A conversation with Phil Robertson, known as the Duck Commander, helped change the course of John Godwin’s life.
The cast member from the “Duck Dynasty” program shared the story Saturday at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Columbia.
Living hard and not seeing much need for religion, he had half heartedly attended Robertson’s church in hopes of getting work in the family’s duck call business. But Robertson asked him why he was coming and had a conversation with Godwin about his need for Christ and what to do to be saved.
“You repent. What’s that? You just quit acting like you’re acting now and act different. You die to sin, just like he died on the cross,” Godwin recalled Saturday what Robertson had told him. “You’re buried in a watery grave, just like he was buried. You come up to a new life, just like he come up out of that grave to a new life. You’re reenacting the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Ain’t that cool? That gives you something to hold onto.”
Godwin said he didn’t know quite what to think about it, and Robertson, who is a longtime elder at the White’s Ferry Road Church of Christ in Monroe, La., sent him home with some verses and urged him to lock himself in his room to read for himself.
“He said don’t take my word for what I’m telling you because I want you to put your faith in God, not me,” Godwin said. “That meant something to me. I did; I went home and started reading.”
Now Godwin, more than 20 years later, says he has complete confidence that his sins are forgiven and that he’ll go to heaven after he dies in a glorified body.
“This is what I think heaven’s going to be: I used to ride horses so I’ve got 100,000 acres. I’ve got about 150 of the best black mulies, turn right in the gate, you’d ever want to put your hands on. I can’t get out of my driveway for all these big deer in my way. There’s a lake right in the middle of it. The ducks won’t land nowhere but there. There’s 10-pound crappie swimming around here, and not a game warden in sight!” Godwin said to laughs. “It’s going to be better than that because that’s just what I can imagine. He says heaven is more than we can imagine, Paul did.”
Godwin shared those thoughts with the people at Emmanuel Baptist Saturday, as well as demonstrating duck calls.
To cap the night, William Carey University donated a $20,000 scholarship to give away. Circuit Judge Tony Mozingo drew the name, and Marilyn Griffin of Columbia won the prize.
Lindsey Knight, a recent WCU graduate who now does recruiting for the Hattiesburg school, spoke to the crowd.
Emmanuel Baptist Pastor Lloyd Thompson invited anyone who doesn’t have a church home – or even if they do – to come to the congregation to worship. It’s on Old Highway 35 North near the Columbia-Marion County Airport.
Mayor Justin McKenzie closed the event with a prayer.
Pictured Above: John Godwin speaks Saturday evening at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Columbia. The cast member of the “Duck Dynasty” program shared duck calls and the story of his conversion after teaching from “Duck Commander” Phil Robertson. | Photos by Charlie Smith
