Dictionary definition of “bleeding deacon”

bleeding deacon

n. a person who believes himself indispensible to a group, esp. a person who becomes so over-involved in a group’s internal management, policies, or politics as to lose sight of its larger goals; (hence) a person with a negative, moralizing character, who acts like the sole source of wisdom. Subjects: English, United States, Relationships, Slang

Editorial Note: Most cites are connected to Alcoholics Anonymous or to similar 12-step programs. The historical information in the 1998 and 1999 cites is not verified.

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Citations: 1988 New York Times (Feb. 21) “The Changing World of Alcoholics Anonymous” p. 6-40: “If anything is going to destroy A.A.,” says Dr. John Norris, a nonalcoholic physician, friend of Bill Wilson’s and for many years chairman of A.A.’s board of trustees, “it will be what I call the ‘tradition lawyers.’ They find it easier to live with black and white than they do with gray. These ‘bleeding deacons’—these fundamentalists—are afraid of and fight any change.” 1990 Vernon E. Johnson I’ll Quit Tomorrow: A Practical Guide to Alcoholism Treatment p. 92: Even in aftercare or AA, if this quality of rigidity continues, it can reach a point where patients are no longer viewed by their peers in recovery as a zealot for the program but as “bleeding deacons” who insist loudly that “my way is the only way to make the program.” 1997 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Feb. 20) “Gambling’s Not the Answer” p. A14: Our town is going nuts with gambling. I don’t have a conversation with my friends when we’re not talking about off-track betting, the Meadows, the Lotto or poker machines. I am not a Bible-thumper or bleeding deacon, but I’m really ticked off! 1998 Dennis J. Brevik alt.recovery.catholicism (Oct. 4) “Re: Former RC/Padre_Andre vs. ‘John M’”: The term Bleeding Deacon is a corruption of an old New England term from the 18th or 19th century. The original term was Bleating Deacon, evoking a farmer’s image of an old goat in the pulpit. 1999 [Jim] alt.recovery.aa (Dec. 9) “Re: In and out - is AA for me?”: When the term was first applied it was intended for those people who have a set of cries such as “it will never work” or “if it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it.” The actual term used was “bleating beacon” [sic] (as in sheep). The GV even ran a series titled “The Bleating Deacon’s Corner.” I prefer the term “bleeding deacon.” Truth is that I used to be one but I ran out of blood. *2004 Gregg Easterbrook Beliefnet “A.A.: America’s Stealth Religion”: There is also no professional clergy, but true-believing Program oldtimers are often referred to, more or less affectionately, as “bleeding deacons.”

Posted 16 Apr 04 | Permalink | Tell a Friend

Reader comments:

The first reference to “bleeding deacon” that I am aware of, is in the book “Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions”, published by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., copyright, 1952, first printing, April 1953.
In the chapter entitled “Tradition Two”, on page 135, there is a description of 2 types of AA oldtimers. “Elder Statesmen”, who are willing to “wait on the sidelines...” allowing group conscience to guide decisions, and, “Bleeding Deacons”, “convinced the group cannot get along without (them)...” The chapter goes on to say “nearly every oldtimer has gone through this process. Happily most survive and become elder statesmen.”

by folmstead 09 Aug 04, 0433 GMT

I have been aware of the need to find a hard copy of this. All of the examples of this on the Internet are suspect, because they all seem to have been copied from person to person, and they vary in content and length. I have not been able to lay my hands on a hard copy. Did you transcribe this from a printed version? If so, I will convert it to a citation and add it to the entry.

by Grant Barrett 09 Aug 04, 0443 GMT

Hi Grant, Sorry for the delay in responding, but I’ve been out of town.

“Did you transcribe this from a printed version?”

The answer is yes, I did transcibe it from the book, but as you see by the “..."s, I have edited out some of the interior of these passages, in trying to be concise. I used the same “...” covention I used, when quoting critics, in ads I wrote for TV shows. Of course, in those cases, I was really “spin doctoring” to make the quote seem as positive as possible.

That all being said, I suggest either you get a copy of the book for yourself from AA World Services (it is most definitely still in print), and double check my editing. If you like, I could forward you a copy. Or, I could transcribe the whole passage and you could use what you wished.

Let me know what you’d like me to do.

Fred

PS: I don’t work for AA, but I am a fairly long term member.

by folmstead 24 Aug 04, 0820 GMT

Very helpful! Thanks. I think your transcription is good enough to use here.

by Grant Barrett 24 Aug 04, 0830 GMT

How do you deal with a bleeding deacon within a group or particular sector?

by Dianne Scheifele 08 Jan 08, 1219 GMT