An Account of the Monetary Dealings of the Orphan House

     In order to remain unaffiliated with the religious and governmental institutions of the time, George Whitefield left his endeavors to establish an orphan house unaffixed to any public funding or monetary support from the church and state. Therefore, the orphan house remained to be funded and established in part by donations and charitable acts from the general public of Georgia and the surrounding areas that were reached by Whitefield's sermons and preachings. The campaign for support was widespread and heartfelt by the entire community, particularly those who saw firsthand the good that an orphan house would do for those facing poverty and adverse circumstances in the colony. The religious and emotional appeals for donations and contributions were compelling and effective in Whitefield's preaching circuit and among his friends and admirers, drawing together plentiful support to establish the orphan house. The accounts detail "Whitefield's employment of market means to serve spiritual ends and his frustration in attaining economic independence for Bethesda" with precision and care to include every single transaction (Lambert 60). The accounts include, but are not limited to: the humble donations of single shillings and pennies from servant women compelled by Whitefield's arguments for Bethesda, the amicable interactions between the orphan house and the Native Americans who bring provisions to Bethesda during its time of need, the collections taken up at churches and small group meetings for the establishment and upkeep of the orphan house, and the transactions between the Orphan House and various suppliers who supply the necessities such as shoes, stockings, clothes, and other materials for the children of the house.

Lambert, Frank. “Pedlar in Divinity”: George Whitefield and the Transatlantic Revivals, 1737-1770. Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, 1994. EBSCOhost. Web.