For many of those who are even familiar with his name, George Whitefield
is thought of as a preacher, a man connected with the Great Awakening in
the 1700s. While this is true, it is only part of the story. As a
student at Oxford University, he 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 Christian gospel.
He met with astounding success, in time speaking to larger crowds than
had ever gathered in the history of England. Whitefield became the most
famous man of his age.
His impact upon the American colonies, however, may have been his most
lasting gift. In seven tours of the colonies, Whitfield 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 warmed his
American friends in sermon after sermon and even accompanied Benjamin
Franklin to make the American case in the Court of Saint 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 human who yielded himself as a tool in the hands
of a sovereign God. Also portrayed is how important Whitfield 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.
