Produced and Delivered Web-TV Programming
Breaking The Silence with Dr Gregory Williams
Unconquerable: Chief Matt Antkowiak on Trauma, Resilience, Faith, and Becoming a Protector
Guest, Chief Matt Antkowiak, Former Police Chief, Detective, Author and Survivor
This week's guest is Chief Matt Antkowiak, Author and Survivor
Scoop was conducting an interview with Chief Matt, when something amazing happened.
You Will NOT want to miss this life-changing program!
A Father’s Day Conversation About Resilience and Hope
In this Father’s Day episode of Breaking the Silence, host Dr. Gregory Williams welcomes Chief Matt Antkowiak for a deeply personal conversation about childhood abuse, trauma, resilience, law enforcement, faith, and the mission to protect vulnerable children. Dr. Williams opens by reflecting on his recent visit to a juvenile detention center, where many young people had experienced abuse, trafficking, foster care, fatherlessness, and serious criminal charges. He uses that experience to introduce the theme of resilience, stressing that children need adults who teach them how to recover, adapt, keep moving forward, learn from failure, and believe that there is always hope.
Learning Resilience the Hard Way
Chief Antkowiak explains that resilience is not simply something people are born with; it must be taught, modeled, and practiced. He says he did not learn healthy resilience as a child, but later encountered it in the military through drill sergeants who taught him that each step forward is a choice. He describes how, as a young person, he dealt with trauma through hiding, shame, drinking, fighting, and suppressing pain. Looking back, he says he was leaving “breadcrumbs” and wanted someone to notice, ask the right questions, and help stop what was happening, but the adults around him did not respond in the way he needed.
Abuse, Silence, and the Need for Protectors
Much of the conversation centers on the silence that surrounds childhood abuse and the urgent need to equip parents, teachers, pastors, coaches, and other adults to recognize warning signs. Chief Antkowiak says most abusers are known to the child, often occupying trusted roles within families, schools, churches, sports, or community circles. He argues that society must shift from merely responding after abuse happens to building protectors on the front end. For him, breaking the silence means removing shame from survivors, asking better questions, teaching children what trusted adults look like, and understanding that the shame belongs to the abuser, not the victim.
Law Enforcement, Human Trafficking, and Searching for Justice
Chief Antkowiak reflects on his long career in law enforcement, including military service and decades as a police officer and chief. He explains that working sex crimes, child abuse, and human trafficking cases gave him a way to pursue justice for others, even while he had not yet publicly spoken about his own abuse. He discusses major investigations, including the Blakemore human-trafficking case, and says that catching offenders did not fully heal him because he was still searching for justice for himself. Over time, he came to understand that his pain had become part of his purpose and that his experience helped him connect with survivors while also understanding the behavior of predators.
The Moment the Silence Broke
One of the most powerful parts of the interview comes when Chief Antkowiak describes publicly revealing his own abuse during a media interview connected to a school-related abuse investigation. He says an investigative reporter recognized that the case seemed deeply personal, and Antkowiak unexpectedly disclosed that he had been abused as a child. Moments later, he repeated that disclosure in a press conference, realizing only afterward that he had broken a silence he had carried for decades. Rather than stopping, he returned to the work, but the moment forced him to begin processing what he had long buried.
Faith, Healing, and Taking Back What Was Stolen
Chief Antkowiak also speaks openly about faith, therapy, forgiveness, and his belief that God was present with him even in the darkest moments of his life. He recounts a life-threatening incident as a Dallas police officer in 2000, when he survived being dragged by a car and badly injured, and says his young son’s comment that “God went to work with my dad” changed the way he understood God’s presence. He connects that experience to his later healing, saying he has come to believe that God did not create the abuse but was with him through it. He also shares how a trafficking survivor once told him about Jesus and reminded him that God loved him, a moment that deeply affected him.
Team Unconquerable and the Call to Expose the Darkness
The episode closes with Chief Antkowiak describing his developing movement, Team Unconquerable, and his upcoming book, Unconquerable, which he says is planned for a Black Friday release tied to reclaiming the anniversary of one of the hardest moments in his own story. His mission is to expose darkness, speak up, and build protectors who can recognize abuse, support survivors, and prevent harm. Dr. Williams thanks him for the conversation and says he wants to bring him back for another episode. He closes with the show’s recurring message: survivors are not alone, healing is possible, the silence can be broken, and there is always hope.
Unconquerable: Chief Matt Antkowiak on Trauma, Resilience, Faith, and Becoming a Protector
Guest, Chief Matt Antkowiak, Former Police Chief, Detective, Author and Survivor
This week's guest is Chief Matt Antkowiak, Author and Survivor
Scoop was conducting an interview with Chief Matt, when something amazing happened.
You Will NOT want to miss this life-changing program!
A Father’s Day Conversation About Resilience and Hope
In this Father’s Day episode of Breaking the Silence, host Dr. Gregory Williams welcomes Chief Matt Antkowiak for a deeply personal conversation about childhood abuse, trauma, resilience, law enforcement, faith, and the mission to protect vulnerable children. Dr. Williams opens by reflecting on his recent visit to a juvenile detention center, where many young people had experienced abuse, trafficking, foster care, fatherlessness, and serious criminal charges. He uses that experience to introduce the theme of resilience, stressing that children need adults who teach them how to recover, adapt, keep moving forward, learn from failure, and believe that there is always hope.
Learning Resilience the Hard Way
Chief Antkowiak explains that resilience is not simply something people are born with; it must be taught, modeled, and practiced. He says he did not learn healthy resilience as a child, but later encountered it in the military through drill sergeants who taught him that each step forward is a choice. He describes how, as a young person, he dealt with trauma through hiding, shame, drinking, fighting, and suppressing pain. Looking back, he says he was leaving “breadcrumbs” and wanted someone to notice, ask the right questions, and help stop what was happening, but the adults around him did not respond in the way he needed.
Abuse, Silence, and the Need for Protectors
Much of the conversation centers on the silence that surrounds childhood abuse and the urgent need to equip parents, teachers, pastors, coaches, and other adults to recognize warning signs. Chief Antkowiak says most abusers are known to the child, often occupying trusted roles within families, schools, churches, sports, or community circles. He argues that society must shift from merely responding after abuse happens to building protectors on the front end. For him, breaking the silence means removing shame from survivors, asking better questions, teaching children what trusted adults look like, and understanding that the shame belongs to the abuser, not the victim.
Law Enforcement, Human Trafficking, and Searching for Justice
Chief Antkowiak reflects on his long career in law enforcement, including military service and decades as a police officer and chief. He explains that working sex crimes, child abuse, and human trafficking cases gave him a way to pursue justice for others, even while he had not yet publicly spoken about his own abuse. He discusses major investigations, including the Blakemore human-trafficking case, and says that catching offenders did not fully heal him because he was still searching for justice for himself. Over time, he came to understand that his pain had become part of his purpose and that his experience helped him connect with survivors while also understanding the behavior of predators.
The Moment the Silence Broke
One of the most powerful parts of the interview comes when Chief Antkowiak describes publicly revealing his own abuse during a media interview connected to a school-related abuse investigation. He says an investigative reporter recognized that the case seemed deeply personal, and Antkowiak unexpectedly disclosed that he had been abused as a child. Moments later, he repeated that disclosure in a press conference, realizing only afterward that he had broken a silence he had carried for decades. Rather than stopping, he returned to the work, but the moment forced him to begin processing what he had long buried.
Faith, Healing, and Taking Back What Was Stolen
Chief Antkowiak also speaks openly about faith, therapy, forgiveness, and his belief that God was present with him even in the darkest moments of his life. He recounts a life-threatening incident as a Dallas police officer in 2000, when he survived being dragged by a car and badly injured, and says his young son’s comment that “God went to work with my dad” changed the way he understood God’s presence. He connects that experience to his later healing, saying he has come to believe that God did not create the abuse but was with him through it. He also shares how a trafficking survivor once told him about Jesus and reminded him that God loved him, a moment that deeply affected him.
Team Unconquerable and the Call to Expose the Darkness
The episode closes with Chief Antkowiak describing his developing movement, Team Unconquerable, and his upcoming book, Unconquerable, which he says is planned for a Black Friday release tied to reclaiming the anniversary of one of the hardest moments in his own story. His mission is to expose darkness, speak up, and build protectors who can recognize abuse, support survivors, and prevent harm. Dr. Williams thanks him for the conversation and says he wants to bring him back for another episode. He closes with the show’s recurring message: survivors are not alone, healing is possible, the silence can be broken, and there is always hope.
LaGrave Live
LIVE Evening Worship Service - Amos and Amaziah
About The Service:
Pastor Jonker will preach on Amos 7.
Order of Worship:
https://lagrave.org/wp-content/upload...
About Us:
We are a traditional CRC church in the middle of Downtown Grand Rapids, MI, worshipping at 8:40am, 11:00am, and 6:00pm. (10:00am and 6:00pm during the summer months)
We'd love to hear from you:
Connection: https://www.lagrave.org/contact
Let us pray for you:
Prayer: https://www.lagrave.org/prayerrequest/
Giving: https://www.elexiogiving.com/App/Givi...
The June special offering is for Pine Rest Patient Assistance Fund: Part of Pine Rest Foundation Fund offering financial assistance for individuals, families and children who need care.
Listen on the go:
Amazon Music: https://bit.ly/LGPodAmazonMusic
Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3tuOdwQ
Google Podcast: https://bit.ly/LGPodGoogle
Soundcloud: / lagravecrc
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3yXDFaT
Follow us!
Facebook: / lagravecrc
Instagram: / lagravecrc
Website: https://www.lagrave.org
#LaGrave #LaGraveCRC
Amos, Amaziah, and the Holy Affliction of God’s Justice
Evening Worship at LaGrave Church
This live evening worship service from LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church is led by Reverend Peter Jonker and centers on the encounter between the prophet Amos, the priest Amaziah, and King Jeroboam II. The service opens with Scripture, worship, and a reflection on Psalm 146, emphasizing that believers should not put ultimate trust in princes or human rulers, but in the Lord who upholds the oppressed, feeds the hungry, frees prisoners, watches over foreigners, and sustains the fatherless and widow. Reverend Jonker frames the evening as a meditation on how church and state interact in Scripture, especially when God’s justice confronts political and religious power.
Prayer for the World’s Large and Small Histories
The pastoral prayer names God as King of kings, Lord of lords, and ruler over both the “big history” of nations and the smaller histories of ordinary lives. Reverend Jonker prays for places marked by war, suffering, and violence, including Sudan, Ukraine, Iran, Gaza, Lebanon, and Israel. He also prays against the bitterness that violence plants across generations and asks God to make His people peacemakers. The prayer then turns close to home, lifting up LaGrave’s neighbors, people struggling with addiction, trauma, and mental illness, and members of the congregation facing illness, surgery, recovery, hospice, and personal burdens.
Amos 7 - A Prophet Confronts Power
The central Scripture reading is Amos 7:10–17, where Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, reports Amos to King Jeroboam and accuses him of raising a conspiracy in Israel. Amaziah tells Amos to leave, return to Judah, and stop prophesying at Bethel because it is “the king’s sanctuary” and “the temple of the kingdom.” Amos responds that he was not a professional prophet or the son of a prophet, but a shepherd and dresser of sycamore fig trees whom the Lord called to prophesy to Israel. Reverend Jonker notes that Amos is a difficult figure, blunt and unsettling, more committed to God’s righteousness and justice than to popularity or social comfort.
Prosperity, Injustice, and the Unwanted Word
Reverend Jonker explains that Amos prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II, a time of outward prosperity, national stability, and economic success for Israel. By conventional standards, Jeroboam looked like a successful ruler: the borders expanded, enemies were defeated, the economy was strong, and the nation appeared secure. But the biblical assessment was different: Jeroboam did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Into that prosperous world, Amos spoke against injustice, warning that the wealthy lounged in comfort while trampling the poor and ignoring the needy. Jonker stresses that Amos’s words were not pleasant, but they were necessary because God’s measure of a nation is not merely prosperity, but justice and righteousness.
The Holy Affliction of the Prophet
A key phrase in the sermon is “holy affliction.” Reverend Jonker says Amos was not simply an angry man; he was someone unsettled by the Spirit of God. Even Amos himself seems disturbed by the severity of the visions and prophecies he receives, pleading for mercy because Israel is small. Yet he cannot go back to ordinary life because God has given him eyes to see injustice and a heart that cannot ignore it. Jonker describes this kind of prophetic restlessness as a gift of the Holy Spirit, though not always a comfortable one. It is the burden that prevents God’s people from becoming merely a social club or a “going to heaven club.”
Francis, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Prophetic Stream
Reverend Jonker connects Amos to later figures in Christian history who carried a similar holy affliction. He names St. Francis of Assisi, whose compassion for the poor disrupted the expectations of his wealthy family; Dorothy Day, whose Christian faith led her away from literary celebrity into advocacy for the poor and the Catholic Worker Movement; and Martin Luther King Jr., who refused to remain silent in the face of racial injustice and echoed Amos’s cry that justice should roll down like waters. These examples show how the Spirit continues to raise up people who disturb complacency, confront injustice, and remind the church that God is transforming creation, not merely saving isolated souls.
A Prayer for Holy Agitation
The sermon closes by turning the message back toward the congregation. Reverend Jonker prays that LaGrave will always have a few “ornery prophets” and a few people like Amos, but also that every believer will receive at least a little of that holy affliction. He asks that the suffering of neighbors, the plight of the poor, and the injustices of the world would continue to pierce the church’s heart rather than become background noise. He connects this prophetic agitation to Jesus, who came to preach good news to the poor, freedom for prisoners, sight for the blind, and release for the oppressed. The service ends with prayer that God would unsettle whatever needs unsettling, uproot what needs uprooting, and send the congregation out under the Lord’s blessing and peace.
LIVE Evening Worship Service - Amos and Amaziah
About The Service:
Pastor Jonker will preach on Amos 7.
Order of Worship:
https://lagrave.org/wp-content/upload...
About Us:
We are a traditional CRC church in the middle of Downtown Grand Rapids, MI, worshipping at 8:40am, 11:00am, and 6:00pm. (10:00am and 6:00pm during the summer months)
We'd love to hear from you:
Connection: https://www.lagrave.org/contact
Let us pray for you:
Prayer: https://www.lagrave.org/prayerrequest/
Giving: https://www.elexiogiving.com/App/Givi...
The June special offering is for Pine Rest Patient Assistance Fund: Part of Pine Rest Foundation Fund offering financial assistance for individuals, families and children who need care.
Listen on the go:
Amazon Music: https://bit.ly/LGPodAmazonMusic
Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3tuOdwQ
Google Podcast: https://bit.ly/LGPodGoogle
Soundcloud: / lagravecrc
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3yXDFaT
Follow us!
Facebook: / lagravecrc
Instagram: / lagravecrc
Website: https://www.lagrave.org
#LaGrave #LaGraveCRC
Amos, Amaziah, and the Holy Affliction of God’s Justice
Evening Worship at LaGrave Church
This live evening worship service from LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church is led by Reverend Peter Jonker and centers on the encounter between the prophet Amos, the priest Amaziah, and King Jeroboam II. The service opens with Scripture, worship, and a reflection on Psalm 146, emphasizing that believers should not put ultimate trust in princes or human rulers, but in the Lord who upholds the oppressed, feeds the hungry, frees prisoners, watches over foreigners, and sustains the fatherless and widow. Reverend Jonker frames the evening as a meditation on how church and state interact in Scripture, especially when God’s justice confronts political and religious power.
Prayer for the World’s Large and Small Histories
The pastoral prayer names God as King of kings, Lord of lords, and ruler over both the “big history” of nations and the smaller histories of ordinary lives. Reverend Jonker prays for places marked by war, suffering, and violence, including Sudan, Ukraine, Iran, Gaza, Lebanon, and Israel. He also prays against the bitterness that violence plants across generations and asks God to make His people peacemakers. The prayer then turns close to home, lifting up LaGrave’s neighbors, people struggling with addiction, trauma, and mental illness, and members of the congregation facing illness, surgery, recovery, hospice, and personal burdens.
Amos 7 - A Prophet Confronts Power
The central Scripture reading is Amos 7:10–17, where Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, reports Amos to King Jeroboam and accuses him of raising a conspiracy in Israel. Amaziah tells Amos to leave, return to Judah, and stop prophesying at Bethel because it is “the king’s sanctuary” and “the temple of the kingdom.” Amos responds that he was not a professional prophet or the son of a prophet, but a shepherd and dresser of sycamore fig trees whom the Lord called to prophesy to Israel. Reverend Jonker notes that Amos is a difficult figure, blunt and unsettling, more committed to God’s righteousness and justice than to popularity or social comfort.
Prosperity, Injustice, and the Unwanted Word
Reverend Jonker explains that Amos prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II, a time of outward prosperity, national stability, and economic success for Israel. By conventional standards, Jeroboam looked like a successful ruler: the borders expanded, enemies were defeated, the economy was strong, and the nation appeared secure. But the biblical assessment was different: Jeroboam did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Into that prosperous world, Amos spoke against injustice, warning that the wealthy lounged in comfort while trampling the poor and ignoring the needy. Jonker stresses that Amos’s words were not pleasant, but they were necessary because God’s measure of a nation is not merely prosperity, but justice and righteousness.
The Holy Affliction of the Prophet
A key phrase in the sermon is “holy affliction.” Reverend Jonker says Amos was not simply an angry man; he was someone unsettled by the Spirit of God. Even Amos himself seems disturbed by the severity of the visions and prophecies he receives, pleading for mercy because Israel is small. Yet he cannot go back to ordinary life because God has given him eyes to see injustice and a heart that cannot ignore it. Jonker describes this kind of prophetic restlessness as a gift of the Holy Spirit, though not always a comfortable one. It is the burden that prevents God’s people from becoming merely a social club or a “going to heaven club.”
Francis, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Prophetic Stream
Reverend Jonker connects Amos to later figures in Christian history who carried a similar holy affliction. He names St. Francis of Assisi, whose compassion for the poor disrupted the expectations of his wealthy family; Dorothy Day, whose Christian faith led her away from literary celebrity into advocacy for the poor and the Catholic Worker Movement; and Martin Luther King Jr., who refused to remain silent in the face of racial injustice and echoed Amos’s cry that justice should roll down like waters. These examples show how the Spirit continues to raise up people who disturb complacency, confront injustice, and remind the church that God is transforming creation, not merely saving isolated souls.
A Prayer for Holy Agitation
The sermon closes by turning the message back toward the congregation. Reverend Jonker prays that LaGrave will always have a few “ornery prophets” and a few people like Amos, but also that every believer will receive at least a little of that holy affliction. He asks that the suffering of neighbors, the plight of the poor, and the injustices of the world would continue to pierce the church’s heart rather than become background noise. He connects this prophetic agitation to Jesus, who came to preach good news to the poor, freedom for prisoners, sight for the blind, and release for the oppressed. The service ends with prayer that God would unsettle whatever needs unsettling, uproot what needs uprooting, and send the congregation out under the Lord’s blessing and peace.
