By CAROLINE CARMICHAEL/ Staff Writer

Celebrate Recovery director Mickey Hardwick recently received a promotion to Alabama Representative for the Celebrate Recovery program.

“It was pretty awesome,” Hardwick said. “We did an interview process with all the leaders of Celebrate Recovery — the national team and all,” Hardwick said.

This enhancement to Clanton’s ministerial reach was accompanied by a recent addition of a long-planned and greatly anticipated children’s outreach called Celebration Place.

Now as both ministry leader and state representative for Celebrate Recovery, Hardwick can extend his ministerial reach beyond the borders of Chilton County as he supports, promotes and plants Celebrate Recovery programs in cities across the state.

Hardwick said he was formally introduced, alongside other state representatives, by the national Celebrate Recovery team for the program on July 1.

Three thousand people were present at the ceremony, Hardwick said.

“It was kind of awesome,” he said. “It was kind of moving, too.”

“The criteria for state rep. for Celebrate Recovery is, of course, being a ministry leader in Celebrate Recovery, being in the Celebrate Recovery for over two years and sharing your testimony,” Hardwick said.

Besides his roles as ministry leader and state representative for Celebrate Recovery, Hardwick serves on the board of trustees at Clanton’s First United Methodist Church, from which Celebrate Recovery operates, and is a member of Methodist Men.

Hardwick said his involvement with Celebrate Recovery began with his own participation at Celebrate Recovery meetings in Calera.

Ultimately, he was asked to lead in establishing and directing a location in Clanton.

“I’ve come a long way spiritually,” Hardwick said, explaining he had been in a dark place in his life before he attended Celebrate Recovery meetings.

“I’d quit drinking about 15 years ago, but I didn’t really realize what recovery was about,” Hardwick said. “You know, only one in three people attend Celebrate Recovery for drugs or alcohol. Everybody else, it’s just kind of (for) life issues.”

The Celebrate Recovery 12-step program uses Bible-based truths to minister to individuals with “hurts, habits and hang-ups,” Hardwick said.

“When I went to my first Celebrate Recovery,” Hardwick said, “I realized that I’d been sober, but I had a lot of other stuff going on — a lot of anger, a lot of resentment, a lot of control issues.”

Hardwick said his wife was initially upset with the time he dedicated to attending Celebrate Recovery. However, that changed when she began attending as well.

According to Hardwick, “She said, ‘You know, I need to be here.’”

Hardwick said their relationship has since taken a healthier direction through the program, his wife’s forgiveness for Hardwick’s years as an alcoholic at the helm.

Hardwick’s experience is simply one of many testimonies of healing lives nurtured by Celebrate Recovery.

Celebrate Recovery meets every Monday around 5:45 p.m. at Clanton First United Methodist Church, now offering simultaneous programs for both adults and their children.