CR Ministry News

On the weekend of September 12-15, 2002 the Chemical Recovery ministry in New York hosted its first Global Conference in Stamford, Connecticut. It was an invitation-only event attended by over one hundred CR leaders from across the globe. The conference came about because it has long been our desire to spread the teachings and convictions of the CR ministry throughout the Kingdom and we firmly believe that this is also God's will. Churches that have adopted the CR ministry can attest as to how God uses it to both save the addict and keep him or her faithful.

The Survivor series had its Pulau Tiga, the Armed Forces have their boot camps and the Chemical Recovery ministry, not to be outdone, has its Camp Merryheart. Located just outside of Hackettstown, NJ, the camp is peaceful and tranquil in a rural sort of way. It has seen many groups come and go, but on this particular weekend, last April, it was time for the New York CR ministry to host its annual retreat. It was a great opportunity to have a time of teaching, preaching and fellowship with CR leaders and assistants from throughout the area.

The camp gave many of us the chance to experience "roughing it" as I'm sure the first century Chemical Recovery ministry would have done had one existed back then. It may have, but as of this writing there have been no archeological digs that have unearthed any ancient CR artifacts, such as petrified journals or scorched seats, so we will just have to wonder.

It's early morning, and there's a cold wind blowing. Not your regular cold wind, but the kind that passes right through to your bones, that freezes your very soul, the kind of cold that can only be felt while walking home from a night partying, on a lonely Irish road at three in the morning.

Two figures are coming down this road, their heads down, eyes closed trying to catch up on lost sleep, talking to one another, hands in their pockets trying to shield them from the bitter cold. This night has been much like every other night. It began with high hopes, a staunch belief that tonight would be different.