Boltzius's Letter about Bethesda
In A Letter by Pastor Johann Martin Boltzius About Bethesda and Marital Irregularities in Savannah, Boltzius writes about the plan of Whitefield’s Bethesda orphanage. He describes the orphanage as “twelve English miles distant from Savannah” and a “large, beautiful building like a rich and noble castle” (Jones, 287-289). This beautiful castle was open to both boys and girls of various backgrounds. Bethesda even accepted children who were not truly orphans, since the child still had one parent (Cashin, 36). The orphanage was created by Whitefield as a service to God. He wished “to build up [the children’s] Souls for God” (Cashin, 36). Giving these children an education about Christianity was Whitefield’s way of doing God’s work. George Whitefield credits John Wesley and Oglethorpe with the idea of the orphanage, after reading Wesley’s message explaining that “God’s work needed to be done in Georgia” (Cashin, 3). Pastor Boltzius praises Whitefield of his work stating in his letter, “May the Lord graciously reward him for this and insure a lasting blessing on this institution he has built” (Jones, 292). Although Whitefield had the purpose of educating the children whom staying the orphanage about God and Christianity, he also emphasized the importance of learning. Whitefield planned for the orphanage to become a university and a place to learn (Cashin, 28). Boltzius comments on the orphanage calling it a “useful institution” where the children learned “reading, writing, and arithmetic” (Jones, 291-292). Currently, there is a school for boys called Bethesda Academy in Savannah.