My Testimony,
Where to start? Let me introduce myself. My name is Buddy Williams. I have been a member of The Church of God of Prophecy since 1979. I have not always been true to God or the church. I have lived in sin for most of that time. When I was a teenager I got distracted by the world and turned away from God. He called me into the ministry when I was 16y/o but I didn’t realize that was what it was at the time. It took me a little while to figure it out. I didn’t want any part of it either. I was too young and full of life to let God “slow me down “ or “hold me back from doing what I wanted to do.” I didn’t want anyone telling me to go here or what to do. I was my own man. I had my own job. I paid my own bills and I didn’t have time for God. Time passes by and I got married to a wonderful women. I got back into church in 1988 at the age of 25. I had started smoking when I turned to a sinful life and I still was smoking during this time. I had tried to quit several times but without success. I started singing in church and got very close to Pastor Norris. He and I were pals, friends. We went places and did things together and watched ball games. I have always enjoyed his company and listening to him preach. I seen Marcus grow up into a young man and Wanda is just as nice a lady now as she was then. I really love that family. I had thought, seeing I had been out of church for so long, that God would forget about that “calling stuff”. Guess what? He didn’t. I fought it off for a while but couldn’t take it any longer. I needed an excuse though. I couldn’t just leave. So I let a man run me off from the church and the people that I loved. I took his constant preaching, when he was suppose to be doing something else, make me feel as if that was the way church really was and I wanted no part of it. When I left this time, it was for good. To ease my need to serve, yes I still had that calling stuff on me, I went to a Basic EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) class and never looked back. I keep raising my level of care higher and higher. Became a shift supervisor, National Registry and even instructed a little. I am very good at my job. I’m not boasting. It’s the truth. I have always gotten the highest marks on my annual evaluations and was even voted “Best of the Best” in 2001 by the citizens of Richmond Co. I won the “Stars of life” award in 2002 and got a free trip to Washington DC to see the sites and visit with our nation leaders. I meet several Congressman and several Senators there. But after all this it still wasn’t enough. I had gotten to a point in my life that I didn’t care about anyone. Even myself and I didn’t care who knew it. I got immune to the human condition after seeing what one human being could actually do to another human being. People are awful is what I thought. What it was is sin is awful and it is what caused these people to do these things. I even got to a point where I yelled aloud, ”God, leave me alone.” You know He did too. He left me to sink of swim. I sank like a rock with a lead necktie. I messed up so bad that I was on my way to a devils hell and living alone. The only thing that saved me was a forgiving God, a praying family and a forgiving wife. Without all of this I may have been dead today. They saved my life. I fell down on my knees, here at my home, alone in the dark and begged God to forgive me. Guess what? He did. That was in December 16, 2005. I then turned to my family and asked for their forgiveness. Every one of them did too. I love you all. I then had to go make things right with the church. I rededicated my life to the church. I quit smoking on December the 24 2005 and have not picked it up since. I relied on God for the strengthen to make it though and He provided it. I started back singing again and then one day I was thinking if God still wanted me in the ministry and He said “Yes”. I did not run away this time. I have accepted His calling and I’m preparing at this time. I do not know where He is going to send us but when He calls I will say’ “Here I am Lord, send Me” as Isaiah did in the temple. I am saved, sanctified holy and filled with the Holy Ghost. I’ve only got one more thing to do. Make things right with Pastor Norris. I know he feels that it may have been his fault that I left, but it wasn’t. I did it to myself. I allowed it to happen. I left the security of the flock and got caught in a trap by the devil. Things are so much better now. My wife and I are both saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost. We work in the church and at youth camp. I sing on the praise team and play a little softball. I teach a Sunday School class for the college aged unmarried people. I am now 43 y/o and have been serving the Lord for almost 2 years this time. I will not go back to that lifestyle again. I have had enough of all that and I know Rhonda has. My biggest regret, use to be, that I never tried out to play professional baseball when I was in my early twenties, today it is different. My biggest regret is all the time I wasted living in sin. I could have been working and living for God for 40 years now. There is nothing I can do about that now. Looking back is only good for a very short time. I have to look ahead now. Time is short and I need to take advantage of all the things I can get my hands on. I have a job to do and I’m way behind. To God be all the glory and honour. God Bless you.
Buddy Williams.


