Whitefield was the First to Spread the Good News to the Slaves

One of the interesting facts about George Whitefield that you may not know. During enslavement, Whitefield's career reached its pinnacle. At this period, it was uncommon to see a white person conversing openly with slaves, much less preaching to them. Whitefield, however, defied this "law" by delivering the gospel to them. He maintained his mission by traveling to America around seven times.

We find no remedy in "man of his times" ignorance when it comes to George Whitefield, an English evangelist to the American colonies whose ministry attracted tens of thousands, occasionally in a single visit, to hear his extraordinary preaching gift and passionate and dramatic articulation of God's grace. Early in his career, Whitefield railed against slavery and the practice of keeping slaves. He advocated that slaves not only be treated well but also evangelized and that their children be catechized and nurtured in the church, in contrast to many of his peers at the time. This means that Whitefield's earlier beliefs bear prophetic witness in opposition to his later and longer-held positions. The man knew better.

He is no longer just a "man of his times," but rather, something happened or changed in his attitude about slavery. Perhaps the development of his platform is all there is to it. His power and reputation increased along with his popularity. Some of his fans actually gave him slaves, possibly in an effort to curry favor, perhaps out of true admiration, or as part of a plan to alter his opinion.