For many of those who are even familiar with his name, George Whitfield 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.|

Whitefield: A Giant Among Leaders

As a student at Oxford University, George Whitefield 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 gospel. He met with astounding success, going on to speak to larger and larger crowds that included some of the largest gatherings in the history of England. He became the most famous preacher of his age.

His impact upon the American colonies, however, may have been his most lasting achievement. His preaching from Georgia to Maine was instrumental in the Great Awakening of the 1700s, and when he learned that England tended to tighten her control over the colonies, Whitefield warned his American friends in sermon after sermon, even accompanying Benjamin Franklin on his travels to make the American case in the Court of St. James.

Forgotten Founding Father is an incisive look at the qualities of leadership that made him such an effective and powerful figure in both England and America and left a legacy that continues to this day.