Derrick Davis | The Valdosta Daily TimesEvangelist Adrian Despres speaks at the Southeast Georgia Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ ‘Christ Makes Winners’ rally Wednesday at First Baptist Church.

VALDOSTA — Today, the entire town will be divided into either Wildcats and Vikings for the Winnersville Classic.

However, Wednesday evening, the town came together as one at First Baptist Church for the Southeast Georgia Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ 36th Annual “Christ Makes Winners” rally.

Just two days prior to one of the greatest rivalries in the nation, the Winnersville Classic, both sides, young and old, gathered as one to embrace Christ.

“I just think it’s great that our community comes together for this type of an event,” said Bobby Willis, FCA area representative. “It’s good for kickoff of the ballgame for the community to come together like this.

“I just pray the ballgame goes as well, with attitudes. I’m not talking about ball playing. I want a great football game.”

Doors opened to the event at 6 p.m., and guests arrived to eat concessions and socialize to musical accompaniment of state Rep. Dexter Sharper.

Bill New and Will Cook welcomed participants and offered an opening prayer. An FCA promo video and student testimonies shared the FCA vision of a world impacted for Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes.

Valdosta head coach Alan Rodemaker and Lowndes head coach Randy McPherson delivered messages.

For First Baptist Senior Pastor Charles Owens, seeing both teams come together for a common cause was a welcome sight, especially on the precipice of the Winnersville Classic.

“I just think it’s great,” Owens said. “It shows that we really are a united community. It’s living proof Christ unites us.

“We just think it’s great to have this many young people from both schools showing unity and love across all types of denominational and ethnic lines. We’re just happy God’s light shines through.”

Following a skit and video intro, the night progressed with worship, led by Justin Crenshaw and local praise team members before the night’s guest speaker took the stage.

Adrian Despres served as chaplain of the football team at the University of South Carolina for 15 years. Wednesday night, he delivered a strong sermon, using four chairs to symbolize how you know where you sit with Christ.

“The first chair is someone who loves God,” Despres said. “They’re not perfect, but they’re getting better. That’s the key: improvement.

“The second chair, they’re a Christian, but they’ve gotten used to God. Jesus calls them ‘puke’ and wants to spew them out of his mouth. Not that he hates the people, just the concepts.”

While Despres didn’t mince words speaking about “second-chair Christians” who have gotten complacent in their faith, fourth chair non-believers and, “the most dangerous-of-all,” third-chair, were his biggest concern.

“The fourth chair, they know they’re not a Christian,” Despres said. “The third chair, they think they’re a Christian, but they’re not and don’t know it. It’s very dangerous. Everybody though, can be in the first chair.”

Despres asked the audience to close their eyes, then polled them on which chair they considered themselves in. He gathered everyone who considered themselves third or fourth chairs at the front of the room for a group blessing.

Willis ended the night with a closing prayer before reflecting on the difference the “Winners Make Christ” rally has made in a rivalry that has in the past occasionally crossed over the line from respectful intensity to vicious vitriol.

“Thirty-six years ago, it could get real ugly,” Willis said. “It goes back to (the late Wildcats) Coach Nick Hyder. He started this to try to repel some of that. It’s just led into this.”

Willis, an official with the Georgia High School Association for more than 40 years, hopes the recent GHSA reclassification that removed Lowndes and Valdosta from the same region — and placed them into entirely different classifications — will result in the rivalry losing a bit of its edge outside of Winnersville Week.

“Everybody can pick their favorite team Friday night in football; after that, the community can come together to pull for everybody,” Willis said.

Despres, for one, said he believes the town’s unification Wednesday is a crucial step towards salvation.

“Jesus prayed for two things for the disciples,” Despres said. “One, that they would be unified, and that they’d be kept from Satan. So, Satan loves to have influence and he loves disunity.

“He loves racism; he loves anger, hatred, he loves murder; he loves all those things. They bring disunity. When a community comes together and is unified, it’s like they’re taking their collective fist and punching evil in the face.”

Derrick Davis is a sports reporter at the Valdosta Daily Times.