George Whitefield (1714-1770) was one of the great names in evangelism. He was born in Gloucester, England, and entered Oxford in 1733. Here he met Charles Wesley who shared his desire for utter commitment to Christ and for holy living. After his ordination in 1736, he began a ministry among the outcasts of society, including a fruitful campaign in the local prisons. Since his views of ministry differed from that of the established church he was not offered a position so he began open-air preaching, presenting the Gospel in public gatherings to great acclaim. This early success set the stage for his life’s work, which included numerous evangelistic crusades in the British Isles, Europe, and America – sparking tremendous revivals wherever he went. He eventually broke from the Wesleyan movement after embracing Calvinist doctrine and founded the Calvinistic Methodist Society. He joined Jonathan Edwards in launching the Great Awakening in America.
