SULLIVAN PHILLIPS, FORMER PRO BASKETBALL PLAYER AND WAU ALUMNUS, DELIVERED AN INSPIRING PRESENTATION FOR CONVOCATION

TAKOMA PARK, MD –  Another thrilling convocation occurred this week at Washington Adventist University (WAU). This week’s speaker was  Sullivan Phillips, a former professional basketball player, who now is devoting his life to giving back to the community, working as a coach and as a teacher. The WAU basketball team was his stepping stone for the professional world, and the whole school was glad to welcome him back.

After a 12-year career in professional basketball, and a life full of challenges, Phillips felt the necessity of speaking the truth, to preserve students’ integrity and ensure that they embark on the right path—the path of God. He shared the means that God offered him on his journey through redemption, highlighting the pivotal roles his coaches and wife played in his change. 

“I think I change my life by changing my environment” stated the former athlete.

“My biggest takeaway for everybody is: Don’t ask for blessings if you don’t have the room to receive them. For example, I always tell my kids, you want new shoes but you don’t have a clean closet, where would you put them? So, I tell people the same thing, don’t ask for something that you aren’t ready to have,” concluded Phillips

The story of his journey touched the audience, who heard the powerful message of his words. This engagement was reflected at the end of the convocation, when an extraordinary number of students went up for prayer, making the first step towards a meaningful change in their own lives.

WAU student Samuel Machado,  who joined Phillips’ altar call at the end of the convocation, reflected on the twists in his journey and shared key insights. From the outset, he found a strong connection with Phillips’ speech, attributing it to their shared experience as student-athletes at WAU. During the discourse, this connection deepened as Machado gleaned valuable lessons.

Specifically, Machado highlighted a heightened appreciation for the vastness of God and the maturity required to avoid crossing certain boundaries. The speaker’s words resonated with him, offering a profound understanding of these spiritual and personal aspects.

“At the end, I was feeling my heart beating faster, as God was calling me,” said Machado. “Therefore, I plan to move forward and build a deeper relationship with God, aware of my limits as a human.

The story of Phillps was a story of redemption, faith, mistakes, and drive, but is not over.  Sullivan Philips is set to speak at  Vespers this Friday, January 26 at 7 p.m. We hope to see you there.