George Whitefield was born in the Bell Inn, Gloucester where his father, Thomas, was the landlord. George was the youngest of seven children, and after his father died when George was only two, his mother Elizabeth struggled to keep the family together. When George was twelve he was sent to St. Mary de Crypt Grammar School in Gloucester, which is now known as Crypt School.  There he earned a reputation as an actor and orator, but also a persistent truant. By the time he had reached the age of 15, George had persuaded his mother to let him leave school as he thought he would never make much use of his education. He spent his time working in the inn, but after a visit from an Oxford student, George decided to attend college himself. He returned to grammar school to finish his preparation to enter Oxford.

In November 1732 when he was 17 years of age he entered Pembroke College, Oxford, and while there, he met the brothers John and Charles Wesley. Charles Wesley loaned him a book entitled “The Life of God in the Soul of Man.” It was this book, combined with a severe illness, which finally brought about his conversion in 1735. He said many years afterwards:

“I know the place...Whenever I go to Oxford,  I cannot  help running  to the spot where Jesus Christ first revealed  himself to me, and gave me the new birth.”

In May of 1735 George left school due to his poor health, and he returned home for nine months of recuperation. However, he was very far from idle, and his activity attracted the attention of the Bishop of Gloucester, a Dr Benson, who announced he would be happy to ordain Whitefield as a deacon. Whitefield was able to return to Oxford in March of 1736 and on June 20, 1736, Bishop Benson ordained him.

Whitefield preached his first sermon the following Sunday. It was at the ancient Church of Saint Mary de Crypt, the church where he had grown up as a boy and was consequently well known. He described this occasion later:

“..Some few mocked, but most for the present, seemed struck, and I have since heard that a complaint was made to the bishop, that I drove fifteen people mad, the first sermon.”

More than 18,000 sermons were to follow in his lifetime, an average of 500 a year. 

The Wednesday following his first sermon, he returned to Oxford where a B.A. degree was conferred upon him. Then he had to go to London to act as a supply minister at the Tower of London.  He was there for several months, and during this time he also ministered to the prisoners in Oxford.

The Wesley brothers had gone out to America as missionaries; they wrote and asked Whitefield to join them there.  He felt called to go, but first he spent a year preaching with power to large crowds of people throughout England.  He preached in some of the biggest churches in London, and soon no church was large enough to hold those who wanted to hear him preach.

 He was finally able to leave for America on January 10 1738, but the ship was delayed on its journey, meaning that he did not reach Georgia until May 7, 1738.  

Whitefield loved Georgia. He was burdened about orphans, and started to collect funds to help them. He also opened several schools for boys and girls while continuing with his heavy preaching schedule.  In September 1738, he left Charleston, South Carolina, for the trip back to London.

On Sunday, January 14, 1739, Bishop Benson ordained Whitefield a priest in the Church of England.