GEORGE WHITEFIELD,
1714-1770 :
A MODEL FOR MISSION AT THE
START OF THE THIRD
MILLENNIUM?
Why Study Whitefield?
•  One of the greatest evangelistic preachers
in church history
•  Catalyst for one of the greatest Revivals
ever – in England, America and Scotland.
•  Huge legacy - esp. in the Great Awakening
in America and in the revitalisation of
English Nonconformity
1. Ordinary Childhood –
Strong CALLING
Birth
•  Born December 1714 at the Bell Inn,
Gloucester.
•  Father died when two – widowed mother
also proprietor of the Inn
•  Short Account of God’s Dealings with George Whitefield (1739) – birth encouraged him to
follow Christ, who, like himself was “born
into a manger belonging to an inn”!!
Childhood
•  Conventionally religious and typically
sinful!
•  “I was always fond of being a clergyman,
used frequently to imitate the ministers
reading prayers etc. Part of the money I
used to steal from my parents I gave to
the poor, and some books I privately took
from others…I remember were books of
devotion.”
Schooling
•  King’s School Gloucester – cathedral
school
•  Crypt school – linked to parish church
•  Left school at 15 due to need to help
mother at the inn
Gifts
•  Early signs of prowess in acting and public
speaking
•  “Having a good elocution and memory, I
was remarked for making speeches before
the corporation at their annual
visitation.”
Spiritual struggles
•  Mid teens, fell into “abominable secret sin”
yet also eagerly attended Church services;
•  “continued in secret sin” and got involved
with a “set of debauched, abandoned,
atheistical youths” - then pursued a new
round of religious devotions – watchfulness
over thoughts, words and actions, fasting,
prayer and psalms three times a day, public
worship twice a day
Sense of calling
•  While reading a play to his sister he
informed her that God intended something
for him, “which we know not of”
•  Premonition that he would one day
become a preacher
•  Offer of becoming a servitor at Pembroke
College, Oxford – way of fulfilling his and
his mother’s long-term ambitions –
resumed schooling and got ready for
University
2. Thorough CONVERSION
Key Influence - Wesleys
•  Met Charles Wesley in 1733 who
introduced him to John Wesley and others
of the Oxford Methodists
•  Groups met for study, Bible study,
confession, self-examination
•  High Churchmen – diligent in receiving
weekly communion
•  Serving the poor, visiting prisoners etc.
Need for “New Birth”
•  Central to early Methodist theology –
process of inward renewal through selfdenial – i.e. sanctification
•  Whitefield reading book by Henry Scougal
- highlighted the need for the new birth
Pre-Conversion
•  12 months of heavy fasting and self-denial;
shut himself in room for days; abandoned
his studies for a time; wore ragged clothes;
abandoned all “outward” forms of religion
– inc. fellowship with Methodists
•  Helped by Wesleys to resume “externals”
but not depend on them
•  Severe illness for 7 weeks –“The blessed
Spirit was all this time purifying my soul.”
Conversion - spring 1735
•  “Soon after this I felt that I was delivered
from the burden that had so heavily
oppressed me. The spirit of mourning was
taken from me, and I knew what I was to
rejoice in God my Saviour; and, for some
time, could not avoid singing psalms
wherever I went.”
3. Intimate COMMUNION
Devotions - Word
•  “My mind being now more open and
enlarged, I began to read the Holy
Scriptures upon my knees, laying aside all
other books and praying over, if possible,
every line and word. This proved meat
indeed and drink indeed to my soul…I got
more knowledge from reading the book of
God in one month than I ever could have
acquired from all the writings of men.”
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Devotions - Prayer
•  “Oh, what sweet communion I had daily
with God in prayer…How often have I
been carried out beyond myself when
sweetly meditating in the fields! How
assuredly have I felt that Christ dwelt in
me and I in Him! And how did I daily walk
in the comforts of the Holy Ghost and was
edified and refreshed in the multitude of
peace.”
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Close Walk with God
•  Hallmark of his whole life - maintained a
close and intimate walk with God - both in
“set aside” regular devotions and in
ongoing close communion with the Spirit.
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4. Experiential MESSAGE
Emphasis on Experience
•  Characteristic feature of evangelicals on both
sides of the Atlantic was emphasis upon
religious experience.
•  Whitefield exemplified this: “Knowing” Christ,
was not a “bare historical knowledge”, but “an
experimental knowledge of his Crucifixion, so
as to feel the Power of it.” To say, as the
modern “letter-learned Preachers” did, that
men “may have God’s Spirit without feeling
it”, was “in Reality to deny the thing itself.”
Centrality of New Birth
•  From the outset Whitefield’s central
message was the need to be BORN AGAIN
•  In the early days this was confused with
an idea of inward renewal through
spiritual discipline
•  After his conversion he became clearer in
seeing the New Birth in relation to
Justification by Faith through grace and
receiving of the spirit of adoption
Move to Moderate Calvinism
•  Whitefield’s reading of e.g. Matthew Henry,
and his connection with Calvinists in
England, Wales, America and Scotland
meant that between 1735-41 he increasingly
moved towards a moderate Calvinist
theology
•  This meant that, for example, he held to a
view of election, but in a way that he still
felt compelled to preach the gospel to all
(cf. Calvin’s notion of the “secret will” of
God)
Split with Wesleys
•  This led to a public and fairly acrimonious split
with the Arminian Wesleys and led to a formal
split between him and the Wesleys, thus
dividing the Methodist movement, and leading
to the formation of separate Calvinistic
Methodist societies
•  Yet relationships with Wesleys were soon
healed and they enjoyed warm fellowship,
shared pulpits and Wesley preached a funeral
sermon for him
Divine Providence
•  God works all things to good! Even though at
the time it was a painful split in the revival
movement, the longer-term meant that the
Arminian Wesley continued to minister more
effectively within the Anglican world,
whereas Whitefield’s moderate Calvinism
enabled him to move freely among
congregations in Scotland, America and
endeared him to the English Dissenters.
5. Broad CHURCHMANSHIP
Anglican background
•  History of Oxonian clerical links – great uncle
and uncle had been Rectors of Rockhampton
late 17th and early 18th centuries
•  Father – one of wardens of St. Mary de Crypt,
Gloucester, 1712
•  George and siblings baptised there
•  Went to Cathedral school
•  Hints that his mother expected George
(clearly her favourite) to continue in Oxford
ordination tradition
Ordination - 1736
•  Ordained within a year of his conversion
and below minimum age of 23
•  Prepared diligently and ordained in
Gloucester Cathedral – very much aware of
the “greatness of this new office”, as he
put on his surplice he compared himself to
the prophet Samuel in his linen ephod!
•  Early thoughts that he might later become
a bishop!
“Dissenter Priest”
•  Unlike the Wesleys, Whitefield shed his
High Church prejudices at an early stage
and began freely communing with the
Dissenters.
•  Restricted his audience in largely
Anglican-dominated England, but opened
him up to riper fields in Scotland and
American colonies, and enabled him to
exercise a huge influence on English
Nonconformity
Respect for 17th century Puritans
•  “I bless God, the partition wall of bigotry
and sect-religion was broken down in my
heart; for, as soon as the love of God was
shed abroad in my soul, I loved all of
whatsoever denomination, who loved the
Lord Jesus in sincerity of heart.”
“Catholic Spirit” yet still Anglican
•  “I would willingly be of that catholic spirit as
to love the image of my Divine master
whenever I see it, though…I should think it a
sin in me to dissent from the Established
Church. Yet I am far from thinking God’s
grace is confined to any set of men
whatsoever. No, I think the partition wall is
broken down and that Jesus Christ came to
redeem a people out of all nations and
languages.”
6. Brilliant COMMUNICATOR
Early preparation /
st
1
sermon
•  1st sermon June, 1736, spoke “with as much
freedom as though I had been a preacher for
some years,” a facility partly due to the
“unspeakable advantage of being accustomed
to public speaking when a boy at school, and
of exhorting and teaching prisoners and poor
people at their private houses, while at the
university.”
•  According to Bishop, 15 members were driven
“mad” by this 1st sermon
st
1
extempore sermon
•  Traditional preaching - read from notes.
Whitefield was instrumental in helping to break
the mould
•  “It happened providentially that a lecture was to
be preached that evening at Deptford, and several
importuned me to preach it; at first I was fearful
(O me of little faith), having no notes. But,
afterwards…I went up, depending on the promise,
“Lo! I am with you always every unto the end of
the world”, and was enable to preach to a large
congregation without the least hesitation.”
“Actor preacher” rather than
“scholar preacher”
•  Mid 18th century Anglican preaching
emphasised thorough acquaintance with
Scriptures in original languages, plus wide
knowledge of commentators leading to a
learned, well-structured, pre-prepared
sermon aimed at informing the intellect
•  Whitefield, however, much simpler, more
experiential and ultimately extempore
style, aimed more at conversion than
instruction
Real life illustrations
•  “on observing the formality of the judge putting
on the black cap to pronounce sentence, I have
known him avail himself of it in the close of a
sermon, with his eyes full of tears, and his heart
almost too big to admit of speech, dropping into
a momentary pause – “I am going now to put on
my condemning cap: sinner, I must do it; I must
pronounce sentence upon you” – and then, in a
tremendous strain of eloquence, recite our
Lord’s words, “Go, ye cursed”, not without a
very powerful recitation of the nature of the
curse” (Whitefield’s assistant, Cornelius Winter)
Passion
•  “I hardly ever knew him to go through a
sermon without weeping, more or less, and I
truly believe his tears were tears of sincerity…
I could hardly bear such unreserved use of
tears, and scope he gave to his feelings, for
sometimes he exceedingly wept, stamped
loudly and passionately, and was frequently so
overcome, that, for a few seconds, you would
suspect he never could recover; and when he
did, nature required some little time to
compose himself” (Cornelius Winter)
Gravitas
•  From the moment he entered the pulpit,
“with a significance of countenance, that
indicated he had something of importance
which he wanted to indulge,” to his
descent, there was something “truly
impressive” about his whole performance
Eloquence
•  “…every accent, every emphasis, every
modulation of voice, was so perfectly well
turned and well placed, that, without
being interested in the subject, one could
not help being pleased with the discourse;
a pleasure of much the same kind with
that received from an excellent piece of
musick.” (Benjamin Franklin)
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Itinerant Preacher
•  An itinerant with a good memory can rely
on a few well-rehearsed evangelistic
sermons
•  This meant Whitefield could improve his
sermons with practice, adapting each one
to individual situations
•  Preaching only truly extemporaneous in
the sense that he did not use notes
Open air “performer”
•  Open air – inner core of followers formed an
initial circle. Waited until a crowd of curious
onlookers had gathered – many alerted through
advance word of mouth or advertising. Then,
often by the use of a hymn, he would arouse
his outdoor congregation, before launching
into an extemporaneous prayer, followed by
the sermon
•  Positioned himself so that the wind would
carry his voice to the outside of crowd –
sometimes over 30,000 (without
amplification!)
7. Courageous CHARACTER
Handling “fame”
•  Recent biographer - for a time (in his mid
20s) Whitefield was the most famous man
in America, and possibly 2nd most famous
man in England after the King.
Handling money
•  Great gift of raising money
•  Integrity and generosity - money towards
“orphanage” in Savannah - rather than
using it for personal accumulation
Willingness to Risk for the gospel
•  Anglican fear and disdain for open air and “field
preaching”. Yet when churches started being
closed to him, he preached in the open air.
•  1st sermon in the fields to the Kingswood colliers
on Feb 17th, 1739 - persuaded Wesley to do the
same: He imagined, “the scorn of the selfrighteous bigots to see a clergyman in his gown
and cassock, venting his enthusiastic ravings on a
common”, adding, “but if this is to be vile, Lord
grant that I may be more vile. I know this
foolishness of preaching is made instrumental to
the conversion and edification of numbers.”
World as his parish
•  Brief parochial ministry in Savannah,
Georgia, 1738-1741
•  Never took up charge of an English parish
•  Like Wesley, Whitefield viewed England as
full of “baptised heathens”, and his parish
was the world.
•  If the fulfilment of the divine commission
meant the crossing of parish boundaries,
so be it!
Ability to handle opposition
•  Huge celebrity
•  Massive focus of “media” attention including very personal and vicious attacks
- e.g. of his journals, his preaching.
•  Partly immaturity - sweeping attacks on
“unconverted” preachers - attacks on
Harvard and Yale that he later regretted.
•  Overall - tremendous courage and
resilience to keep on going in spite of such
opposition
8. Revival CARRIER
Revival
•  Late 1734-42 - sovereign outpouring of the
Spirit - both in Britain and America - that
had a lasting impact
•  Human Catalyst - Whitefield - he managed
to unite the other “fires” as well as act as
a catalyst in a transatlantic Awakening.
1739 - Year of Breakthrough
•  Jan 1, 1739, “Pentecost” prayer meeting
•  Preaching in “fields” / 1000s converted.
Remarkable summer preaching to crowds
in London in open air, attracting up to
50-80,000 in some meetings in London total audience during that period of
between 800,000 to 1 million, “a figure
without precedence in the annals of
English preaching” (total pop of Eng and
Wales c. 5.5. million)
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Great Awakening - America
•  1739-40 - fanned flames of Revival in
Middle Colonies
•  1740 - catalyst for Great Awakening in
New England. Massive impact - e.g.
30,000 on Boston Common (pop. of Boston
c. 25,000)
•  Greatest revival in US history - Huge
legacy
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Scottish Revival
•  Catalyst for great revival in Cambuslang
(outside Glasgow) in 1741-42
•  Preaching to 50,000 in fields - holding
huge open air communion services
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Multitudes
•  Glasgow - By 3am crowds were gathering
to hear him, and at 7am preached to
many 1000s and then again in the evening
•  Went to Cambuslang where there was a
“very earnest Desire in Multitudes” to
hear him preach. Preached 3 times and
with astonishing results – especially at
11pm when he wrote, the “Commotions…
far out-did what I ever saw in America”.
Open Air Communion at Cambuslang
•  “On Sabbath-Day, never was such a sight seen
in Scotland…There were undoubtedly upwards
of thirty thousand people…and the Holy
Sacrament was administered in the fields…On
Monday I preached again…But such an
universal Shock I never saw before…thousands
all bath’d in Tears; some wringing their
hands, others, swooning, others crying out…
All Night you might see Persons in different
Companies praying to, and praising God.”
Extraordinary Effect
•  Most converted were young – late teens / early
20s, strict Presbyterian upbringing, but no
prior experience of conversion
•  One of Whitefield’s sermons on Thy Maker is
Thy Husband was particularly effective. One
young 21 year old man: “almost cried for joy
at the sweet offers of Christ as a husband to
my soul.” 16 year old girl was struck by how
not to be married to Christ was “to have the
Devil for your Husband and you sleep all night
in the Devil’s arms.”
nd
2
Communion – 30/40,000
•  “Mr. Whitefield’s sermons…were attended
with much power…several crying out, and
a very great and decent Weeping and
Mourning was observable thro’ the
Auditory. On Sabbath Evening while he
was serving some Tables, he appear’d to
be so filled with the Love of God, as to be
in a Kind of Ecstasy or Transport”
“He Being Dead He Yet
Speaketh”
Bishop Ryle’s summary
•  “Whitefield wrote no book for the
millions, of world-wide fame, like
Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress…He founded
no religious denomination, which pinned
its faith on his writings and carefully
embalmed his best acts and words, like
John Wesley…No! The great evangelist of
the 18th century…lived for one thing only,
and that was to preach Christ.”
Influence
•  While Wesley, the evangelical Arminian did
create a denomination, Whitefield the
moderate Calvinist, in his lifetime
influenced a more varied and international
audience. In broad terms, he more than
any single individual, was responsible for
the transition in the English-speaking world
from the Puritanism of the seventeenth
century to the evangelicalism of the midlate eighteenth century and beyond
Changes
•  Many ministers began to imitate his
example by adopting a looser, more
experiential, less scholastic form of
Calvinism – more concerned with bringing
the sinner to faith and repentance
•  New preaching techniques of extempore,
itinerant field-preaching
•  “Catholic spirit” fostered some of the
great pan-evangelical enterprises and
missionary societies
Conclusion
•  One of greatest revivalists and arguably
the greatest evangelistic preacher in
history!
•  Whole generation impacted on both sides
of the Atlantic. Helped the Puritan world
change into the missionary-minded
Evangelicalism of the late 18th Century
•  Died at age of 56 having worn himself out
in the Lord’s service!
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