Addiction Ministry | How to Become an Addiction Ministry Pastor

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
~ 1 Corinthians 10:13

Addiction is giving into temptation, something humanity has struggled with since Satan and original sin. It’s a struggle that’s with us just as much today as it was in the Garden of Eden.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 19.7 million Americans aged 12 and older struggled with a substance use disorder, according to statistics compiled in 2017. That’s around six percent of the population, and the addiction crisis has only worsened post-pandemic. Last year more Americans died of drug overdoses than all the Americans who died over the entire course of the Vietnam War.

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What Is Addiction Ministry?

Addiction ministry is helping people to overcome their addictions. Ministry can be framed from a Christian or spiritual perspective, and it can also be offered in a secular way that focuses on achieving a good result.

This could be a meeting between two individuals to hold each other accountable, a support group where people share their addiction challenges, or a prayer group that uplifts the power of God.

There are two main categories of addiction: physical addiction, and psychological addiction which is also referred to as behavioral addiction.

Physical addiction involves the body becoming physically addicted to a substance. If the body does not acquire a substance to which it is addicted it will illicit a physical withdrawal, and this may be life-threatening. Substances that can physically addict the body include:

Psychological addiction involves engaging in behaviors and actions that a person has difficulty self-controlling. Over time habits are re-enforced and become increasingly harder to stop. They are considered an addiction problem when they start to negatively affect a person’s life. Examples of this type of addiction include:

There’s also a physical component to psychological addictions because the re-enforced habits can alter the brain’s neurochemistry.

Marijuana is considered to be at least psychologically addictive, and there is ongoing study to determine the extent to which it is also physically addictive.

Understanding why someone is suffering from an addiction is key to providing effective ministry. People can become addicted to substances or behaviors for many reasons, including:

If you want to work in addiction ministry then you need to understand how addiction works, why people become addicted to substances or behaviors, and how to effectively work with people to help them overcome their addictions.

There’s always a learning curve in this field, and as you gain more experience, education, and qualifications you’ll be able to move up the career ladder.

There’s one thing addictions ministry is not, and this is professional counseling that’s provided by a licensed addiction counselor. To engage in this type of activity you need a state license.

The type of addictions ministry we’re talking about here is done on a person-to-person level organized by organizations like churches. This type of ministry can be independent of, and supplemental to, professional addiction counseling.

Alcoholics Anonymous – The Quintessential Addiction Ministry Program

While many people think of AA as a non-denominational support group, it actually has strong ties with Christianity.

In fact, its origins are from a 20th-century Christian group that modeled itself on the Apostolic Age of Christianity, the time spanning the ministry of Jesus to the death of his 12 original apostles. AA is known for its 12-step program to help members become fully abstinent from alcohol, a model that has spread to other addiction treatment programs.

AA’s roots stretch back to a pastor named Frank Buchman. Buchman was a traveling man of faith, voyaging throughout America, England, and China. Not exactly a church planter, Buchman was known for establishing Christian-based social groups that would engage in community-building and community-service activities inspired by Christ.

One such group was established in Akron, Ohio, which is where the two future founders of AA –Bill Wilson and Bob Smith– would meet each other in 1935. Wilson was an alcoholic stock speculator and Smith was an alcoholic doctor; both struggled in their careers on account of their drinking.

The story goes that one night, Wilson was on a business trip to Ohio, and he realized that in order to stay sober he needed the company of another alcoholic. Wilson called around to local churches and was directed to the Buchman group Smith was attending.

After a few years the two left Buchman’s group to establish their own Christian-based group focusing solely on alcohol addiction. In 1939 Wilson wrote a testament about their new organization, published as: Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story Of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism.

Today this is standard reading for AA members. Known as “the Big Book,” it contains an outline of the 12-step program for getting sober. AA’s Christian origins are still visible in many of the program’s 12 steps, whose members must do all of the following:

Acknowledge that only a greater power can restore sanity
Turn your will and life over to God
Admit the nature of wrongs to God
Be willing to have God remove character defects and shortcomings
Pray to God for knowledge, power, and to know His will

Addiction Ministry Job Description: What Do Pastors in Addiction Ministry Do?

As a non-licensed addiction counselor, you can still provide valuable ministry services to members of your local community. Churches and non-profits are two common types of organizations that provide these types of services. Starting out your job duties can include things like:

As you gain more experience you’ll be entrusted with responsibilities like:

If you choose you can eventually consider management positions where your duties and responsibilities will expand to encompass things like:

Regardless of whether you’re just starting out in this field or if you’re an addiction ministry leader with years of experience and education, it’s always important to remember to keep your services centered on your client with the goal of maximizing their success. The presence of Jesus throughout is a powerful tool that many will find inspiring along their journey towards recovery.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”
~ 1 Peter 5:8

Tips for Pastors Interested in Getting Involved in Addiction Ministry

Churches, non-profits, and community organizations often provide addiction ministry services. These are a good place to start to get your foot into the door.

As you gain experience and get to know how this field works you’ll be able to apply for positions with greater levels of responsibility, and these will eventually include managerial and director-level positions.

Education can also be helpful as you apply for positions with increasing levels of responsibility. You can find degrees that will help you establish a solid academic foundation in Christianity that can be helpful for bringing the message of Jesus to clients in creative and constructive ways. You can find undergraduate programs in majors like:

Pastors may also specialize in providing addiction ministry at their local church or in the wider community. To become a pastor you’ll need to climb the ranks in a church, and this can include earning a master’s-level education in a relevant field like:

You can also opt to become a full-fledged addiction counselor licensed by your state, and use a background in Christianity to inform your work with clients. Each state has its own licensing requirements that are typically determined by education, licensing counselors at the bachelor's and master's-levels.

Pursuing state licensure means you’ll need a college degree in counseling or a closely related field, and you’ll likely need to pass a national certification exam. Check with your state's requirements for becoming a licensed counselor, drug and alcohol counselor, or addictions counselor (each state has its own title names).

This line of work can be challenging because addictions take a strong hold of their victims. Those who experience addiction know the true meaning of what Jesus means when He talks about the Devil and his temptations. But the good news is you can serve as the messenger that brings the light of Christ into your clients' lives, showing the path forward to a promising future.