Re[2]: bbdb-initialize in .emacs

[Michael A. Miller]

I'm trying to set up bbdb and am unclear on the process for the
bbdb package.  The docs (/usr/share/doc/bbdb/README.Debian) say
that to enable bbdb support, I need to  add a call to
bbdb-initialize in my .emacs.  So I added

(bbdb-initialize 'gnus 'message)

After doing that, M-x bbdb tells me "no match".  A look at my
*Messages* buffer does not give any indication that bbdb is loaded
at all.  After simplifying my .emacs until it contains only

  (bbdb-initialize 'gnus 'message)

I'm told 

  Error in init file: Symbol's function definition is void: bbdb-initialize

emacs --debug-init tells me 

Signaling: (void-function bbdb-initialize)
  (bbdb-initialize (quote gnus) (quote message))
  eval-buffer(#<buffer  *load*> nil "~/.emacs")
  load-with-code-conversion("/home/miller/.emacs" "~/.emacs" t t)
  load("~/.emacs" t t)
  #[nil "�S   �=���Q�5    �=�'����#�#͂5΂5   
�=�1Ђ5��Q��\n҉#��=�F�\f�R���҉#))�" [init-file-user system-type 
user-init-file-1 user-init-file inhibit-default-init inhibit-startup-message 
ms-dos "~" "/_emacs" windows-nt directory-files nil "^\\.emacs\\(\\.elc?\\)?$" 
"~/.emacs" "~/_emacs" vax-vms "sys$login:.emacs" "/.emacs" t load "default"] 
4]()
  command-line()
  normal-top-level()

I've got these packages installed: bbdb_2.3-2, emacs20_20.7-3,
gnus_5.8.3-9.  Can anyone tell me how to use the Debian bbdb
package?  Can anyone provide me with a stripped down .emacs that
contains only (working) bbdb initialization?

Mike