A little information about our history will help explain who we are: In 1989, three people – Carmen Renee Berry, Pat Means, and Dale Ryan (and later joined by Dale Wolery) – began a series of meetings that led to the formation of the NACR.
At the time, few churches had recovery ministries. Those that existed were mostly small, disconnected, marginalized, and confronted by resistance from elements in the Christian community. They were lucky to get a room in the basement.
Beginning in 1990, the NACR organized a series of national “STEPS” conferences, and published it’s magazine STEPS – which continued until 2010.
The past few years have seen dramatic changes, including the rapid growth of the Christian recovery movement. In response to these changes and to the evolving media landscape, the NACR has embraced a more digital focus. This allows the NACR to touch thousands of people every day through the NACR website, which has received wide praise as a resource for Christians in recovery. The pioneering work of Carmen, Pat, and Dale laid a solid foundation for us to build on.
The days of wondering if anyone will let us out of the basement have passed. Christians around the globe are asking great questions about the role they can play in the recovery movement. The question is no longer whether a recovery ministry is a viable option for a church, but how it can best be pursued: How do we respond to families suffering from substance use disorders? How do we develop healthy leadership? How do we sustain this kind of ministry? How do we find the resources we need to carry God’s message of hope to hurting people? How do we remain faithful and healthy as we serve?
In January 2011, Teresa McBean accepted the position of Executive Director and she served in that capacity for 12 very productive years. Under her leadership, the NACR dramatically expanded it’s national presence. We have had two week-long intensives (Summer Institute of Recovery Studies)- first at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, CA in 2015 and then in Colorado Springs, CO in 2016. Teresa was also instrumental in organizing three “Spirituality and Recovery” conferences at Laity Lodge in Leaky, TX. And she has coordinated a series of regional conferences including ones in Virginia, California, Tennessee, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. She developed the NACR’s first experiment with online webinars with her 6 part workshop entitled “Dying to Help, Learning to Love”. In addition to all of this, under Teresa’s leadership the NACR has dramatically expanded it’s web presence. As of mid 2025 the NACR web site (www.nacr.org) has over 70 hours of video presentations, over 30 audio workshops, 25 bible study guides, over 150 articles, several daily meditations and a whole lot more. We’re currently getting about 100,000 page views every year on the site.
Unfortunately, a series of events combined to pose a threat to the NACR’s continued viability. COVID was a major factor. Our strategic plan depended heavily on face-to-face events and they just weren’t possible for a while. Our fund-raising efforts also became notably less effective. So a downsizing was necessary. Painful, but necessary. During this period of transition, Dale Ryan keep the web site going and handled basic organizational management tasks. We are only now (mid 2025) working on a long-term re-visioning plan. Our passion for Christian recovery has not changed. The need has certainly not changed. So there is plenty to do!
Stay tuned. There will be more to come!!! If you share our vision for the Christian recovery movement, we invite you to support our efforts by making a financial contribution. The NACR is a ministry of Christian Recovery International, a 501.c.3 non-profit corporation. All contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Thanks for considering becoming a supporter of the NACR. You can make a donation by going here.