Birth: 1750
Death 1828
Homeland: United States
Place of Vision: United States
George Liele was one of the earliest known missionaries who was an African American and a victim of the slave trade before the US became a nation. Born in Virginia, he was taken as a slave to Georgia where he accepted the Lord as his personal savior. Very soon he became concerned about the spiritual condition of his fellow slaves and began preaching to them. Though he had virtually no formal training, he learned to read the Bible and explained the scriptures to the slaves. He encouraged the other slaves to sing hymns and he explained the meaning of the hymns to them. Convinced by his ministerial gifting and interest in God’s word, a Baptist church in Georgia invited him to preach soon after his master freed him.
During the next two years, Liele actively preached the Word of God to a congregation of new black believers which later became the first black church gathered in America. Following the death of his master, Liele along with his wife Hannah moved to Savannah, Georgia to avoid re-enslavement. There he established a congregation of black Baptists slave and free. The fruits of his ministry multiplied and the congregation became the first African Baptist church in Savannah.
Though he was not supported by any church or mission agency, he became the first protestant missionary to establish a foreign mission. He went to Jamaica in 1783, as some of the heirs of his former master tried to re-enslave him. At Jamaica, he preached the Gospel to both free and slaves who were generally poor. His congregation reflected the God’s word, “…few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you” (1 Corinthians 1:26).
Liele never accepted remuneration for his ministry and most of which were directed to the slaves. Though he began his life as a slave, he lived as a free man in Christ until his death in 1828. He also raised up many courageous servants of the Lord who through their legacy of influence continue to bring freedom to the world.
