For many of those who are familiar with his name, George Whitefield is thought of as a preacher, a man connected with the Great Awakening in the 1700s. But that is only part of the story. As a student in Oxford University, Whitefield experienced a spiritual awakening under the influence of John Wesley's Methodists and immediately began tending to prisoners, caring for the poor, and preaching the gospel. He met with astounding success, going on to speak to larger and larger crowds that include some of the largest gatherings in the history of England. Whitefield became the most famous preacher of his age.
His impact upon the American colonies, however, may have been his most lasting achievement. Over the course of seven tours of the colonies, Whitefield preached from Georgia to Maine, calling the colonists to spiritual conversion and challenging them in their sense of national destiny. He befriended men like Benjamin Franklin, converted men like Patrick Henry, and inspired men like George Washington. Furthermore, when he learned that England intended to tighten her control over the colonies, Whitefield warned his American friends in sermon after sermon and even accompanied Benjamin Franklin to make the American case in the court of St. James. Many of the colonists considered him the father of their revolution.
Forgotten Founding Father captures the early struggles and international successes of this amazing leader. The result is a portrait of a gifted but flawed man who yielded himself to be a tool in the hands of a sovereign God. Also portrayed is how important Whitefield was to the American cause and how much Americans today owe to him—a story that will inspire a new generation with a past vividly and truthfully retold.
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