Each month we focus on a Step, Tradition, and Concept, and provide a quote from Bill.
Step 2
Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
“Whether, agnostic, atheist, or former believer, we can stand together on this Step. True humility and an open mind can lead us to faith, and every A.A. meeting is an assurance that God will restore us to sanity if we rightly relate ourselves to him.”
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 33
Tradition 2
For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
“Happily most of them (bleeding deacons) survive and live to become elder statesmen. They become the real and permanent leadership of A.A. Theirs is the quiet opinion, the sure knowledge and humble example that resolve a crisis. When sorely perplexed, the group inevitably turns to them for advice. They become the voice of the group conscience; in fact these are the true voice of Alcoholics Anonymous.”
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 135
Concept 2
The General Service Conference of A.A. has become, for nearly every practical purpose, the active voice and the effective conscience of our whole Society in its world affairs.
The group conscience of A.A. could not be heard unless a properly chosen Conference were fully trusted to speak for it respecting most matters of world service. Hence the principle of amply delegated authority and responsibility to “trusted servants” must be implicit from the top to the bottom of our active structure of service.
Twelve Concepts for World Service, p. 6
All quotes from Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts for World Service are reprinted with permission from A.A. World Services, Inc.
