Christian History: George Whitefield Preaches, Polish King Converts, Missionary Passes On

This week marks the anniversary of when famed 18th-century evangelist preacher George Whitefield preached the first of numerous open-air sermons.

Whitefield, a leader of revivals during the First Great Awakening, preached his inaugural outdoor sermon before an audience of about 200 coal miners in Kingswood, located near Bristol, England.

This week also marks the anniversary of when Polish King Jogaila, also known as Władysław II Jagiełło, was baptized as an adult into the Roman Catholic Church.

A Lithuanian duke, Jogaila was engaged to marry Polish Queen Jadwiga, with the marriage being made under the condition that he convert to Christianity.

According to the institute, several nations adopted Christianity during the Middle Ages “because their leaders converted to the faith.”

The anniversary of when John Nelson Hyde, an American missionary to the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, passed on at the age of 46 is also this week.

The son of a Presbyterian minister, Hyde was commonly called “The Praying Hyde” for his renowned prayer ministry, reportedly being able to pray for up to 36 hours at a time.

Reportedly, his last words were, “Shout the victory of Jesus Christ!”