George Whitefield Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

George Whitefield - Term Paper Example Whitefield was educated at home by his mother and later in life at St. Mary de Crypt School and Pembroke College, Oxford2. Whitefield was s diligent student but he was a loner. He spent a lot of time meditating; in fact, he was once reported to have meditated for six weeks without any food except bread or tea. This experience weakened him so much that he had to see a doctor 2. Whitefield was ordained as a minister at the tender age of 21. The bishop who ordained him had earlier said he would refuse to ordain anyone that young but Whitefield showed some remarkable characteristics that were ideal for preaching, he was exceptionally hard-working, he was ready to learn, he had a vivid imagination, he attracted children and perhaps most importantly of all, he exuded an exuberance that made people listen to him. Whitefield mainly preached against sin and for Jesus Christ1. It was Whitefield’s association with brothers Charles and John Weasley that led him to Georgia, America as a missionary. Whitefield spent the year after being ordained preaching in the UK and raising funds to travel to Georgia2. The Weasley brothers had both been preaching in America to no avail and they had failed to convert the masses of people1,2. However, when Whitefield arrived in America, he found he had a voice almost immediately. People listened to him and responded almost immediately. His charisma probably contributed to this greatly. A year after his arrival, Whitefield decided to return to the UK to collect funds for an orphanage that was being planned by the colony’s founder. The orphanage and schools, when they were built finally helped an abundance of people. Whitefield never profited from this endeavour financially1. After his first trip to America, Whitefield made six more trips. Each journey across the Atlantic was danger but Whitefield had a large audience which he wanted to preach to in America1,2. In 1940, in Philadelphia, he preached to fifteen thousand people,