very helpful to make an intensive survey of local and regional recovery centers to see what is
already available in your area. It is often better to help strengthen existing ministries than to start new
ones. Fact-finding trips to existing ministries are invaluable to any group in the preliminary planning
stages. Each facility will offer different models and insights to ministry and organizational structure.
At Dunklin, we have always welcomed visitors and given hospitality to leaders who feel called
to start similar ministries. We allow them to sit in certain classes where their presence will not be
disruptive and also to attend staff meetings where everyday problems are dealt with. They are also
invited to participate in our Sunday worship services and Monday morning praise and testimony
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time that reflects the heart of the spiritual life of our community. They can meet with various staff
members and, by appointment, have consultations with our elders. These visits can be arranged by
simply writing or calling the director of the training center you wish to visit.
If there is a very serious commitment to start a new City of Refuge, it is sometimes helpful to
send a team of three of four people, who will be closely associated with the ministry, to investigate
all the different aspects of management of the recovery program, church, training, and the industries
that support the ministry.
Long--Term Internships
V. Long
If it is feasible to pursue further training by interning in an International Training Center,
arrangements can be made for qualified leaders to apprentice in the areas of their interest. Again, the
team approach is recommended because it would include pastoral, recovery, and administration. The
training period and financial commitment will be determined on an individual basis by the Director
of Training in each center.
Intern prospects need to exhibit the following criteria:
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Have a clear testimony of conversion and call to ministry and be able to articulate both in
a written prospective. Share previous leadership experiences.
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Be literate enough to comprehend an intensive study program requiring homework and
research.
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Be bilingual if planning to intern in a country that speaks a different language or have
someone on the team that can interpret on the same educational level.
•
Furnish several references from pastors and local church leaders.
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Have financial plan to take care of family obligations while training.
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Have passports and visas in order.
•
Be prepared to be economically self-sustaining while in program including airfare to and
from the training facility.
•
Be prepared to pay whatever charges the training center would set up for room and board
or have a scholarship that clearly provides for these needs.
•
Be economically prepared to take advantage of special seminars and workshops offered
in other facilities outside the host training center.
•
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Establish the length of training with host training center before arrival. This can range
from a one week “get acquainted” trip to a full year of intensive training.
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VI. Choose a Board of Advisors
And now a word to you elders of the church. I, too, am an elder; with my own eyes I
saw Christ dying on the cross; and I too, will share His glory and His honor when He
returns. Fellow elders, this is my plea to you: Feed the flock of God; care for it
willingly, not grudgingly; not for what you will get out of it, but because you are
eager to serve the Lord. Don’t be tyrants, but lead them by your good example, and
when the Head Shepherd comes, your rewards will be a never-ending share in His
glory and honor. You younger men, follow the leadership of those who are older. And
all of you serve each other with humble spirits, for God gives special blessings to
those who are humble, but sets himself against those who are proud. (I Peter 5:1-5)
We have stressed the importance of the visionary having a true calling from God to begin a City
of Refuge, but subsequent to that he could profit greatly by assembling a temporary transitional
Board of Advisors of men and women (certainly including his wife if he has one) who can help him
define and refine his vision. They should be elder type people both from the church and business
community who are experienced in administrating institutional ministries rather than evangelistic or
teaching ministries. These kinds of people will ask the hard questions necessary to understand and
operate a City of Refuge. This does not negate other valid ministries but it is most helpful to build
relationships with people who can best understand the day by day problems of management of a
residential recovery center.
It takes one kind of leadership to start a new ministry and another kind to keep it going. In
choosing first an Advisory Board instead of a permanent Board of Elders and Board of Trustees the
young leader can choose from a wide variety of people that he respects and he can later choose the
ones who will serve more permanent positions. You are only asking for a limited commitment to
help to pray and develop the organizational procedures necessary to start a new ministry. Most
experienced people, who are very busy minding their own business and ministries, are glad to serve
on a temporary, as-needed, basis. A one-day retreat would be sufficient to share the vision and spend
quality time in prayer together. This would be followed by further meetings with those who express
personal interest and want to share in the vision.
The Priority of Prayer
If God is the foundation and source of our provision He must be consulted in every aspect of the
birthing process. If we make “plans and ask Him to bless them” we will find ourselves limited to
human resources. To say that we are a Christ-centered organization has little meaning unless we are
led by His Spirit. (Romans 8:14) Jesus challenged His first followers by asking “Why do you call Me
Lord, Lord if you do not the things I say?” (Luke 6:46) He also confronted the pharisees by saying
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“You search the scriptures, for you believe they give you eternal life. And the scriptures point to Me!
Yet you won’t come to me so I can give you this life eternal!” (John 5:39-40 L.B.) It is important to
have a Biblically based program, but we must do more than give intellectual ascent to a statement of
theological beliefs. We must pray and seek to incorporate these principles into the lifestyles of our
communities. Most of us believe better than we behave in our prayer life. But in the fish bowl
environment of the City of Refuge we have to practice what we preach or we cannot maintain the
close relationships that make community possible.
Only as leadership teams spend quality time in prayer together can they really know His will and
acknowledge His leadership. We have found it most helpful to add journaling to our prayer meetings
so that we can individually listen to the Holy Spirit and record on paper the thoughts He places in
our minds. In our prayer retreat we give a significant time to personal prayer and journaling then
come back together and share what we have heard in the Spirit. “He that hath ears to hear, let him
hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:29) We then share corporately what we have
heard individually and have a secretary collect and record the journals so that we will have a
permanent record of our prayer meeting. We have been tremendously blessed by the unity of
direction and guidance that comes from this type of prayer meeting. I sincerely believe that the
leaders of the early church placed more importance on prayer than they did preaching. They prayed
ten days, preached ten minutes, and three thousand people were added to the church! But sadly the
modern church has reversed the procedure and we have lost the power and presence manifested in
the early church.
And after this prayer, the building where they were meeting shook and they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit and boldly preached God’s message. All the believers were
of one heart and mind, and no one felt that what he owned was his own; everyone was
sharing. And with great power gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of the
Lord Jesus; and great grace was upon them all. (Acts 4:31-33 L.B.)
VII. Start a Monthly Newsletter
People pray and support what they know about and feel part of.
Newsletters are a vital link to the larger community. Some things to
consider when producing a newsletter are:
1. Share your vision and define your call and commitment to
your program. Share your testimony.
2. It is vital to be truthful. Do not project your program to be
everything to everybody. Too broad a vision is a fantasy.
3. Expensive printing does not stimulate sacrificial giving.
4. Use lots of pictures and illustrations.
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Overcomerss or Celebrate Recovery Group
VIII. Start an Overcomer
After-care groups should be started in the community where you plan to locate your City of Refuge as a
means of reaching out to the addicts and their families even before you are ready to open. Many churches
or private homes would welcome a weekly meeting designed to lay the foundations for recovery and aftercare. Two of the most popular Christian groups are Overcomers and Celebrate Recovery.
It is also advisable to visit existing A.A. and N.A. groups in the area and share your vision with
them. Some groups are Christ-centered and some are very secular and resent people talking about
Christ but you will find friends and supporters in both groups if you ask for their support.
IX. Start
Start--Up Trustees
Definition: People who share the vision and are able to do hands-on and actual “work of the
ministry.” They are the pioneers who are 1) brave enough to venture into new territory and 2) strong
enough to do the hard work of building a City of Refuge from scratch using whatever materials are
available. But not every “worker” needs to be a trustee. Gifts of helps are different from gifts of
administration. Workers are necessary to build physical structures, but leadership is the skeleton that
holds up the Body of Christ. In the very beginning of a new ministry, it is very important to
understand these differentiations. Workers may well become staff members when the ministry is
opened, but trustees need to be mature and experienced in legal matters and governmental structures.
The Start-Up Board will be the legal carriers and guardians that have to give financial
accountability to the government and the donors. Even though their tenure is for a limited time that
is specified by the founder, some who have shown wisdom and loyalty to the vision will be asked to
remain on the board for the next stage. By having a one-year term, those who lose interest and make
no meaningful leadership contributions (not just financial) can be dropped from the board in a
gracious manner that will maintain friendship and healthy relationship. The number of start-up
trustees needs to be large enough to meet legal standards but small and well chosen enough to be
workable as a team. Their personal spirituality is far more important than their bank accounts.
X. Operational Boards of Trustees and Elders
As the organization grows, the Board of Trustees will need to grow to represent advice from
many areas of concern such as legal, medical, construction, government permitting, industry skills,
insurance, staff training and counseling, financial accountability, and fundraising. Some of the
original Board may become staff members and, if they are qualified, elders in the ministry, but the
Board of Trustees needs to be chosen to represent the ministry to the larger community.
Management will come from the eldership team that lives in the community, but trustees should be
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chosen from the larger community; however, they should be close enough to attend quarterly
meetings and special retreats and training sessions.
The Board of Elders is the management team of a City of Refuge and they too must be chosen
carefully and prayerfully. The leaders of the residential recovery program, the family recovery
program and the ministry training school should be your first three elders and they are sufficient for
the birthing of a new program. It is very important that they are men committed to a common vision
who have the longevity to raise up the next generation of elders using the Ephesians 4:11-12
principle of “equipping the Saints for the work of ministry.” It takes longer to raise elders than it
does to hire outside leaders but in the long run it pays huge dividends because it builds community
and keeps the ministry from being side-tracked by people who do not share the vision of the founders.
Ministry grows stronger when older men “come under” to support the leadership of the younger
leaders. They should take a mentoring role and invest themselves in raising up the next generation of
leaders. Christianity is like a relay race in that we pass the baton from one generation to the next. The
race is often won or lost in how well we pass the baton. If we are not growing in this area…we are dying!
The trustees and elders cover two different areas of
Mission - Outreach
(Local & International)
responsibility but they give the protection of double
accountability to the people who support the new City of
House Churches/
After-Care Groups
Refuge and a very safe covering for the people in all levels
of the program.
Church/Program Men/Families
Board meetings should be held in a business-like fashion
Staff
but most importantly in an atmosphere of spirituality and
Board of Trustees/Board of Elders
friendliness. A light luncheon of sandwiches and snacks
JESUS
"Other foundations can
preceding the meeting gives time for friendship building and
no man lay."
personal bonding. Serving communion and corporate prayer sets
the tone for the business meeting. Board members usually bring their families, and they are hosted
and entertained by the elder’s wives. After the meeting, the trustees, elders and their families are all
invited to a local restaurant or an outdoor barbeque for fellowship. Special suppers are planned
annually for trustees to meet staff members and their families.
XI. Establish Legal Accountability
If you plan to have a church meeting as part of your City of Refuge concept there are many
advantages in being organized and registered legally as a church. Our attorney advised us to move
our legal status from non-profit to church for many reasons. Our C.P.A. and attorney can give you
more information about the advantages in your particular situation.
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XII. Choose and Train Staff Members
“Moreover thou shall provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth
hating covetousness; and place them, to be rulers.” (Exodus 18:21)
To start a “one-man” show ministry without properly trained staff is an open invitation to burnout.
Time spent praying for and raising up staff is vital to the long-range health of any ministry. Finding
and training staff was Jesus’ first priority, and it should be ours also.
…And so become more and more in every way like Christ who is the Head of His
Body, the Church. Under His direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly,
and each part in its own special way helps the other parts, so that the whole body is
healthy and growing and full of love. (Ephesians 4:15b-16)
Insights on selecting staff for the City of Refuge:
•
Choose staff that are “team players” not superstars who will put “my ministry” ahead of
“our community.” They must show loyalty to the community and have stewardship of the
particular area that they are responsible for.
•
Choose healthy staff that are spiritually, physically, and emotionally well enough not to
need to spend unnecessary time and energy taking care of their own personal problems.
You will have a program full of sick people screaming for attention. Make sure your staff
is healthy enough to stand the stress and demands of recovery ministry. Don’t call “pink
ladies” (hospital volunteers) to work in the emergency room.
•
Be careful to look for traits of co-dependency in prospective staff members. If they serve
out of a need-to-be-needed they will soon shipwreck themselves and the ministry team.
•
Do not choose people that are “moody” with wide mood swings from elation to
depression. These kinds of people have a hard time functioning under the constant stress
of a residential ministry. The “blue Monday’s whiners” reek havoc on a busy Monday
morning staff meeting.
•
Give preference to home-grown leaders that have shown loyalty to the church and
the community.
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XIII. Build a Proposed Budget for First Year of Operation
Things to consider:
•
Cost of Property – Rent or Mortgage Payment
•
Legal Fees
•
Operating Expenses.
1. Food.
2. Transportation
3. Telephone
4. Staff Salaries
5. Taxes
6. Medical & Dental Care
7. Insurance: Cars, Health, Fire, Liability, etc.
8. Curriculum Cost
9. Furniture and Educational Equipment
10. Miscellaneous
The first year budget is the hardest because you have no budget history so the best you can do is
estimate. Most C.P.A.’s, ministry bookkeepers or attorney’s can give you a rough outline of areas
that you need to contain in your first budget. The second year budget should be easier and your
executive committee will be more experienced.
XV. Ch
Choose
oose a Place to Start
It is very important to check all county and city zoning laws and ordinances in whatever place
you want to locate your new ministry. This must be number one on your list of priorities. Many
people have neglected this discipline to their own failure. I have known people who have purchases
or rented properties and even started their ministries without checking with zoning officials and they
were later closed down even before they were hardly started. You will save yourself a lot of grief by
having your lawyer check the zoning requirements before you choose a place to start.
The zoning permits are often very slow to get approved and usually have to be passed by several
departments in both county and city governments. Be sure that you have all of your 501-3-C
paperwork finished and your Board of Trustees in place before you apply for zoning. Now you are
ready to choose a facility – permanent or temporary – to start your new City of Refuge.
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XVI.
XVI. Start Small and Grow Slow
Remember quality is better than quantity. Many ministries fail because they try to begin on too large
a scale, and they overextend their untrained staff causing undue stress and burnout. They place the needs
of the people in their programs ahead of their families and their own spiritual growth and health. This is
poor stewardship and bad management and it will shipwreck a new ministry in a short while.
Bigger is not better in dealing with addicts. You can warehouse people in large numbers, but you
can only disciple as many as you can “father.” Government housing projects are a sad commentary
of this principle.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day”…neither are Cities of Refuge! We must plan for the long haul by
carefully administrating our reserves of energy and financial resources. The staff workers are the
roots that that sustain the tree that bears the fruit. If they are neglected, the tree will ultimately die,
and there will be no “fruit that abides.”
And they shall rebuild the ancient ruins repairing cities long ago destroyed, reviving
them though they have lain there many generations. Foreigners shall be your
servants; they shall feed your flocks and plow your fields, and tend your vineyards.
You shall be called priests of the Lord, ministers of God; you shall be fed with the
treasures of the nations and shall glory in their riches. (Isaiah 61:4-6 L.B.)
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C I T I E S
!
O F
R E F U G E
"
NOW YOU ARE NO LONGER STRANGERS TO GOD AND FOREIGNERS TO
HEAVEN, BUT ARE MEMBERS OF GOD’S VERY OWN FAMILY, CITIZENS OF
GOD’S COUNTRY, AND YOU BELONG IN GOD’S HOUSEHOLD WITH EVERY
OTHER CHRISTIAN. WHAT A FOUNDATION YOU STAND ON NOW: THE
APOSTLES AND PROPHETS AND THE CORNERSTONE OF THE BUILDING IS JESUS
CHRIST HIMSELF! WE WHO BELIEVE ARE CAREFULLY JOINED TOGETHER WITH
CHRIST AS PARTS OF A BEAUTIFUL, CONSTANTLY GROWING TEMPLE OF GOD
AND YOU ARE JOINED WITH HIM AND EACH OTHER BY THE SPIRIT AND ARE
PART OF THE DWELLING PLACE OF GOD. (EPHESIANS 2:19-22 L.B.)
The purpose of this chapter is to help founders of new ministries have some simple guidelines
and suggestions that might help facilitate the formational stage of their governmental structure.
Government is the skeleton that supports the Body of Christ, and it is one of your most important
assets. It should be in place before purchasing property or formally opening a recovery center.
A clear, well-defined organizational structure defines areas of responsibility, insures integrity in
its operation and safeguards it from becoming a cult through improper leadership by providing a
system of checks and balances. It also encourages participation of a larger part of the Body of Christ.
We have no ambition to organize or operate any new facilities other than our established models.
We exist for the sole purpose of training and networking resources; we are not managers of network
facilities. Our mission teams go out by “invitation-only” to local and international ministries whose
leaders have trained in our International Training Centers to assist them in training their local
emerging leaders, not to manage their programs as a substitute for local leadership.
Governmental systems can be different according to the choice of local leadership. They should
choose the model most appropriate for their individual needs. We offer our local models only for
your study and comparison, not in an effort to legislate to local authority. We have produced this
study simply as an example that has worked for us.
I. Consider Traditional Forms of Government
Basically, there are five different forms of church government. There are many small varieties
of these five forms, but for our purposes, a brief review of these five will be adequate.
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One Man Rule
This form is found in many new ministries just being birthed and in most
Pastor
independent churches. One person makes the major decisions and sets goals
for the organization. He is the single source of inspiration, vision, and
new ideas for programs. This system is weak at best…dangerous at
worst. As the one-man leadership goes, so goes the church.
The temptations that accompany this form are legion. This
position of prominence, with its autocratic power to form
church power and its freedom from restrictions, can cause even the strongest saint to forget the
admonition of the Apostle Paul:
For I say…to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than
he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man a
measure of faith. For we have many members in one body, and all members have not
the same office, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and everyone members
one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us,
whether prophecy, let us prophecy according to the proportion of our faith; or
ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that
exhorteth, on exhortation; he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth
with diligence; he that showeth mercy with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:3-8)
The “boss” mentality almost always insures disaster in
the long run. A ministry may flourish for a season
under the leadership of a strong, charismatic leader.
He “gets things done,” and his personal drive and
ambition can carry a ministry far. But if the single
source leader burns out from overwork or gets on a
theological “detour” that leads into a cult the whole
community will suffer from his failure.
Jim Jones and a host of well-known television evangelists sailed into the dangerous waters of
one-man rule and shipwrecked themselves and all who were on board with them. In this type of
government everything goes well when there are no problems. Government is not vital when
everything is peaceful. But when the storms come, and they inevitably will, they will wreck the
ministry because it is built on a foundation that is too small and weak.
“He that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built a house upon the
earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that
house was great.” (Luke 6:49)
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Most recovery ministries start as we did a “Mom & Pop” operation. The Salvation Army, Faith
Farms, Keswick Colony of Mercy, Bridges of America, and a host of other recovery programs
started in the heart of one man and his family. But those who have passed their ministries to
succeeding generations are those who have provided organizational structure and have raised up the
next generation of leadership.
Dunklin Camp went through a crisis period in 1977 when the founder crashed an airplane and sustained
injuries that incapacitated him for several months. Because an eldership had not been formed and trained to
take over many facets of running even a small City of Refuge that included a residential recovery center,
church, and training & counseling program, the work greatly suffered because one man had been wearing
three hats. It is an illusion to think that one man can do three men’s work no matter how hard he works and
how many hours he puts in every day. The intensity and stress of working in recovery type ministries will
produce burn-out, workaholism, and an imbalance between personal family time and prayer time with God
unless there is a ministry team to share the responsibilities of the community.
This crisis forced us to restructure and begin to develop leadership that would become part of the
permanent management team. The founder now finds great joy in seeing and serving the next generation of
leaders and takes comfort in knowing that the ministry he has given his life to will pass to future generations.
Congregational Form of Government
This is sometimes called the “people’s party.” It is usually an unlimited
democracy where the majority of votes rule the organization. The minister has
no ruling power beyond that he is a regular member of the congregation. He
is simply hired to preach and teach and administer the sacraments. This
popular form of government makes the ministry entirely dependent on
Pastor
the will and action of the people.
The history of the Israelites was jeopardized continually by their popular democratic urges. From
the day they left Egypt, the “voice of the people” was at variance with the “men of God” who were
chosen by God to lead them. It culminated in their cry to be rid of God’s ministers and judges, end
the theocracy, and by popular demand, adopt a monarch like the pagan nations around them.
Board or Council Control
In general, this consists of a council of trustees, deacons, or a group of
prominent members, who are businessmen, and they, among other things, hire
and fire the pastors. The trustees are usually elected for a term from the
general membership of the congregation. Since one of their duties is to
keep the pastor in line, so to speak, they add a dimension of checks
and balances to a church that is absent in a one-man government.
Council
Board
Pastor
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The trustees make major decisions for the church, manage much of the administration, and
determine the feasibility of programs and projects for the church. The role of the pastor is usually
confined to performing religious rites and preaching on Sundays. He is controlled and answerable to
the board or council. Sometimes the men on the board are called elders but they are usually
businessmen, primarily, not spiritual elders or ordained ministers.
Central or External Control
This form of government is externally controlled by a regional or
national headquarters or some external organization. This external
control may be an order of bishops, independent and self-perpetuating,
a supreme pontiff, or a denominational headquarters.
When there are problems, the external organization has
authority over the local church, usually because they own the
property. They can remove the pastor or any local boards.
This form of government is practiced by the Catholic and
most Protestant denominations. It has great strengths and limitations. It has served well in the
establishment and support of mission churches and ministries all over the world and should not be
seen in a negative manner. It has in the past and still does provide
structure for many Christian organizations that have played a major part
in building the Kingdom of God on earth.
The Dunklin model is not in protest to accountability and
authoritative leadership. We offer this overview so that our
students can be aware of different forms of government and that
each new City of Refuge may choose for them selves the
structure that best serves their ministry.
Eldership Team Management
Here, several ministers (spiritual elders)
work together to shepherd the congregation
of the local church. Together, as a
team, they minister to the people
whom God has set in the local body.
It could be termed “team-ministry” or
the Servant Leadership Model.
The Bible gave God’s perspective on this matter when Paul wrote:
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Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one…for we are laborers together with God:
You are God’s husbandry, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is
given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundations, and another buildeth
thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can
no man lay than that that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (I Corinthians 3:8-11)
A single horse hooked to a wagon can pull six tons. Two horses together can pull thirty-two tons. That
is the power of synergy. Synergy is the concept that the whole is greater than the sum total of its parts. “And
five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight.” (Leviticus 2: 6-8)
To study the servant leadership model that we have chosen to base the Dunklin ministries on we
have to begin at the foundation and work upward.
II. Eldership Team Job Description
“And He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and
teachers.” (Ephesians 4:11)
These five-fold ministry gifts are gifted men to the church. They are our Father’s second gift; the
first being His “only begotten son.” These men have come into covenant relationships with each
other and have a common commitment to the welfare of our community. Their gifts and talents are
all different, but their vision is the same. They are true shepherds not hirelings or employees. They
feel called by the Lord both to serve each other and to provide leadership for the whole community.
This is a lifetime commitment. Our senior elders have served together for many years and our junior
elders are being mentored to take their places on the eldership team.
Their defined role is to:
•
Give apostolic covering for the City of Refuge.
•
They are the “vision-casters” that impart vision to the staff, Board of Trustees, and the public.
•
Give leadership both to the planning and the management of all the varied ministries of
the corporate community.
•
They appoint the Board of Trustees – careful to choose men and women who share their
vision and who are committed to serve the City of Refuge.
•
They administrate policy and solve problems for the staff.
•
They are responsible for the financial distributions – and give a quarterly financial
accountability to the Board of Trustees.
•
They appoint an Executive Committee, consisting of the Camp Director, an elder, and a
member of the Board of Trustees (usually the Chairman) to make day to day decisions
about personnel problems, policy, and monetary expenditures for sums up to a
predetermined cap set by the combined boards.
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The elders and Board of Trustees should function in unified service in their relationship
with each other and with the staff. There should be a consensus of direction and purpose.
As any conflict or disagreement arises, it should be resolved through communication and
prayer with a focus and desire to yield to the Holy Spirit. The Lord provides great
security and safety through their collective wisdom in the Body of Christ.
III. Board of Trustees
“Look out among you, seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, which we
may appoint over this business.” (Acts 6:3)
We owe a great debt of gratitude for their sacrificial service to our City of Refuge. They have
served Dunklin with services in medical care, legal advice, accounting, agricultural skills, and
construction needs. They have helped us learn budgeting and administrative skills, and most of all
they have loved the staff and men at Dunklin and have provided for our welfare in a thousand ways.
They are a tremendous asset to the ministry at Dunklin.
Their defined responsibilities are:
•
They are ultimately responsible for the financial, legal, physical needs and well being of
the ministry. They hold the elders and staff accountable in these areas.
•
They are responsible for planning and procuring needs of the City of Refuge. No largescale indebtedness should ever be considered without their complete agreement.
•
They, in harmony with the elders, must take responsibility for the physical, financial, and
spiritual welfare of the staff and their families.
•
Above all else, they are vision-seers. They must be like-minded and in relationship with
God and the body.
Insights on selecting people for the Board of Trustees:
•
Look for prospective board members who meet the qualifications as deacons
(I Timothy 3:1-13) with servant hearts and a strong spiritual testimony.
•
Pray that God will provide people who have experience and gifts in areas of finance,
medical care, legal counsel, and management skills that they can share with the elders.
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•
They must be “team players” not “lone rangers.” Beware of people who have a
Diotrephes (III John 9) spirit of control and domination.
•
They must have a genuine love for the Lord and for the people in the City of Refuge.
•
Don’t put anyone on the Board without prayerfully asking God.
•
Don’t automatically place friends or family on the board. It is not a popularity contest.
•
Don’t look for “yes” people who are hero worshippers.
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•
Invite prospective board members to sit in on a few meetings to observe and ask
questions to be sure they want to serve.
•
Stress the importance of attending all scheduled meetings. Set quarterly meetings and
annual retreat dates for the whole year at the last fiscal board meeting when you elect
new officers for the next year.
The Executive Committee
The Executive Committee exists by the authority and at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees. It
is made up of four members. These members are decision makers for changes or amendments to
policy or budget between scheduled board meetings. Because board meetings are held quarterly and
situations arise on an every day basis, it is necessary to have this committee to handle the day-to-day
situations of the Camp. At the quarterly board meeting, this committee is responsible for giving a
detailed account of any changes made in the budget or in policy. When selecting these board
members, it is important to choose members who are in close proximity to the Camp.
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Family
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Alcohol
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IV. Jesus the Greatest Leader
“Other foundations can no man lay than that is laid by Jesus Christ.” (I Corinthians 3:11)
To say that we are a “Christ-centered” organization has little meaning unless we are truly led by
His Spirit. (Romans 8:14) Jesus confronted his first followers by asking “Why do you call Me,
‘Lord, Lord,’ if you do not the things I say.” It is important to have a Biblically based program, but
we must do more than give intellectual ascent to a statement of Biblical beliefs. We must pray and
study to incorporate these principles into the lifestyle of our communities. Most of us believe better
than we behave. But in the fish bowl environment of the City of Refuge we have to practice what we
preach or we cannot maintain the close relationships that make community possible.
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Only as our leadership teams spend quality time in prayer together can we know His will and
acknowledge His leadership. We have two scheduled elders meetings each week. On Mondays, we
pray together and discuss the activities for the coming week. On Wednesdays, we meet for a prayer
meeting where we only pray for and ask for His manifested presence over all the parts of our
ministry including intercessory prayer for the international missions.
It is very helpful to have regular retreats, away from your ministry, so that you can spend
extended times in uninterrupted prayer seeking God’s guidance for direction and His wisdom to
know how to deal with problems and projects.
Jesus Christ is the ultimate model for all leadership models, styles, and concepts. He was and is
the universal leader. His leadership applies in all cultures and in all times.
The following description of the servant leadership of the Lord Jesus, by William MacDonald, is
a measuring stick for our own methods and activities in light of the lifestyle of the world’s greatest
leader. If we are to truly serve people and nations, we must walk in the footsteps of the Master.
These footsteps are clearly laid out below:
1. Jesus clearly envisioned the destination to which He was leading His people – the
Kingdom of God. The first principle of His leadership was that He knew precisely where
he would lead the faithful and how to get there. Reversals and mid-course corrections
were unnecessary under His leadership. (Luke 9:51, 22:15-16)
2. Jesus led without forcing His values on anyone or coercing anyone into following. That
is, He never drafted anyone in violation of individual autonomy. Much prayer preceded
the call of those who would be His closest colleagues in ministry. (Luke 6:12-13)
3. Jesus was not obsessed with gaining the psychological power of great numbers of warm
bodies. Volunteers who would not pay the price of total commitment were turned away
rather than being signed on their own terms. (Luke 9:57-62)
4. Jesus won the hearts of His followers by leading through friendship rather than fear. He
shared with them His secrets and His strategy as rapidly as they could benefit from and
implement them. (Luke 18:26-30)
5. Jesus had no reason to hide His human finitude by impressive staging. Instead of
barricading Himself in accessibility (behind walls and many subordinates), He ate and
slept with the troops, leaving them only for quiet times alone with His Father. Even little
children had access to Him. (Luke 18:15-17)
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6. Jesus was unafraid as all great leaders must be. The visible faces of clay could neither
intimidate nor dissuade Him from His objectives. Nor could the invisible powers of
darkness deter Him from accomplishing His mission. (Luke 13:31-35)
7. Jesus never compromised His moral integrity in order to accomplish His objectives in His
revolution. He operated above demeaning dirty tricks, back-door gifts, assassinations,
rash unredeemable promises, or even flattery. (Luke 11:52-54)
8. Jesus was patently selfless in His motives of leadership. He sought to bring believers to
the depth of experience with His Father that He already enjoyed. (Luke 10:22)
9. Instead of providing distracting entertainment for people to enable them to forget
momentarily their confusion, guilt, suffering, loneliness, and unmet needs, Jesus provided
solutions, corrections, and resources to meet those basic needs. The result for believers
was a lasting foundation for joy. (Luke 4:40-44, 9:37-43)
10. Jesus did not squander nature and its resources; He took control as Adam was told to do,
taking “dominion” without wasting or polluting, in order to utilize nature to bless and
help humanity. (Luke 9:17)
11. Jesus, a forceful public speaker, could hold the attention of large gatherings without
taking advantage of people. His speech was spiced with colorful, unforgettable sayings
and illustrations. When facing large crowds, He did not become superheated and
tyrannical. There were no harangues, but always with them, there was a deepening of His
compassion. He gave clear and simple directions for finding one’s way into the Kingdom
of God. (Luke 5:1, 8:14-15, 13:22-30)
12. Jesus was appropriately tough or tender in dealing with everyone and every crisis. He gained
the respect and loyalty of men and women alike. His leadership style of personal relationships
fit the situation with just the right amount of pressure being asserted in every case.
13. Jesus never “pled poverty” for the Kingdom of God, “took” offerings by psychological
jerks, or extracted monies legalistically from the reluctant. Likewise, He never did refuse
people the privilege of giving who offered their gifts prompted by love. (Luke 8:1-3)
14. Jesus’ genuine wholesomeness was that of a man who was sure of Himself. This made it
possible for people to confidently put their faith in Him and to gladly follow Him. His winsomeness consisted of a perfect balance between self-assurance and affability. (Luke 23:47)
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15. Jesus was the concrete expression of what He taught. (Luke 6:20-49) If one could not
clearly understand where He was leading by what He was saying, he could find the same
truths expressed and reinforced in Jesus’ whole demeanor and activities. Those who were
not abstract thinkers (four out of ten) could see the truth unfurled in His unforgettable
actions and lifestyle. (Luke 23:47)
16. Jesus was able to lead effectively and with full respect without the advantages of special
identifying clothing and insignia that are universally recognized as symbols of authority.
Royalty, the priesthood (Exodus 28:2) and the military must all step down to this leader
dressed in ordinary clothes (and a special anointing) whose presence commanded respect
wherever He was. (Luke 4:18-22)
17. In decision-making, Jesus was neither indecisive nor rash. Prayerfulness was the fulcrum of
His administration. Hence, the Kingdom of God was never held back for want of resolute
action, not did it lurch forward on opportunistic whims and crash programs. (Luke 6:12-16)
18. The power that Jesus tapped was not that whose source was in individuals; rather it was
the power given Him by God. This made it possible for Him always to have something
valuable to give freely to the people who followed Him. (Most worldly leaders
aggrandize power by first taking it from people, abrogating some of their rights and
confiscating certain of their resources; and later in a display of paternalism they return
some of what was previously taken.) Jesus did not need to do that for He depended
heavily on divine resources to found the Kingdom of God. (Luke 3:2, cf. Acts 10:38)
19. Jesus was consistently resolute in that He followed through to the end with His goals for
the Kingdom. He would not surrender His aims for lesser ones when the going became
difficult and His leadership was misunderstood. Thus, He never backed off from the fulltime responsibility of leadership. (Luke 22:45-51)
20. Jesus knew well His followers and dealt with each one appropriately – not using the same
patterns of assignment and expectation with such diverse men as Peter and John. He
cultivated the development of the two-talent man and the one twice as talented by giving
each the proper resources and relationship in which to develop. (John 21:17-22)
21. Jesus knew how to pace both Himself and the revolution, sensing when to advance and
when to withdraw from the crowds of people, when to refuel, and when to face up to His
most trying hours. In the words of the Old Testament, He knew when and how “to go in
and out among the people” and as a result His timing was never off. (Luke 9:18-27, 19:28)
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22. Jesus’ settled concept of His own identity and of the One who sent Him made His
leadership rise above popularity. Therefore, He was psychologically impervious to
popular praise of Himself – it did not inflate Him – and to negative criticism of Him – it
did not deflate Him. Knowing at all times what the Father thought of Him gave great
evenness and steadiness to His leadership. (Luke 4:22, 28, 29, 19:37-41)
23. Jesus had a uniquely positive revolutionary methodology. (John 18:36)
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Not arms, but faith, hope, and love.
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Not explosives, but mountain-moving faith.
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Not sabotage of the enemy, but doing good to those hating you.
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Not fear, but love that crowds out all fear.
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Not crowd-pleasing propaganda, but the truth.
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Not firing squads, but raising the dead.
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Not deceit and intrigue, but parables, proverbs and enigmas.
24. Jesus accomplished His revolution without dependence on the power structures of the
world. He operated without any of the following standard foundations for kingdoms:
(Luke 20:1-8, 19:26)
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Institutional backing.
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Political machines and party affiliation.
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Government support or anti-government patriotism.
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Class-struggle exploitation – playing on desires for upward mobility.
25. Jesus met all of mankind’s deepest needs – those that only the Creator and Savior of man
can supply. Consequently, He is the only leader of all time that when the deepest
gratitude of followers wells up, and admiration calls for praise and exultation, it is not
wrong to actually worship this leader as LORD AND GOD. (Luke 24:52)
Testament
V. Government of New Testa
ment by Eldership
God’s form of government is theocratic in character. That is to say, God chooses, calls and
equips certain persons to be leaders and rulers over His people, investing and delegating them with
degrees of authority according to His will. These persons are most commonly called “elders,” and in
any given group of elders, God generally places the mantle of leadership upon some one elder. This
does not exalt the elder above the other elders but sets him in responsibility as “first among equals.”
It is instinct to follow a leader. It reveals the need to be governed. If this need is not met then
there is confusion and frustration. If men do not have leadership they will create it. Someone has to
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lead. Isaiah’s times revealed this. When the mighty men had failed, they wanted to take someone to
lead and be their ruler. The end result was that “children and women ruled over them.” That is,
immature and weak leadership took the lead. (Isaiah 3)
Leadership in the church is not arrived at by “the law of the jungle,” i.e. “the survival of the
fittest.” This is not the way it is in the Kingdom of God. Jesus reproved the disciples for the wrong
motive and desire to exercise lordship and authority over the people as did the Gentiles (Luke 22:24-27;
1 Peter 5:3). It is because Christ Himself, as risen Head of the Church, calls equips and places His
mantle of leadership on that person to lead the flock of God. Final decisions for direction must be
upon someone, otherwise there is confusion, frustration and lack of direction for the people of God.
The thing that “the Chief Elder” has to beware of is that Diotrephes spirit and attitude, the desire
to have the pre-eminence. He has to truly recognize that he himself is an elder AMONG other elders;
and NOT an elder ABOVE other elders!
Though no one man is especially designated “pastor” in Acts or the Epistles, yet some one
person and the mantle of leadership and direction on them and worked closely with other elders who
provided checks and balances for him.
They were chief men among the brethren. They were set men among the eldership and
recognized as such.
Having seen that God does raise up leaders of His people in “the set man,” what then is the safeguard
against this man becoming a dictator or autocrat? What “checks and balances” does the Lord provide to
prevent a monarchial Bishop from taking the pre-eminence as did Diotrephes? (III John 9, 10)
The answer is seen in the plurality or multiple eldership and co-equality of such persons. These
provide the checks and balances for the “Chief Elder” who is “first among equals.” He is first in
leadership but certainly not exalted above the other elders.
The number of elders in any local church will depend on the enlargement of the flock of God.
Smaller churches may be governed by one elder until the flock comes to increase. The number of elders
is basically determined by the need and by those who are qualified scripturally to fulfill that office.
VI. Counterfeit Cities of Refuge
Satan is a master counterfeiter, and he has cleverly contaminated many ministries that offer
assistance to addicts, abused, and wounded people. Ministries can become cults that control clients
into institutional dependency and promote a belief system of counterfeit gospel that promises
freedom but produces bondage.
But there were false prophets, too, in those days, just as there will be false teachers
among you. They will cleverly tell their lies about God, turning against even their
Master who bought them; but theirs will be a swift and terrible end. Many will follow
their evil teaching that there is nothing wrong with sexual sin. And because of them
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Christ and His way will be scoffed at. These teachers in their greed will tell you
anything to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago and their
destruction is on the way. (II Peter 2:1-3)
Cults prey on lonely, hurting people who desperately need acceptance, physical help, and family
structure to replace broken relationships caused by substance abuse. When help is offered by people
clothed in religious garments and showing concern and compassion, sheep will follow any person
that looks and speaks like a shepherd.
Jim Jones & the People’s Temple
The People’s Temple was established by Jim Warren Jones initially as an inter-racial mission for
the sick, homeless, and jobless. Jones was an ordained minister of the Disciples of Christ
Denomination and a graduate of Indiana University. During the 1950’s, Jones amassed a following
of over 900 people in Indianapolis, Indiana. He later moved the group to Ukiah, California after an
inquiry into his “cures” for certain serious illnesses began. During the mid-1970’s after an exposé in
a magazine expressed concern about apparent illegal activities, Jones moved most of his followers
once again, but this time he went further, they moved onto a 4,000 acre piece of land deep in the
jungles of Guyana.
He named the town Jonestown after himself, and they established the People’s Temple
Agricultural Project – where they raised animals for food and a variety of tropical fruits and
vegetables to eat and to sell. Jones developed a belief called “translation” – this belief centered
around he and his followers all dying together and moving to another planet that would offer nothing
but bliss. They even held practice mass suicides where the followers would pretend to drink poison
and then fall to the ground. During the late 1970’s, Jim began abusing prescription drugs which led
to increased paranoia. As rumors spread of human rights abuse, Congressman Leo Ryan went to visit
Jonestown, Guyana for a personal inspection. As the congressman was about to leave after an
apparently successful trip, sixteen of Jones’ followers wanted to leave with him. While waiting at the
airport, armed security guards from Jonestown came and opened fire on the 17 people there. Five
people were killed, and eleven were wounded. Fearing retribution, they reached a consensus to
commit group suicide. 638 adults followers and 276 children died. Some of them died by drinking
cyanide-laced kool-aid, and others appeared to have been murdered. A few followers did survive by
fleeing into the jungle.
The People’s Temple organization did not survive the mass suicide/murder in Guyana.
Jonestown stands as just one of the examples of a counterfeit City of Refuge. Because of wayward
leadership and wounded followers, it is a prime example of what results when agendas that are not
God’s are substituted for His ministry. What began as a compassionate outreach to hurting humanity
ended in a deadly tragedy.
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Hippie Communes
The most prominent non-Christian Cities of Refuge are probably the hippie
communes that sprang up all over the United States and Europe in the 1960’s and
1970’s. The majority of these communes were birthed out of the “Jesus Movement” –
a revival that began in North America. After a trip to Amsterdam during Festival (the
Netherlands equivalent to the Caribbean’s “Carnival” – which was little more than a
huge drug party around bonfires), Chuck Smith, an evangelist, received a calling to
reach out to these hippies and began preaching to them at the beaches or wherever
they could be found. He then began discipling them in houses that later became
communities. They began growing vegetable gardens and raising animals (at the nonvegetarian communes) to feed the entire commune. If one person was sick, the
community came together to pay the medical bills, watch the children, and even clean
the house of the sick member.
From these first houses, many leaders went out and opened communes that were
open to anyone who wanted to know Jesus, reject the morals of established society,
and advocated non-violence. These communities were not places of “free love” or
drug use at their start…that came later. The start of these communities was much like
the beginning of modern Cities of Refuge and their starting beliefs were very similar
to our own. They began by believing that Jesus is the only Way and that they were
their brother’s keeper. These same beliefs founded the modern day Cities of Refuge.
Because each commune had its own leaders and each leader had his own rules and
agenda, many discrepancies began showing up in community belief systems and
morals. In most cases, the work ethic of these communes became scarce to none.
Outside the communes, hippies frequently made their living by begging, selling
drugs, or holding sidewalk concerts with their guitars and tambourines. Inside the
communes, some of their vegetable gardens turned to marijuana fields. Growing
marijuana was not sustainable agriculture but simply another example of the moral
decline of their communities. Because there was no apostolic covering or an adequate
system of accountability, the moral structure of their society began to crumble.
Imagine if Paul had not visited or written the letters to the New Testament churches.
Chaos would have been the end result. Each church living as they saw fit. In these
communes, what began as “praise and worship” meetings around the campfire gave
way to lustful, naked dances and, finally, to orgies. How did something that started
out with good Biblical concepts go so wayward? The answer is simple. In most cases,
leadership without strong Christian morals and convictions crept in and destroyed the
“harmonious” communion with God. In others, anarchy is the answer. Strong,
Christian leadership was rejected for what made them feel good. This is the same as
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when Moses was with God on Mt. Sinai and the Israelites took off their clothes and
had an orgy while they worshipped the golden calf. Their own pleasure and comfort
became more important to them than God. Then, as time rolled on, the very concepts
and beliefs their communities were built on diminished.
While it is true that hippie communes are a working model, they have failed in the
global sense because of a lack of Godly leadership and a refusal to follow this
leadership when it could be found. Another reason for their global failure is they
didn’t reach out to their surrounding communities to help them. They did not go back
to the beaches they came from and help more people just like themselves. In the long
run, their belief in God and Jesus can be summed up like this: “I take God as I
understand Him.” This New Age theology has deified people and humanized God
into the role of servant. Now that forty years has passed since the beginning of these
hippie communes, they are most closely identified as New Ageists, which is an 180
turn from their roots as the first “Jesus Freaks!”
Amanda Slade
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Placing people in their gifting is usually quite easy in the case of administrators. Administrators
think in boxes and are organizers by nature. Men and women who are willing to take responsibility
for their lives, their spirituality, and the lives of others at the Camp become servant leaders in areas
of their gifting. While the men are “on the job” at the City of Refuge, they follow this structure.
Most often times, they share responsibility and take one or more positions in this structure. For
example, the Camp’s Executive Director may also be the industries manager and the administrator.
The Model of Daily Working Administration for the City of Refuge
Executive Director
Regeneration Program
Program Men & Their Families
Administrator
Office Management
Bookkeeping, Purchasing Agent, & Food Services
Industries Manager
Supervisors & Program Men
Pastors
Church Family
Training Director
Visitors: National & International
There are many aspects to the administrative procedures and policies of a City of Refuge. The
team approach is widely used in these procedures to effectively incorporate an accountability system
or “checks and balances.” The other reason for the overlap in job duties is to provide support and
help especially in these administrative areas. Again, we must remember that the bulk of the staff
comes up through the recovery program, and pressures and responsibilities without any reprieve can
cause burnout or relapse. The purpose of this accountability is to maintain the high standard of
honesty and integrity in which we operate.
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The Executive Committee, discussed in chapter three, makes decisions pertaining to finances,
budget, resources, operations, etc. The Office Staff consists of the following positions: the Program
Director, the Administrator, the Bookkeeper, a Secretary and Receptionist. This Office Staff works
under the close supervision of the Executive Director. In addition to these five team members, there
are a number of people working under the Program Director, Administrator, and Bookkeeper to
provide additional support and accountability in organizing and facilitating the following list of
administrative functions.
I. Insurance
Insurance differs from region to region depending upon county, state, or national requirements.
However, it is a very necessary aspect of business for a City of Refuge that ensures protection from
accidents, weather, litigation, and many other unforeseeable situations. To alleviate any problems, or
“gray areas,” it is vital to acquire an insurance agent that specializes in each area of coverage. It is
important to note that the Administrator is primarily responsible for executing this area of operations.
The following is a list of insurance policies held by Dunklin Memorial Camp:
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General & Professional Liability Insurance: General liability provides coverage for
bodily injury or property damage to third parties (i.e. guests, clients, and visitors).
Professional liability offers coverage for damages arising out of an error or mistake made
in rendering or failing to render professional services.
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Worker’s Compensation Insurance: This insurance protects all employees of the
organization. It covers any bodily injury by accident. *Note: This insurance does not
cover the men in the program during regular work hours because they are not employees
of the Camp. This work is a part of their treatment program.
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Directors and Officers Liability Insurance: This insurance protects all directors and
officers against litigation for a breach of fiduciary liability, negligence, bad faith, and/or
unauthorized conduct.
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Fleet Insurance: This covers all automobiles utilized by the City of Refuge as well as the
drivers of the Camp vehicles.
All of the insurances listed above are absolutely necessary for the City of Refuge to operate in a
safe and legal manner. There are many other areas of coverage that may be necessary depending
upon the supporting industries of the organization. Some of these are listed below.
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Citrus (Crop) Insurance: Crop insurance provides coverage for any damage to the fruit or
tree devastation due to inclement weather or any other act of nature.
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Petroleum Liability Insurance: This is necessary only if you are holding or storing large
amounts of fuel and/or oil and have been permitted to do so. This protects against any
damage caused by leaks and/or explosions.
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Health Insurance: If at all feasible, it is great to offer the staff the benefit of group health
insurance. Again, it is best to research this particular area of coverage. There are many
different possibilities, and it is recommended to utilize an agent to aid in initiating this
process. The Administrator assumes the position of Group Health Benefits Coordinator.
This position requires handling the correspondence between group members and the
insurance provider and helping to alleviate any claim situations.
Each City of Refuge must make their own decisions regarding the areas of insurance that are
required. There are insurance policies of varying coverage and degrees, but not all policies are
necessary. Choose what is ideal for your particular situation.
II. Purchasing
Purchasing can be very demanding and costly if not done effectively. Either the Administrator
handles this area of operation himself, or he utilizes a Purchasing Agent depending upon the
magnitude of the organization.
The Purchasing Agent must be aware of the needs of every department, the needs of the camp as a
whole, the policies of the Camp toward spending and what is available to be spent. Therefore, at the end
of each week, the Purchasing Agent gives all industry/ work crew supervisors a requisition form. The
supervisor lists by item what he needs to complete his assigned jobs for the week. This form is then
turned into the Purchasing Agent by Monday at 12:00 p.m. The Purchasing Agent assesses what will be
bought that week according to job priority, budgets, and whether or not the item can be delivered or has
to be picked up. The Purchasing Agent’s job is not just to fill orders but to pray about each expenditure.
Nothing should be purchased or ordered without the knowledge of the Purchasing Agent in
accordance with the approval of the Administrator or Executive Director. When ordering over the
phone or picking up materials from suppliers, a purchase order number should be obtained from the
seller. This is for your own protection, and it will minimize problems that could arise.
III. Account Receivables (Industry)
Account receivables are handled primarily between the Bookkeeper and the Administrator.
Working together, they track and keep up-to-date of inputting invoices into the system and
contacting overdue accounts. At the time of purchase, all customers receive an itemized ticket
detailing their purchase. This information is then placed into the accounting system and categorized
by month. After thirty days, if payment has not been received, the Administrator faxes a copy of the
purchase to the client and follows up with a phone call. Arrangements are then discussed in regards
to collection of the account. After ninety plus days without receiving payment, it may be necessary
to send a letter – stipulating dates and requirements of payment – to the customer. All of this is done
while maintaining a good working relationship with your customers.
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IV.. Licenses & Permits
IV
Licenses and permits are not acquired by choice, but rather because they are required by Federal,
State, and Local authorities. The Administrator should have a general understanding of what is
necessary to operate and maintain a City of Refuge in accordance with these governing agencies. An
Operations Manager or Supervisor is very beneficial in helping to keep updated with changes or new
requirements for each particular area. After initially passing inspection and receiving the permit to
operate, annual inspections will authorize continued use or demand changes for continuance. It is
impossible to list all the institutions and their enforcements, but to prevent a lack of awareness a few
are listed below:
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License to Handle and Serve Food
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Petroleum Storage
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Occupational Licenses
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Tax Exempt Certificate
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Water Supplies (Drinking)
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New Building Permits
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Laundry (Waste Water)
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Sewage and Well Permits
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Industry Licensing/Permits
V. Financial & Accounting Policies
Need-Based Compensation
One of the duties of the Executive Committee is to set the “salaries” for each staff member. We
use the term salary loosely because we do not pay on a sliding, position-based scale. Our salaries are
determined based on the needs of the individual and their family. Need-based compensation is a
Biblical concept. The ministry should meet the needs of the people who work in it because we are
responsible for the people God sends to us. There are many reasons why we use the need-based
method versus the position-based method. Here are a few of them:
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To pay based on position and status in the ministry does two things:
1. It creates a mentality of this being a job with a ladder to climb
rather than a ministry with people to be reached.
2. It adds an unhealthy competitiveness between the staff members
for position and more money.
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Need-based compensation forces the staff members to examine their spending habits and
their stewardship of what the Lord provides for them. It keeps good stewardship in the
forefront of our financial lives.
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When going over individual budgets, one area of concern is consumer debt. While some debt is
necessary, such as student loans and car payments, credit card debt is not acceptable. Because
Dunklin has a policy of zero-indebtedness, it would be unethical to pay off a staff member’s credit
card debt.
This is the way we handle our staff paying off credit card debt. The money that would be allotted
for a savings account is paid to the credit card companies until it is paid in full, then the allotted
money is used for its original purpose – savings. This is another way we practice good stewardship
with our staff members.
It is necessary to use an accounting system that helps the Bookkeeper keep accurate reports of
the financial position of the City of Refuge to facilitate the use of generally accepted accounting
principles. Copies of these reports are given to the Executive Director, the Board of Trustees, and to
state and federal agencies, if required. To maintain and appropriate level of accountability, the City
of Refuge should hire an external auditor or Certified Public Accountant to determine and design the
accounting methods and procedures to be used. However, the Executive Director must approve the
application of these methods.
The location and structure of the accounting office must be determined by the security of the
building. The accounting office is where all of the money is kept and all of the confidential financial
and legal documents are stored. It is usually a good policy to surround the office with protective
firewalls and to acquire a safe for added protection against fire. Another reason for the safe is to
protect the confidentiality of the financial and legal information and money from theft. Internal
control is required to maintain good stewardship of the resources and information and to see that the
policies are applied on a consistent basis.
Bookkeeping
Revenues – Any goods, money, or non-cash received as a contribution must be recorded in the
books. Keep a subsidiary ledger for all contributions including the name of the giver, address, date,
and amount of the contribution. It is also helpful to keep accurate records of any source of funds.
Keeping good records of the contributions will give you the opportunity to send appreciation letters
to the people, churches, or businesses that support the ministry. Also, at the end of the year, be
prepared to send out contribution statements to these people for tax-deduction purposes. Approach
this as a chance to let them know once again how much you appreciate their contributions, and share
with them how their money has sustained the operation of the City of Refuge.
•
Cash Contributions – Any money received to support the operation of the City of Refuge
must be counted and accurately recorded in the books before the bank deposits are done.
As a standard measure of accountability, two qualified persons must count all cash
received. Each type of contribution should be set apart from others (For example, mail
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contributions and Sunday tithes are both separate forms of operational monies, so they
would be separated and added individually before deposit.) Make copies of each check in
the different groups, and then deposit them. Bank deposits and a bank accounts balance
report must be done weekly. The report should be submitted to the Executive Director
and the Board of Elders.
•
Non-Cash Contributions – These contributions are all donations that are given to the
Camp that are not in monetary form. They may include cars, furniture, trailers, food,
and/or stocks. When we receive a non-cash contribution, a tax receipt is given to the
donator for them to fill out. This puts all responsibility on them to prove how much the
donation was worth. Appreciation letters are sent to these contributors as well. We, then,
use these items at the Camp or distribute them to other ministries in our network.
A typical donation will come in the form of stocks. A donor will simply exchange a
certain number of shares and place them into an account under your organization’s name.
The only items required for them to do this is the City of Refuge’s address along with the
Tax ID# and the person’s name that will control or make decisions regarding the new
account. From this point, you must decide whether to hold onto or sell the stock. If you
maintain a “not for profit” status selling the stock will be advantageous. Each company is
unique in handling their shareholder services. Most likely, you will need a copy of your
articles of incorporation and the by-laws helping to identify the person, typically the
Executive Director, whom is authorized to make decisions pertaining to the buying and
selling of stocks and bonds for the benefit of the City of Refuge. After gathering all of the
necessary paperwork together, send it to the proper address through certified mail. This
will ensure accurate and prompt delivery.
•
Industry Revenues – It is a good policy to set up separate accounts for each industry’s
income and expenses. The revenues gained from any service or goods sold must be counted
and recorder properly. These revenues must be identified and marked for each industry.
A computer system with an account coding system is tremendously beneficial in this area.
Expenditures – Any funds or resources spent must be recorded by the Bookkeeper on a daily basis.
This consistency helps you to control your spending, monitor for improper use of funds, and enhance
accuracy in your accounts. Any irregularity has to be reported to the Executive Director immediately.
•
Petty Cash – The Bookkeeper is ultimately responsible for possession and disbursement
of the petty cash. Any disbursement must be justified with approval for the expenditure,
evidence of the amount, the name of the person, and the nature of the expense.
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•
Accounts Payable – Most of the bills for services and goods are purchased on a credit
basis with accounts that are paid in full each month. Throughout the month, each
bill/receipt has to be recorded in the Accounts Payable ledger in order to be paid. A list
including the names and the amount to pay must be submitted to the Executive Director
for approval. The Bookkeeper is responsible to keep the Accounts Payable ledger
updated. With this policy, the bills are paid on time, and we keep a good credit/payment
history with our suppliers.
•
Payroll & Payroll Taxes – Wages and salaries paid to the staff are determined by the
afore-mentioned “Need-Based Compensation.” The salaries are then submitted to the
Bookkeeper to update the individual payroll file for each employee. The Bookkeeper is
responsible to print out the payroll on time (weekly or monthly), make the payroll
deposit, cut the paychecks, and pay the payroll taxes in accordance with the law.
•
Other Expenditures – Any other expenses must be approved by the Executive Director,
the Administrator, or the Purchasing Agent because the checks can only be authorized
with their signatures. This protects the City of Refuge from unauthorized expenditures.
Bank Account Reconciliation & Financial Reports – All checkbooks and accounting ledgers
must be reconciled with the monthly bank statements. The Bookkeeper is in charge of this
reconciliation. He must make any entry adjustments required to square the account balances. Then, he
should present monthly and yearly financial reports to the Executive Director. The main responsibility
falls to the Bookkeeper to present all figures properly and accurately in these financial reports.
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(
I. Intake Interview
The intake interview is probably the most vital aspect of accepting a man into the program. We
have found that the single most important factor for a man being admitted to the program is his
attitude. One tool used to determine this is the phone interview. This happens before the man is ever
given an appointment for an interview. This phone interview gives you most of the information you
will need to answer the question: Can we help this man?
Here is a sample of the phone-interview answer sheet.
Name __________________________________
Date _______________________
Phone Number ___________________________
Age_______________________
Residence ____________________________________________________________
Addiction_____________________________________________________________
Date of Last Use __________________________
Detoxed? ___________________
Tobacco? ________________________________
Willing to quit? ______________
Other Programs Attended ________________________________________________
Marital Status _________________________________________________________
Number of Children ____________________________________________________
Paying Child Support? _____________________
How Much?_________________
Legal Problems? _______________________________________________________
Court __________________________________
Probation __________________
Warrants ________________________________
Bad Checks ________________
Medical Problems? _____________________________________________________
Medications___________________________________________________________
Occupation ___________________________________________________________
Additional Notes _______________________________________________________
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After the phone interview, the man and his situation are assessed, and it is determined if he will
receive an intake interview. It is important to discern whether or not the applicant shows a sincere
desire to find and receive spiritual help.
The intake interview is an excellent resource to determine where a man is and what to expect if
he is admitted into the program.
Some of the things to look for in the interview are:
•
Is he willing to do what it takes?
•
Is he medically, physically, and financially able to complete the program? (The financial
focus is on his family’s ability to survive without his income.)
•
Is he open to the Lord working in his life?
•
Does he have a teachable attitude?
•
Will he be a good investment for the ministry?
•
What is his marital status and/or family situation?
•
How many treatment programs has he previously attended?
• Of these programs, how many did he complete?
The intake interview is not 100% accurate as to where a man stands, but it is a good indicator of
what you can expect if he is admitted to the program. It is important to be thorough and not to “sugar
coat” any of the requirements of the program.
The intake interview is also an important tool in accessing the individual’s family situation and
what you can expect during the family recovery process. Try to be as open as possible with the
family member or sponsor as to what will be required of the applicant.
Jail Interviews for Acceptance into the Program
When interviewing a man in jail, we follow the same interview guidelines as a man
interviewing in the office that has legal obligations. We ask ourselves these questions:
•
Do I discern a sincere desire to change the way he has been living?
•
Is this a man who is looking for any alternative to jail?
•
What are his legal stipulations for entering the program?
•
If he does not complete the program, will he violate those stipulations and do more time
in jail than he began with?
•
Will it be required for me to be in court for him to be released into the program?
•
Is the man going to be on community control (which means he cannot leave the premises)?
•
Does he pose a likely liability of harm to our community?
Once we have committed to working with a man with legal obligations, we need
to be prepared to go above and beyond what we have to do for men with no legal
problems. This can mean extra visits to the probation office, drug testing, and being
subpoenaed to court.
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Before the interview takes place, the man must complete three forms – an admissions
application, a student medical profile, and a w-4 tax form. Each of these forms is essential in the
intake process.
The medical profile identifies any medical conditions that could hinder the man’s program. Men
who have heart stints or are undergoing chemotherapy are always referred to medical programs that
are more suited to helping with these conditions.
Here is a sample of the medical profile.
Name: (Last, First & Middle) _____________________________________________
Social Security Number: ____________________
Date of Birth: _______________
Date of Interview: _________________________
Age:_______________________
Emergency Contact: _______________________
Relation:___________________
Phone Numbers: (h) _______________________
(w) ________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
PAST HEALTH HISTORY
Have you ever had the following? Write a yes or no in the blank.
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
Foot Problems
Hernia
Allergies to Bees
Hearing Problems
Hepatitis
High Blood Pressure
Sexually Transmitted
Diseases
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
Knee Problems
Dental Problems
Reading Problems
Diabetes
Stroke
Frequent Headaches
Sores that don’t heal
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
Back Problems
Seizures
Wear Glasses
Tuberculosis
Arthritis
Deformities
Other
Do any of these cause working restrictions? __________
_____________________________________________________________________
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LIST MEDICATIONS YOU NORMALLY TAKE:
Name:
Dr. who prescribed:
When:
For what?
1. ___________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________
This is a basic medical profile. Other medical considerations will be discussed later in this chapter.
What follows is a copy of the Dunklin Memorial Camp admissions application:
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REGENERATION PROGRAM APPLICATION
Dunklin Memorial Camp
Okeechobee, Florida 34974
Tel# _______________________
PERSONAL INFORMATION
SS#. _______________________
Name ____________________________________________________________________________
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
(Name Called)
Permanent Address _________________________________________________________________
(PO Box or Street#)
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Mailing Address ___________________________________________________________________
(PO Box or Street#)
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Date of Birth______________Age_______Place Of Birth __________________________________
(Month, Day, Year)
Number Of Brothers_____ Sisters_____. Your Position in Family (1st, 2nd, etc.) ________________
EMERGENCY
NOTIFICATION_____________________________________PHONE _____________________
(Name)
(Area Code & Number)
Address __________________________________________________________________________
(Street #)
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
(Relationship)
Parents’ Name(s) (If living) ____________________________________________________________
Parents’ Address ___________________________________________________________________
(PO Box or Street#)
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Are Parents Separated_____ Divorced?_____ Reason______________________________________
Is Either Parent Deceased?_____ Father_____ Mother_____ When? __________________________
Do You Own a Home?_____ Property?_____ Vehicle?_____ Model/Year _____________________
Are You Receiving Any Other Income? (disabilities, civil suit) If YES, How Much? ________________
Do you have any money on your person, If YES how much _________________________________
Do You Possess a Valid Driver's
License?______________State________ Number________________ Type ____________________
Other Rehabilitation Centers Attended:
Where?______________________ When?_________________ Completed? ______Yes ______No
Where?______________________ When?_________________ Completed? ______Yes ______No
Where?______________________ When?_________________ Completed? ______Yes ______No
Where?______________________ When?_________________ Completed? ______Yes ______No
Have You Ever Attended AA or NA Meetings?_____ When?_____ How Long? ________________
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MARITAL STATUS
Married?________ Single?________ Separated?________ Divorced?________ Widowed? _______
Wife's Name___________________________ Date of Birth_____________ Age _______________
Wife's Address ____________________________________________________________________
(PO Box or Street#»)
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
How Long Married?___________________ How Long Separated?___________________________
How Long Divorced?__________________ Has Ex-Wife Remarried? ________________________
Reason for Separation or Divorce______________________________________________________
Number of Times Married_____ (If more than one, complete below)
1. When Married?______________ When Divorced?______________ Reason _________________
2. When Married?______________ When Divorced?______________ Reason _________________
3. When Married?______________ When Divorced?______________ Reason _________________
4. When Married?______________ When Divorced?______________ Reason _________________
List Number of Children (if any) from Each Marriage and Amount of Child Support (if any)
Marriage #1:_________ Child
Support _________
per
Week/Month/Other____________
Marriage #2:_________ Child
Support _________
per
Week/Month/Other____________
Marriage #3:_________ Child
Support _________
per
Week/Month/Other____________
Marriage #4:_________ Child
Support _________
per
Week/Month/Other____________
Where Are Your Children?___________________________________________________________
If Widowed, Date Wife Died_______________ Cause of Death _____________________________
Are You Subject to Any Alimony Payments from Any of the Above Marriages?_____
If So, How Much?__________ per week/month/other______________________________________
If Presently Married, Does Wife Work?_____ If yes, where? ________________________________
Occupation______________________________ Income? __________________________________
EDUCATION
How Many Years in: GRADE SCHOOL_____ HIGH SCHOOL_____ COLLEGE_____ GRAD ___
College Degree:_______________ Major/Minor_________________ Post Grad. _______________
(Type & Year)
(Degree)
Trade School______________________________ Did You Complete?_____ Year ______________
Name of College or Trade School_____________ Specialized Training _______________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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OCCUPATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Usual Occupation__________________________________ How Many Years at Trade? _________
How Long on Present Job?_____ Is This Your Usual Occupation?_____ If Not, Why Not? ________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Are You Now Working?_____ If Yes, What Company and Where?___________________________
If Not Working, Why Not? ___________________________________________________________
List any Special Skills (Such as Cook, Barber, Printer, Mechanic, etc.) ______________________________
Last Steady Job ____________________________________________________________________
(What)
(Where)
(How Long)
Have You Ever Been Fired from a Job Because of Your Use of Alcohol or Drugs?_______________
If So, Explain: _____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Have You Ever Quit Because of Alcohol or Drugs?_____ If So, Explain: ______________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Number of Jobs in the Past Five Years_____ Preferred Type of Work _________________________
MILITARY EXPERIENCE
Are You a Veteran?_____ Branch of Service________________ Highest Rank _________________
How Long in the Service?_________ Date and Type of Discharge ___________________________
Serial Number__________________________ It other than honorable discharge, explain _________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Are You Retired from the Service?_____
Amount of Retirement Income _______________
Do You Have a Service Related Disability?_____ Amount of Disability Income_________________
Type of Work You Did in the Service __________________________________________________
Were You ever Court-Martialed?_____ If Yes, Explain:____________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Results of Court-Martial _____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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MEDICAL INFORMATION
What is the State of Your Health? _____Excellent _____Good _____Fair _____Poor ____Declining
Height_____ Weight_____ Usual Weight_____ Have You Had Any Recent Weight Changes? _____
List All Major Illnesses or Operations You Have Had: _____________________________________
Are You Handicapped in Any Way?_____ Type of Handicap _______________________________
Do You Now Have a Venereal Disease?_____ Have You Had a Venereal Disease in the Past? _____
What?_____________________________ When?__________ When Cured or Arrested? _________
Have You Ever Been Tested for HIV?_______ When? __________
Are You Open to Being Tested for the HIV Virus While a Resident Here at Dunklin?_____
If You Use Any Tobacco Products are You Willing to Give It Up to Come Into the Program? ______
Have You Ever Been Hospitalized for Alcoholism or Drug Addiction?_____
List All Related Illnesses:
Where?______________________ When?_________________ Condition_____________________
Where?______________________ When?_________________ Condition_____________________
Where?______________________ When?_________________ Condition_____________________
Are You Now Taking Any Medication, Prescribed or Over-The-Counter?_____
If Yes, What?__________________________ How Long Have You Been Taking It? ____________
If Married, is Wife Taking Any Prescribed or Over The Counter Medications_____
If Yes, What?__________________________ How Long Has She Been Taking It? _____________
Have You Ever Suffered from Depression?_____ Describe Any Treatment You May Have Received
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Have You Ever Had Any Thought of Suicide?_____ When? ________________________________
Have You Ever Attempted Suicide?_____ When?_________________________________________
How Did You Try to Do This? ________________________________________________________
Have You Ever Been Treated for Any Psychiatric Illness?_____ If Yes, Explain and Describe
Treatment, if Any __________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Would You Be Willing to Sign a Release of Information Form So that We Might Obtain Information
Concerning Social, Medical or Psychiatric Reports or Information?_____
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ALCOHOL/DRUG USE HISTORY
Past Use: What Was Your Use of Alcohol or Drugs Prior to Being Accepted for this Interview?
Alcohol:_______________________ How Much?________________ How Long? ______________
(Beer? Wine? Whiskey? All?)
(Years)
Drugs:________________________ How Much?________________ How Long?_______________
(Pot? Crack? Cocaine? Speed? Other?)
(Years)
What Was Your Age and the Circumstance of Your First Drinking or Drugging Experience? ______
_________________________________________________________________________________
Has Your Drinking or Drugging Pattern Changed?_____ In What Way? _______________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
What's Your Drinking or Drugging Pattern Now? _________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Have You Ever Tried to Control Your Drinking or Drugging On Your Own?_____ How? _________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Have You Ever Had a Blackout?______ Seizures?______ Hallucinations?_______ DT's __________
What is Your Drinking or Drugging Behavior? ___________________________________________
(Aggressive-Calm-Abusive-Quiet-Happy Etc.)
What is Your Longest Period of Sobriety in the Past Two Years?_____________________________
Have You Ever Misused or Abused Prescription Drugs?_____ If So, What Drugs?_______________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Have You Ever Abused or Misused Over-the-Counter Drugs? (Nyquil, No-Doz, Vivarin, Aspirin,
etc.)_____ If So, What Drugs? ________________________________________________________
Have You Used or Abused Any Other Substances (Not Listed Above) in the Past to Change Your
Mood or Get You "High?"_____ If Yes, What?___________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ How Long? _________________
Any Other Information Concerning Your Past Alcohol or Drug Use that You Would Like to Share?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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ARREST RECORD
Number of Times Arrested_____ What is the Longest You Have Spent in Jail? _________________
What Misdemeanor(s) and/or Felony(s) Have You Spent Time in Jail for? _____________________
Are You Presently Involved in Any Lawsuits? ___________________________________________
Has Your Driver's License Ever Been Suspended or Revoked?_____ If So, Why and When?_______
_________________________________________________________________________________
Have You Ever Been in Prison?_____ When?__________ Why? ____________________________
______________________________ Where? ___________________________________________
Are There Any Charges Pending Against You at this Time?_____ If So, Explain ________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Any Court Dates Pending at This Time?_____ If So, When?________________________________
Do You Object to Us Notifying the Law That You Are Here?_____
Are You Presently on Probation or Community Control?_____ How Long?_____ County? ________
Probation or Community Control Officer's Name_______________ Phone # ___________________
Remarks _________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND
Are You a Church Member?_____ Have You Ever Been a Church Member?_____
If So, What Denomination?________________________________ Where? ___________________
Pastor's Name:_________________________ How Often Did You Attend? ___________________
Were You Ever a Church Officer or Sunday School Teacher?_____ If So, What? ________________
Did You Attend Church as a Child?_____ How Often Do You Read the Bible? _________________
Have You Ever Been Baptized?_____
When Did You Last Attend Church on a Regular Basis?____________________________________
Do You Ever Pray?_____ If So, When?_________________________________________________
Are You Saved? Yes_____ No_____ Not Sure_____ If Yes, When? __________________________
Religious Background of Your Wife ___________________________________________________
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FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
The cost to provide food, laundry services, utilities, housing and staff for you while you are at the
Camp is _________________________________________________________________________ .
Some of this money is provided by the contributions of Christian people who love the Lord and who
desire to help Alcoholics and Drug Addicts. The staff members of our Camp are willing to invest
their lime and talents to help you while you are here. In turn, we expect you to help others receive
the same benefits you received.
We prefer that payment be made while you are going through the program but if this is not possible,
arrangements should be made with the Director to pay within a year after leaving the Camp. We would
also like a monthly letter sharing with us your spiritual progress as well as a financial contribution.
I have read and agree with the policy stated above and I voluntarily acknowledge my financial
responsibility to Dunklin Memorial Camp.
Signed_____________________________________________
Date________________________
Arrangements for Payment ___________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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APPLICATION AND CONTRACT
FOR ACCEPTANCE TO DUNKIN MEMORIAL CAMP, INC.
I hereby assume any risks that may be incident to my stay here and do hereby for my heirs,
executors, administrator, myself or any personal representative release and relinquish forever any
and all claims of any nature whatsoever that might arise out of my stay at Dunklin Memorial Camp,
Inc., Okeechobee, Florida, 34974.
I do hereby promise and agree that I will cooperated with the rules of Dunklin Memorial Camp, Inc.
to the best of my ability and that I will carry out the work assigned to me in maintaining Dunklin
Memorial Camp as my physical condition permits and to the best of my ability.
I have read and or have had read to me all the foregoing questions and /or statements and have made
the answers thereto contained in this application and am fully aware of the meaning of same and
I willingly and personally sign this application and contract fully knowing what I am doing.
Any personal property left upon my departure from said Camp and not claimed within three days by
me or my authorized representative shall become the property of the Camp to dispose of to the best
interest of said Camp.
NOTE: NQ PERSON OTHER THAN THE APPLICANT IS AUTHORIZED TO SIGN THIS
APPLICATION/CONTRACT
Applicant__________________________ Witness______________________ Date _____________
Date Entered___________ Date Left_________________ Remarks _________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Date Entered___________ Date Left_________________ Remarks _________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Date Entered___________ Date Left_________________ Remarks _________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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COUNSELING NOTES
DATE _____________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
DATE _____________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
DATE _____________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
DATE _____________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
DATE _____________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
DATE _____________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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II. Legal Status of Men in the Program
It would be naïve to think that men entering a drug and alcohol regeneration facility would not
have any legal situations going on in their lives. We believe that the Lord is opening doors to these
men and wants to minister to them.
There are some cases, however, that we are not equipped to deal with. Men who have been
charged with child molestation or violent sex crimes cannot be admitted into Dunklin. The reason for
this policy is that we are not just a treatment facility. We are a community with wives, children and
visitors. It is important to note that we do not just send these men away. We try to find them
assistance in a program more suited to work with men in these areas.
Before the intake interview ever begins, there are some legal matters that need to be cleared up. In cases
of outstanding warrants and bad checks, we advise the men to turn themselves in. These are matters they
must handle before coming into the program. If the man has court dates set up, we tell him to call after the
hearings are completed. If a man is willing to take care of these things, it shows a sincere desire to change.
Men on Probation
Another thing that should be discussed and handled before the interview is the man’s probation
status. If he is coming from a different county, can the man’s probation be transferred to our county?
Always talk to the man’s Probation Officer personally to ensure that everything has been taken care
of because the man will not always have his facts straight. Give his Probation Officer the name and
phone number of the Supervisor of your Probation Office. After this initial contact, contact your
Probation Office to make sure there are no problems.
There are two types of probation – unsupervised and supervised (unsupervised typically means that
the man makes monthly contact with his Probation Officer by mail.) This letter is the responsibility of the
person in charge of legal, not the man in the program. The letter simply says that the man is still in the
program and meeting all the requirements of the program. It is vitally important that these letters be sent
in. If it is not, the man violates the conditions of his probation and is sent back to jail. Supervised
probation means that the Probation Officer will have to see the man once a month. In the arrangement we
have with the Probation Office, the Probation Office calls and tells us who they need to see and when to
have them ready. Therefore, they meet with most of the men at one time, and it is beneficial for us all.
Building relationships with Probation Officers is a key task of the man in charge of legal matters.
One way to build these relationships is to maintain honest, open communication with them. If the man
leaves or is dismissed from the program, it is our duty (and a personal courtesy) to call and speak directly
with the Probation Officer. This should be done as soon as the man leaves or is dismissed. While this
may mean the man goes back to jail, it also ensures that the Probation Office will trust you and your ministry.
Finally, it is important to note that each man’s case is individual, and it should be treated that
way. While these are basic concepts to follow, the main questions should always be: Can we help
this man, and is he willing to be helped?
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III. Medical Treatment
Medical Facilities
Though it is not advisable to try and maintain a regeneration program with a fully functional
medical facility included, there are still medical needs that have to be addressed within the
community. Trying to staff and maintain facilities that provide comprehensive medical treatment is
costly, but more importantly, it removes the focus from Jesus and the man’s recovery. Because of
the nature of Dunklin as a program attending to the spiritual growth of the man, we are not equipped
to handle long-term medical problems or cope with contagious diseases. We do not have the staff or
facilities at this time to offer comprehensive medical treatment.
Preventative Medicine
Currently, we offer the basic needs to house a man in the program. We provide nutrition to nurse
the body back to its normal diet. We provide physical training to build the body’s stamina and
endurance. Through the regeneration process, the spirit of the man is uplifted to meet the daily stress
of life’s problems. However, we realize that through extensive drug use and alcoholism most
residents have deteriorated immune systems that leave them highly susceptible to even the most
common cold. Apart from regular vitamins and over-the-counter medications, there is really no
viable way to strengthen their bodies against illness. However, we are blessed to have a doctor come
out and offer free flu shots to the men, the staff, and their families.
Mandatory Blood Screenings
Because of the nature of our environment, being a close quarter community, we require each man
that comes into the program to undergo a blood screening that tests for hepatitis, tuberculosis, and
HIV. Since we are not a medical facility, we have an annual renewable contract with Martin Memorial
Hospital in Stuart for these services. Once a month, they come out to Dunklin and perform the blood
screenings. If there are any positive HIV screenings, they require us to bring that man to their clinic.
Treatment
For a minimal fee, Florida Community Health Center takes care of most of our sick calls. Due to
the lack of professional medical staff and the nature of the program, we observe and pray about each
complaint. According to the severity of their case outwardly, we transport the man to the proper
medical facility. When serious illnesses occur or accidents happen depending on the doctor’s
recommendation or the injury, the men either undergo limited treatment or are advised to care for their
medical needs outside the program. After treatment is complete, the man may call us for readmission.
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Emergency Response
Our medical unit consists of a husband and wife team with limited knowledge of medical
treatment. They are backed up by crew leaders and staff who attended a CPR certification course.
Our clinic is minimally prepared for any type of emergency. We have two oxygen tanks, first aid
supplies, and medications to relieve minor injuries. The nearest hospital is about 20 minutes away,
and a fire rescue squad can usually be here in about 20 minutes.
Our current emergency system begins with an assessment of the situation; whether it is a cardiac
problem resulting from high blood pressure, heart disease, or other related symptoms), we try to
stabilize the person, and then we call 911. If the person is injured due to an accident and it is life
threatening (such as bleeding that will not stop, head injury, severed body parts, or allergic reactions)
we follow medical procedures to stabilize the person, and then we call 911. If the person has been
injured, but not in a life-threatening way, we transport him to Martin Memorial Medical Center in
Indiantown. Any minor injuries are treated in camp and observed for possible infections or reactions.
Medications
Dunklin has a strict policy against prescription medications that alter mood (MAOIs, i.e. Prozac,
Lithium, and Zoloft), habit forming pain relievers, and muscle relaxers. Other prescriptions for
antibiotics, blood pressure and asthma are allowed. However, all prescriptions must be cleared by
the medical staff. All over-the-counter medications are placed in a locked dorm-medicine cabinet by
the medical staff. The men are not allowed to bring in their own medications. They must be given
out by a staff member or the dorm monitor. Here is a list of the over-the-counter medications that are
kept in the dorm medicine cabinets:
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Aspirin
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Eye Wash
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Cough Drops
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Ibuprofen
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Liquid Antacid
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Tums
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Peroxide
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Green Alcohol
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Non-Drowsy Sinus Meds
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Antibiotic Cream
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Tylenol
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Anti-Diarrhea
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Alka-Seltzer
Current Expenses
The bulk of our medical expenses rest on blood screening fees. Though Martin Memorial Hospital
has been more then generous in offering us a contract with drastically lower fees for these services, we
still pay a considerable amount to process these men each month. The men work on Friday nights at
the sawmill and pallet shop, and with the money earned, they make small payments until it is paid off.
Some of the fees are written off due to early departure of the men. One way, we have alleviated having
to write off these fees, is waiting to blood test the men until after their first thirty days or once they
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reach Orientation. During those first thirty days, the men work to cover the cost of the screening fees.
This has increased the total amount recovered by almost 25% bringing the total to 85%. Medical
supplies and prescription medications take up the rest of the expenditures per month.
Medical Expenditures:
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Blood Screenings: $500.00 monthly average. ($63.50 per man)
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Average Sick Calls & Dental Appointments: $155.00 monthly average.
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Medications & Prescriptions: $200.00 monthly average.
Financial Resources
As previously stated, most of the expenses are compensated by a payment plan arranged with
each individual man until his 10-month program has ended. If the man has insurance, all medical
expense goes to the insurance company. If the man is indigent, he can apply for the indigent program
through Social Services in Martin County, which will give him financial assistance while going
through the program. There is really no other source of financial assistance available at this time.
Gratitude Letters
Gratitude letters are one of the most important things the men do. Simply put, they are thank-you
letters sent to the doctors, dentists, and other medical personnel that treat the men. The letters have a
two-fold purpose:
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They show the physician appreciation for the services that are so often taken for granted.
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They teach the men to be grateful and acknowledge the people who touch and bless their lives.
Through these letters and other informal correspondence, we have built relationships with these
men and women that go beyond their skill. They are a part of the extended Dunklin family.
Current Medical Statistics
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We screen about 15 individuals on an average every month for hepatitis, sexually
transmitted diseases, and HIV.
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An estimated 1 out of 10 individuals screened are found to have been exposed to a type
of hepatitis. Most diagnosis are found to be inactive. In our program now, we have 7 men
infected with some type of hepatitis. (These men are not eligible for kitchen duty or pots
& pans. An updated list is given to the kitchen every week.)
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2 individuals were found to have contracted a type of STD last year.
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6 individuals were found having been exposed to tuberculosis in the last three months.
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Most of the residents have been diagnosed as having infected lungs or a severe case of
bronchitis. This is specifically true of smokers and crack addicts.
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•
Most of our residents have some type of teeth problems mostly decaying teeth. There are
large numbers of gum problems and abscessed teeth. Most of the time the gums are so
infected that they require antibiotics for a week before further work can continue.
We have two dentists that work with us in their offices for reduced fees.
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The two most prominent illnesses are sinus infections and influenza. We hold “GI Cleanings”
several times a year to try and head these illnesses off. GI Cleanings require all furniture be
moved and all rooms are cleaned top to bottom with bleach and disinfectants.
IV. Setting up a Medical Clinic
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Designate an area for the Clinic.
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Find and organize doctors and dentists who are willing to treat men in the program if
necessary. (a good place to begin looking is in the church body)
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Locate a doctor who is willing to consult with the medical staff for medical advice.
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Find a hospital, medical center, or clinic who will handle blood drawing and testing of all
men admitted into the program for any communicable diseases (TB, HIV, RPR, and
Hepatitis panel). You may be asked to enter a contract with them. This is a good step for
you and for them.
•
Stock basic medical supplies – you need to have emergency first aid equipment on hand
that includes medications. (i.e. Benedryl, smelling salts, Epi-pens, etc.)
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A staff member needs to be assigned to attend to all medical tasks. This person should
have some sort of background in health care, if possible. They should be trained in basic
first aid, CPR, and HIV treatment. They will need to be able to obtain and communicate
pertinent information about the man’s situation to the physician.
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•
All medical supplies need to be inventoried and accounted for, and all medicines,
syringes, etc. need to be in a locked cabinet.
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Arrangements should be made with a medical center, clinic, or hospital to dispose of any
biohazard waste.
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Find basic medical books – Drug Handbook, PDR (Physician’s Desk Reference) if
available, the Merck Manual, and a basic first-aid manual.
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Make an emergency phone list and post them. Include these numbers: hospitals, clinics,
doctors, dentists, plus any extra emergency numbers you may have.
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Daily Medical Program
Breakfast:
1. Hand out medications, both prescription and over-the-counter.
2. Check with dorm monitors for men down sick.
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Check with their roommates for insight.
3. Go see men down sick.
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Check their temperature.
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Ask for symptoms: listen, pray, discern.
Staff Meeting:
1. Report on sick men.
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Temperature.
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Symptoms observed.
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Attitude.
2. Inform teachers and crew leaders that the men will not be at class or work.
3. Report doctor trips for the day.
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Which men and their illness or reason for visit.
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Which doctor.
After Class:
1. Follow up with men down: pray, listen, discern (the problem may be deeper than a fever).
2. Do reports: screening list update, appointments, medications.
3. File men’s records, blood test results, doctor’s results, TB, bills.
4. Write letters for previous medical records (if needed) and financial aid.
5. Take men to their appointments.
Supper:
1. Hand out medications for the night.
2. Check on men that are down sick.
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Pray, listen, discern.
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Give medication (if necessary).
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Talk to crew leaders and members for insight.
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Weekly Medical Program
Monday:
1. Check TB shots.
2. Fill out requisition form for medical supplies order.
3. Check medical cabinets in dorms for medicines used over the weekend.
4. Check to see if any prescriptions need to be refilled.
5. Make appointments (if necessary).
Tuesday:
1. Update medical debt ledger.
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Payments received, bills.
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Give copies of debt sheet to each teacher.
Wednesday:
1. Clean and stock the clinic.
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Fill sanitation supplies.
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Sterilize equipment.
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Sweep, vacuum and mop.
2. Apply for financial aid.
Thursday:
1. Stock dorm medicine cabinets.
2. Process bills for men.
3. Collect and write gratitude letters to doctors.
4. Blood tests done today by Martin South.
5. File medical test results.
Friday:
1. Type kitchen list.
2. Type weekly medical agenda for the following week.
3. Check prescription medications.
4. Type medical test results, make copies for Director.
5. TB test shots given by volunteer nurse at our clinic 7 p.m.
Saturday:
1. Follow up phone calls.
2. File all paper work.
3. Inventory clinic closet supplies.
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I. To Sustain Cities of Refuge
Now here is a command, dear brothers, given in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ by
His authority. Stay away from any Christian who spends his day in laziness and does
not follow the ideal of hard work we set up for you. For you well know that you ought
to follow our example. You never saw us loafing; we never accepted food without
buying it; we worked hard day and night for the money we needed to live on, in order
that we would not be a burden to any of you. It wasn’t that we didn’t have the right to
ask you to feed us, but we wanted to show you first hand, how you should work for a
living. Even while we were still there with you, we gave you this rule: He who does
not work shall not eat. (II Thessalonians 3:6-10)
The Apostle Paul counseled the Church at Thessalonica on the importance of having a good
work ethic. He wrote the Church at Ephesus urging them to give themselves to honest work so that
they might be able to support themselves and also that they could help others in need.
The food production and cottage industries are a double blessing to the City of Refuge. They not
only provide food to eat and the money to implement the budget, but they also provide an
opportunity for men in recovery to learn a positive work ethic that will be invaluable to them when
they leave the program.
Many young men who started using drugs in their early teens never learned the skills or the
importance of a good work ethic. Their concept of a hard day’s work was getting out of bed before
noon. They were like the song that said “they sleep all day and howl all night.”
The farm environment and cottage industries provide a
healthy atmosphere for young men to learn the importance and
stewardship of working with their hands. Picking oranges,
rounding up cattle, building pallets, or sawing lumber not only
teaches new skills but also helps develop a positive sense of selfworth and pride in achievement. They grow up from a childish
“taker” to a mature “giver” mentality.
Our farm and industries, like the recovery program, grew by evolution. In response to our need for
meat, we grew a herd of cattle and hogs. To process our own meat, we built a slaughter and smoke
house. We started repairing pallets to pay the flourmill for scrap flour that we fed the cattle. It grew
into an important pallet recycling and production factory that necessitated having a sawmill to augment
the lumber salvaged from broken pallets. Furniture building was a natural outgrowth of the sawmill.
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The citrus groves produced fresh fruit for juice and salads, but
the surplus fruit generated the need to build a packing house to
clean and wax fruit for gift shipping at Christmas time. Land that
was unsuitable for buildings and farming was utilized by planting
ornamental palm trees to beautify the Camp as well as provide
income from sales to outside landscaping contractors. Our garden
produced more fresh vegetables than we could eat at one time, so
we developed a canning plant to preserve them. Our bakery
started when we had the opportunity to buy a second hand
commercial oven. It produced fresh bread that not only graced
our table but also developed into a cottage industry—selling
bread to people who came to retreats and to church at the Camp.
We built a syrup house to grind and cook sugar cane for
homemade syrup and a kitchen to produce jellies.
The need to minister to the families of the men in the recovery program provoked us to build a
retreat center. Good stewardship of our facilities prompted us to start a retreat ministry that
supplements our income and helps us build community with a larger part of the Body of Christ. We
provide rooms and food for retreats for the Emmaus Walk, the C.A.P. Training School, C.F.O.
Council ring and retreats for local churches.
II. Cottage Industries
The primary purpose of the cottage industries at Dunklin is to
establish good work ethics – learning to do a job right with a good
attitude as unto the Lord. They
help teach a man how to work
on a team, get along with others,
and submit to authority on the
job site. It is not to teach a trade but to teach good work ethics. If a
man has good work ethics, he can learn a trade. If he has a trade
but lacks good work ethics, the trade is useless.
The industries also serve as a place for ministry for men in the program. In fact, more ministry
takes place on the worksite than in the classroom because it is here that a man’s attitudes and issues
surface. The sites are closely supervised by staff members, so when a problem arises, ministry takes
place immediately. Through productive work, a man’s self-worth and self-esteem are restored as he
labors in an industry that will enrich the community and make a way for the next generation of men
in the program. These opportunities provide a time for Biblical principles and concepts learned in the
classroom to be applied in a controlled environment.
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Here is a list of our cottage industries:
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Citrus groves – 40 acres of oranges and grapefruit.
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Citrus packing machine – to prepare fruit for gift shipping.
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Cattle herd.
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Hog herd – for fresh sausage, bacon, and barbeques.
•
Feed mill – to process scrap flour and rice meal for cattle feeding.
•
Syrup mill – for making cane syrup for Camp use and to sell.
•
Ornamental tree farm.
•
Print shop – desktop printing to produce curriculum and newsletters for internal use and
to sell to other centers.
•
Sawmill – produces lumber for construction, pallets, and furniture (we cut 30-40 tons of
logs per day creating a new market for trees that were previously burned for lack of a
local market).
•
Pallet recycling factory – we repair and build pallets.
•
Jelly factory – we make tropical jellies for internal use and for sale.
•
Retreat ministries.
•
Hammer mill – to make mulch out of scrap lumber from the sawmill
•
Furniture factory – builds outdoor furniture, swings, picnic tables, gun cabinets, custom
cabinets and gazebos
The combined income of the fourteen industries currently in place at Dunklin produces
approximately 65% of our annual budget (the other 35% comes in through donations and charitable
giving), and the evolution continues. The Campfire newsletter is our best source of outside revenue.
III. Built in Problems
Every ministry that has cottage industries must struggle to maintain the balance between the
physical work necessary to support and sustain a facility and the spiritual purpose for their existence.
Without good management, the “tail can wag the dog,” and what was supposed to be a blessing
becomes an instrument of destruction. No ministry is exempt from this problem. Some great
ministries that began with God’s blessing have been slowly sapped of their spiritual fervor by their
industries. Never put business ahead of people…people are our business!
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IV . Thoughts to Consider
Safety First – The people that come to us for help are usually in poor health physically and
mentally. Projects that would appear totally safe to a healthy trained worker are sometimes
overwhelming to a person that is not mentally and/or physically detoxed. One accident can lead to
hospital bills and/or legal action that could cost more in a day than the industry produces in a year.
Regular staff meetings to discuss the physical and mental condition of the men in the program are
essential. Use of safety equipment (e.g. goggles, gloves, ear plugs) and someone trained to respond
in medical emergencies are vital to the health and well being of the community.
Government Support – Every City of Refuge must determine the industries or services that best
suit their individual needs. A sawmill in a city would be as out of place as a car detailing business
would be in a rural setting. Much has been written about governmental plans to subsidize faith based
programs. Though there may be a great benefit to some ministries, it is extremely important that the
ministry evaluate the potential danger in accepting these funds because of the subsequent rules and
regulations that are placed on the monies. Dunklin has made a firm commitment to continue to work
independent of government or denominational support. In no way do we want to reflect disapproval
for those who choose to seek those funds, but we do want to strongly recommend that the ministry
investigate all areas before making a decision in this regard.
V. C reative Ideas from Other C ities of Refuge
No Longer Bound
Greenhouses
Donated Cars
Printing Presses
Golf Tournaments
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Broken Shackle
Potters House
Nursery
Carpentry Shop
Cabinet Shops
Thrift Stores
Welding Shops
Livestock
Farm and Livestock
Governmental Funding
Faith Farm(s)
Thrift Stores
New and Used Furniture Stores
Livestock
Mattress Factory
Nursery
Citrus Groves