Sam Shoemaker

Sam Shoemaker, DD, STD (1893-1963), was an Episcopal priest who was instrumental in the Oxford Group and founding principles of Alcoholics Anonymous. Dr. Sam Moor Shoemaker was the rector of the Calvary Church in New York City, which was the United States headquarters of the Oxford Group. Bill Wilson attended Oxford Group meetings at the Calvary Church and Sam was instrumental in assisting Bill Wilson with the writing of the book Alcoholics Anonymous (nickname: The Big Book). Bill acknowledged this linkage when he wrote in the book, A.A. Comes of Age (page 39):

In 1917 Sam Shoemaker had been sent to China to start a branch of the YMCA and to teach at the Princeton-in-china Program. There, in 1918, feeling discouraged,  he first  met Frank Buchman who told him of the four absolutes, honesty, purity and unselfishness and love. Later Shoemaker would speak of the meeting as a major influence for the start of his ministry, that being the time   when he decided  to let go of self and let God guide his life

Bill Wilson, 1n 1955, would later give credit to Sam Shoemaker whom he referred to a co founder of AA.

"' It was from Sam shoemaker, that we aborbed most of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, steps that express the heart of AA's way of life. Sam Shoemaker had given us the concrete knowledge of what we could do about it, he passed on the sopirtual keys by which we were liberated. The early AA got its ideas of self-examintation, acknowledgement of character defects, restitution for harm done, and working with others straight form teh Oxford Group and directily form Sam Shoemaker, their former leader in America, and from nowhere else.'"

Rev. Shoemaker wrote over thirty books, at least half of which were circulating before A.A.’s 12 Steps were first published in the Big Book in 1939. Shoemaker's books were circulated in New York, Akron, and the Oxford Group.

Books by Shoemaker

 * A Young Man’s View of the Ministry, 1923
 * Beginning Your Ministry, 1963
 * By the Power of God, 1954
 * Calvary Church Yesterday and Today, 1936
 * Children of the Second Birth, 1927
 * Christ and This Crisis, 1943
 * Christ’s Words from the Cross, 1933
 * Confident Faith, 1932
 * Extraordinary Living for Ordinary Men, 1965
 * Freedom and Faith, 1949
 * God’s Control, 1939
 * How to Become a Christian, 1953
 * How You Can Find Happiness, 1947
 * How You Can Help Other People, 1946
 * If I Be Lifted Up, 1931 (with jacket)
 * Living Your Life Today, 1947
 * National Awakening, 1936
 * One Boy’s Influence, 1925
 * Realizing Religion, 1921
 * Religion That Works, 1928
 * Revive Thy Church, 1948
 * Sam Shoemaker at His Best, 1964
 * Steps of a Modern Disciple, 1972
 * The Church Alive, 1950
 * The Church Can Save the World, 1938
 * The Conversion of the Church, 1932
 * The Experiment of Faith, 1957
 * The Gospel According to You, 1934
 * They’re on the Way, 1951
 * Twice-Born Ministers, 1929
 * Under New Management, 1966
 * With the Holy Spirit and with Fire, 1960

Contribution
Shoemaker's contributions and service to Alcoholics Anonymous and as a minister of the Anglican Communion and Episcopal Church of America have had a worldwide affect. The philosophy that Shoemaker codified, in conjunction with Bill Wilson, is used in almost every country around the world to treat alcoholism.