WHITEFIELD, \ vhit'f(dd, GEonoE ( 1714-i0). An English evangelist and founder of the Cal vinistic Methodists. Ile was born at the Bell inn, Gloucester, and was sent to a classical school for three years, where he distinguished himself more by his histrionic achievements than by zeal for study. In 1732 he was admitted as a servitor at Pembroke College, Oxford, and graduated B.A. in 1736. At Oxford he met the Wesleys and with them founded the 'holy Club.' lie was ordained deacon in 1736, and soon went to London. In 173s he followed the Wesleys to the Georgia Plantations and remained four months, when he returned to England for his priest's orders and to colleet money for an orphanage Nvhieh lie had founded in the colony. He found that his association with the Wesleys had raised prejudice against him; nevertheless he was ordained priest by Bishop Benson (1739). lie began open-air preaching at Moortields, Ken singlon, Blackheath, and elsewhere, and after this seems to have preached by preference in the open air. Great crowds ea we together to hear him. in 1739, having collected more than I:1000 for his or he returned to America. He landed at. New York and proceeded thence to Georgia, preaching with great success on the way. The first brick of the orphan asylum was laid in March, 1740, and the name of Bethesda was given to the institution. .11e preached to large audiences in Savannah and also in Phila delphia and Boston, which he visited in 1740. His association with dissenters and unconven tional ways of preaching and conducting services brought him into strained relations with the Church, and about this time doctrinal differences led to his separation from Wesley. 'Tice two men differed widely in theology, Whitefield being a rigid Calvinist. Nevertheless they continued friends nearly all their lives. In 1741 Whitetield returned to England and preached with his usual zeal and eloquence, making tours into Wales and Scotland. Ile presided at the first conference of Calvinistic Methodists held at Watford in 1743, and at the second confeiclice a few mouths later was chosen perpetual moderator in England.
ln 1744 he again sailed for New York, and was enthusiastically received in America, al though his irregular ways stirred up opposition. Hoping to benefit his health, in 1748 lie visited the Bermudas and preached twice each day on the various islands of the group. On his return
to England in 1748 lie found his congregation scattered. lie was also in pecuniary difficulties, as lie liad sold most of his property for the bene fit of the Georgia orphanage. With the help of his friends, however„ he gradually paid off his debts. About this time the Countess of Hunt ingdon (q.v.) made him her chaplain and gave him the opportunity of preaching to certain of the nobility at her house. She helped him mate rially in all his enterprises "and built and en dowed chapels to maintain his doctrines. In 1751 WIfitefield visited Ireland and Scotland and made a fourth voyage to America. On his return to London lie took up the project of a new taber nacle, which was opened June 10, 1753. After preaching in it a few times lie went on another evangelistic tour, traveling 1200 miles and preaching many times. In 1754-55 he was again in America. In September, 1756, he opened a new chapel at Tottenham Court Road. He visited America for the sixth tune in 1763-65. His health was poor at this time and his power of preaching somewhat impaired. In October, 1765, he dedicated the Countess of Huntingdon's chapel at Bath, opened her college at Trevecca in August, I768, and dedicated the chapel at Tunbridge Wells in July, 1769. Two or three months later he sailed for the seventh time for America. He went to Savannah. and preached much in Pennsylvania and New England. On September 29, 1770, after preaching for two hours at Exeter, N. IL. he went to Newburyport, Mass., where he died the next morning. He is buried in the Church of Newburvport. White field is said to have preached more than 18,000 sermons. his great power was due to his deliv ery rather than to the matter of his discourses, and his writings do not sustain the impression derived from the accounts of his preaching. Ile was nut an organizer, and his congregations scat tered as soon as he left them. Many of his con verts united with the Methodists. A number of his sermons and journals were collected and pub lished in six volumes, with a seventh volume of Memoirs by John (Dillies (London, 1771-72). Of the many later biographies, that by Tyerman (London, 1876-77) is the most complete.