Celebrate Recovery representative for Upstate New York, Greg Cliff, talks about his 40-year addiction and how a 12-step program has helped him and others. He’s celebrating 12 years of sobriety
By Tim Bennett
Greg Cliff, 69, is an unusual guy. He got addicted to drugs as a teenager, married three times, has one child from his first marriage, five from his second, a stepdaughter from his third and five grandchildren.
Oddly, he was able to forge a successful career in engineering despite being bound by addiction for 40 years.
Today Cliff can say he’s been sober for 12 years, is happily married and works as a project manager for a Syracuse firm.
What makes him even more unusual is his involvement with Celebrate Recovery for the last 20 years, the last eight serving as the Upstate New York regional director.
Although he still works full time, Cliff spends most of his non-working hours attending CR groups in the region, helping churches start CR groups, sponsoring members, conducting a couples group with his wife, Brenda, and talking to as many people as he meets about what he calls his “forever family.” He is looking forward to retiring in a few years so he can devote himself fully to Celebrate Recovery.
The following conversation took place before a CR meeting in Chittenango at the Crossroads Community Church building adjacent to the sanctuary.
Q. Could you tell me a little bit about Celebrate Recovery?
A. Celebrate Recovery is a 35-year-old ministry that was started in California at Saddleback Church by John and Cheryl Baker in 1991. Since then, it has expanded to 35,000 groups all around the world. Most of the people who come to CR deal with a variety of hurts, habits and hang-ups. Only 30% come with drugs and alcohol as their addiction. So, it’s a very wide-range base for anybody who has life-controlling issues.
Q. How does it differ from other 12-step programs?
A. The big difference is it recognizes Jesus Christ as the higher power and we have the beatitudes, from the gospels, as our guiding principles. For example, we have Bible verses that go along with the steps. Another major way we are different is we have members who struggle with different hurts, habits and hang-ups. For example, we can have people dealing with gambling, overeating, co-dependency, alcohol and pornography in the same room.
Q. So, would you say you have to be a Christian to participate in the program?
A. Good question. Of course, we have many people who believe in Jesus Christ who come to our meetings but we encourage those who don’t know Jesus to come because thousands, probably millions now, have experienced freedom by sticking with CR. Like the other 12-step programs, CR also encourages people to find sponsors and accountability partners in addition to the regular meetings, which are vital relationships for recovery. Sometimes it takes time to enter into a personal relationship with Christ and we understand that.
Q. So how did you get involved with Celebrate Recovery?
A. Twenty years ago, I was going through a difficult time in my marriage and my wife was going to CR for alcohol issues. I went because I was a control freak and wanted to know what she was doing. As time went on, however, I found the common denominator in our problems stemmed from my addictions and control issues. So, I had to admit I was the problem. Coming out of denial is the first step to recovery and I had to admit that I was powerless to change without help. Unfortunately, I was too late to save that marriage but CR laid a strong foundation so I could have a good marriage with my present wife. Like my friend, Horst, always says, “I’ve given up all hope of a better past.”
Q. What were your particular issues?
A. Initially, I thought anger, control and 40 years of drug abuse were my major problems. I started doing drugs as a very young man at 14 and so 40 years of my life was spent stoned and doing things that I shouldn’t have been doing. I became a successful businessman despite my addictions, but my family life spiraled out of control and at one point I lost everything. I got divorced, lost my job, and found myself alone. Then, as I continued in CR, I discovered I had other issues to deal with like lust and overeating. I like the safety of the CR setting where I can be honest with myself and others. I also like being in the company of people who don’t judge me and encourage me to go forward.
Q. How many CRs are there in the Central New York area?
A. I cover from Binghamton to Ogdensburg and from Albany to Buffalo. There are probably 15 to 20 operating CRs in those areas. My responsibility is to help churches start up new CRs. Just to clarify, we are a ministry of attraction, not compulsion. So, I’m not on the phone calling churches to ask them to start CRs. I need the pastors or leaders to contact me. If they are serious about starting a group I come alongside them to help get it going.
Q. How do I find a CR group near where I live if I am interested?
A. To find the nearest CR group near you, just go to celebraterecovery.com, click on Find a Group and then put in your zip code.