Jamaica’s ISSA Boy’s and Girl’s Championships, also known as Champs, are an annual track and field competition sporting event for high school students held at the National Stadium. Thousands of spectators attend this event because it attracts some of the best athletes in the nation. Godfrey Williams, a lone Seventh-day Adventist evangelist, was protesting the 2023 Championships’ desecration of the Lord’s Sabbath day by holding some of the games on Saturday, April 1, 2023.
The Jamaica Observer published the following in response to the Adventist evangelist’s protest against Sabbath-breaking:
“Saturdays are reserved for many things and Evangelist Godfrey Williams made it very clear to patrons making their way to the National Stadium for the final day of the 2023 Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships where the focus should be. ‘You should be at church right now worshipping God in the beauty of holiness and instead you are here at Champs desecrating God’s holy day of rest,’ Williams said via speakerphone at the entrance of the stadium as people streamed inside on Saturday. [1]
“He directed his address to Adventist who may have been breaking their Sabbath for the entertainment spectacle of Champs. ‘Seventh Day Adventist, go back home and keep the Sabbath holy … You should be at home or at church worshipping the God in the beauty of holiness … today is not a day for pleasure, not a day for sports … you should repent,’ Williams said.” [1]
Godfrey Williams addressed the people as they were entering the sporting event on Saturday, urging them to keep the Sabbath day holy. He also addressed any Seventh-day Adventists who might have been present during the Sabbath competition. Adventists in the past have protested these games, not because the games are competitive, but rather because many Seventh-day Adventist high school students feel “disenfranchised” for being unable to participate in the “athletic festivals” due to their day of worship. [2]
Therefore, Evangelist Williams’ protest was also extended to any Seventh-day Adventist who might have been tempted to forgo Sabbath-keeping in order to attend one of the most prestigious and renowned track and field competitions in the entire country. Praise the Lord for the voice of protest, even if it was just one solitary voice. We know that the divine presence of the Almighty was with him.
The prophetic voice of protest has always been a lonely ministry. You will face ridicule, scorn, abuse, and hate. This has always been the destiny of all of God’s messengers. The straight testimony that reproves the widespread and national sins of the people will certainly always be despised by both the world and the compromised churches.
Being a watchman on the walls of Zion is one of the least favorable and thankless jobs that anyone can have. But, in God’s eyes, it is one of the most important obligations today. If your ultimate goal in life is to be well-liked, to make lots of friends, and to receive accolades and acceptance, then don’t be a watchman. Be a sell-out traitor of the faith and preach a peace and safety message, and you will be embraced by the world.
It is very easy to just go with the crowd, but it is always difficult to stand alone. However, it’s worth being alone for the sake of truth. It’s worth being despised, rejected, and misunderstood for God’s truth. Why? Because that is how Jesus was treated, and because He is still found there, on the paths of rejection and humiliation:
“Not in the ways of ease, of earthly honor or worldly conformity, are the followers of the Master found. They are far in advance, in the paths of toil, and humiliation, and reproach, in the front of the battle ‘against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.’ Ephesians 6:12, R. V. And now, as in Christ’s day, they are misunderstood and reproached and oppressed by the priests and Pharisees of their time” (Desire of Ages, p. 508).
Sources
[1] https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latest-news/watch-champs2023-go-home-and-keep-the-sabbath-holy/
[2] https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/letters/20150406/don%E2%80%99t-hold-champs-sabbath
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One of the 144,000. Now you see why the number is so small
Thank God for the little Remnant.
We need more watchmen with the courage to speak out.
While I agree whole heartily with the righteous indignation of Godfrey Williams, I have to wonder what he was doing there himself; shouldn’t he have been in church or at home worshiping God? I also agree that a protest was warranted but I personally think it was inappropriate for him to be physically at the event protesting on the Sabbath…just my opinion.
He was probably there because when he got to the church, there was no one there!!! I think it was an absolute necessity for him to go there and like Jonah, tell his congregation that they will be lost if they don’t repent! Also, it may have been a wake-up call to others that were not members of his church and not Seventh-day Adventists to wake-up to the call also…..Just saying
He was doing far more than he would be had he been sitting in church.
My guess is that he is tired of sitting in church and has decided that actually doing something that is more productive.
While attending church is important doing is even better.
Just my thoughts on the matter,
Joe
What is sad is that others stayed at home and watched. Much like not going to the cinema but taking it into the homes. Bro. Godfrey may God be with you. Who said that AdventMessenger only shares bad news? Far from it. Keep pressing Bro. Andy.
Amen!
Fantastic.
While I do agree that we are to protest, the way in which this was done was not good. We are not to adopt the ways and methods of this world do the work of God. Jesus said that we are to be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” (Matthew 10:16). In doing it the way he did, he is actually calling attention to himself instead of the message that he is trying to proclaim. While we are called to “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1), doing it publicly in the manner that he did does more harm than good.
Bonjour,tant de serviteurs de Dieu on fait face a des foules de personnes,et dans des endroits public,pour avertir la populace du jugement de Dieu,car ils avaient un message à donner:Penser a Elie,Paul,Daniel à la cour de Nébucanetsar,Moïse qui fit face à Pharaon,et j’en passe,Jésus lui même a du affronter un peuple incrédule.