Whitefield, George

(1714–70)

   Preacher.

   Whitefield was born of a poor family in Gloucester. He was educated at the University of Oxford where he met the wesley brothers. He was ordained to the Anglican ministry in 1736 and he shared in the Wesleys’ mission to America. On his return, he embarked on a mission to America in 1738. As time went on differences emerged with the Wesleys – Whitefield’s theology of salvation following calvin while the Wesleys followed arminius. So Whitefield became part of the Countess of Huntingdon’s (hastings) Connexion and he opened several meeting houses. He is remembered as the most significant orator of the Methodist revival. It was said that ‘No preacher has ever retained his hold on his hearers so entirely as he did for thirty-four years’.

   A.A. Dallimore, George Whitefield, 2 vols (1970, 1980);

   F. Lambert, Pedlar in Divinity (1994).