About RU

About RU Recovery Ministries

RU Recovery Ministries is a faith-based addiction recovery organization that started in Rockford, IL as a local class that has expanded to churches, and institutions across the country and into several countries. We are a 501c3 non-profit organization that is governed by a board of directors. We are funded by members and people like you.

JOIN RU RECOVERY MINISTRIES. BRING FAITH-BASED RECOVERYTO PEOPLE & COMMUNITIES EVERYWHERE.

Addiction affects 1 in 4 people regardless of age, gender, nationality, or status. Our desire is to take the Truth that Makes Free to every man, woman, and child to Break the Chains, and Cycle, of Addiction.

Our Mission

RU Recovery Ministries is a faith-based recovery program bringing transformation to people and communities everywhere.

ONLY JESUS

Our life and our legacy is ONLY JESUS.

ALWAYS COMPASSION

We should ALWAYS show COMPASSION toward people who don’t know Jesus as well as to those who already know Him.

DAILY DEVELOP

People and teams do not naturally grow stronger over time. Growth must be intentional. We want to purposefully add value to others and DAILY DEVELOP the plan that God is working in their life.

What We Do

RU offers classes, programs, and residential help for addicted men and ladies in churches, prisons, and communities across the US and around the world.

Local Meetings

Churches and Institutions across America host an RU Recovery class every week.

Find a Local Meeting

RU Homes

We offer residential discipleship for men and ladies on two different campuses here in Rockford, IL

Apply Online

Recovery Resources

We have a complete program curriculum as well as many other books and materials.

Recovery Shop

How It All Began

In 1984, Steve Curington graduated from North Love Christian School. Through a series of wrong choices and bad friends started a 10-year addiction to alcoholism and cocaine. After a serious car accident, Steve found complete sobriety through his relationship with Jesus Christ. This inspiring moment gave birth to an extraordinary movement of real recovery. In 1996, Steve began Reformers Unanimous, a humble Friday Night addiction class in his local church with four regular attendees in Rockford, Illinois. In 2001, this Friday night program, complete with curriculum, began to be implemented into other communities across the country. Listen to the Steve Curington Story as told by the Radio Drama UNSHACKLED.

Over 400 studies have been conducted on the role of faith in addiction recovery and these studies have found a success rate of 40%-60% in most faith-based programs. This is significantly higher than the success rate of programs that do not incorporate faith or spirituality into their programs.

National Center for Biotechnology Information

A Brief History of RU Recovery Ministries

Reformers Unanimous is Founded

The first Friday Night class begins out of North Love Baptist Church in Rockford, IL

The First Men's Residential Facility

As the RU program began to grow, Steve met men who needed additional help. The Men’s Home began in a single, small apartment in Rockford with the help of a friend, Craig Wilcox.

The First Edition of the RU Curriculum is Completed

The "Program Guide was released - the first piece of RU Curriculum. The Sword of the Lord recommends RU to its readership of churches and pastors.

Benjamin Burks Joins RU

Benjamin Burks becomes the International Director of RU and moves his family from Virginia to Rockford, IL.

The Women's Home Opens

The first women's facility opens in May as the RU Women's School of Discipleship.

Fire at Mulberry

A fire destroyed the our newest Men's Home facility just hours before the final inspection. With enormous support from the community of Rockford it was rebuilt. Also, this year the curriculum is translated into Spanish for the first time.

New Men's Home Facility

A new facility is purchased and renovated expanding our residential capacity to 100 beds. We reach 100 local chapter meetings across the country.

500 Chapters & Growing

Over 500 local meetings running in churches across the country. Our annual National Conference reaches 1,000 attendees.

God Provides RUTH

God, in His Sovereignty, led us to purchase a new facility for women affectionately known as R.U.T.H. - RU Transitional Housing.

RU is now in a total of 10 foreign countries!

RU Loses It's Founder

On October 30, our beloved RU founder, mentor, and friend Steven B. Curington died of a massive heart attack and went to be with our Savior.

Reformers Unanimous Rebrands

RU rebrands with a new face, a new logo... but the mission remains the same! Reaching the addicted with Faith-Based Recovery.

20th Anniversary of RU Recovery Ministries

The Philippines Addiction Crisis

RU Responds to the addiction crisis in the Philippines. With two trips around the country RU starts 509 local recovery groups using the RU Curriculum.

The Opioid Crisis

With the experience gained from the Philippines RU responds to the Opioid Crisis by creating Faith-Based Recovery For America® a grassroots initiative.

After successfully holding a rally in the Ohio State Capitol we see HR-299 passed by an overwhelming bipartisan majority recognizing the role of faith-based recovery programs.

Tim Farley joins the RU Staff as Executive Director. Brad Woodbury becomes the CFO.

25th Anniversary of RU

The legacy of Steve Curington our founder lives on as we have a vision and a clear path to the future of Faith-Based Recovery and RU Recovery Ministries.

April 1996

1999

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2007

2008

October 30, 2010

2014

2016

2017

2018

2021

Board of Directors

Paul Kingsbury

Co-Founder and Board Advisor

Romona Shultz
Business Owner: Midwest Glass Tinters

Barry Molencupp

Business Owner: DriveRight

Mark Huebner

Marketing & Development Manager: Pacific Bearing Corporation

Randall Grindinger

Realtor: Keller Williams Realty Select

Cliff Westerlund

Engineer: Retired

Dr. George Crabb, DO

Doctor of Internal Medicine: Millennium Physician Group

RU Staff Leadership

Ben Burks

International Director

Brad Woodbury

Chief Financial Officer

RU Team Leaders

Wendy Burks

Director of First Impressions

Katie Woodbury

Finance Office Manager

Mary Beth Grindinger

Dean of the Women’s Home

Axel Wittig

Dean of the Men’s Home

Cisco Cervantes

Program Development

Benjamin Smith

Marketing & Creative Director

We appreciate all our staff & volunteers.