Another Hero for Black History Month

Taken from Free Indeed: Heroes of Black Christian History by Mark Sidwell, published by BJU Press.

George Liele was born a slave in Virginia around 1750. Like many slaves, he was separated from his parents when he was young. When his master moved to Burke County, Georgia, around 1770, Liele began attending the white Baptist church. On hearing the gospel preached plainly there, Liele said he realized that there was no salvation in "good works and was convinced that [he] was not in the way to heaven, but in the way to hell."

For months Liele was convicted of sin and finally converted in 1773. He said, "I saw my condemnation in my own heart, and I found no way wherein I could escape the damnation of hell, only through the merits of my dying Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; which caused me to make intercession with Christ, for the salvation of my poor immortal soul." Then he added, "I requested of my Lord and Master to give me a work; I did not care how mean it was, only to try and see how good I would do it."

The first work that God had for George Liele to do was to explain the Scripture to other slaves. The pastor of his master's church learned of his ministry. The minister urged the church to license Liele to preach. Some historians believe that George Liele was the first ordained African American Baptist pastor in America.

In the 1770s Liele helped to establish one of the first black churches in America: the Silver Bluff Baptist Church in South Carolina, across the Savannah River from Augusta, Georgia. He preached even more extensively in Savannah and the surrounding area. Many future African American Christian leaders were coworkers with Liele or converts under his preaching, like David George, who later became a minister in Nova Scotia and the British colony of Sierra Leone in Africa, and Andrew Bryan, founder of the First African Baptist Church in Savannah, the first major black church in the South.

During the Revolutionary War the British occupied Savannah. Liele's former master was killed in battle, and his heirs tried to reenslave Liele. The black preacher was jailed but soon won his freedom by producing the papers that showed he was a free man. The incident made Liele fearful about his future in Georgia, so he "indentured" himself as servant to a British colonel in return for passage to Jamaica for him and his family.

In Kingston, Jamaica, Liele served the colonel and paid for his indenture. Then he began preaching among the slaves and free blacks, and he formed a church in a private home in September 1784. Liele said, "We hold to live as nigh the scriptures as we possibly can."

By 1793 Liele had baptized some five hundred converts. He established congregations in other towns and recruited other preachers to spread the work. He established a free school for the children of slaves and free blacks.

Liele was jailed in 1797, falsely charged with encouraging rebellion through his preaching. He was acquitted but was immediately jailed again for almost three and a half years. While in jail, he preached to prisoners and gave the Lord's Supper to Christians.

After Liele's imprisonment, the persecution became much worse. Anyone who preached to slaves without legal approval was subject to imprisonment. Slaves found guilty of preaching illegally were subject to whippings. One man was hanged for preaching to slaves and baptizing them. Vicious gangs attempted to break up black services.

One of Liele's converts and fellow preachers, Moses Hall, was persecuted for holding prayer meetings. Determined to put an end to Hall's influence, some slave owners broke up a prayer meeting led by Hall's assistant, David. They seized David and murdered him. They then cut off his head and placed it on a pole in the center of the village. After that the owners dragged Moses Hall up to the grisly head of his friend and fellow believer.

The leader of the murderers said, "Now, Moses Hall, whose head is that?"

"David's," Hall replied.

"Do you know why he is up here?"

"For praying, Sir," said Hall.

The owner leaned forward into Hall's face with a snarl. "No more of your prayer meetings. If we catch you at it, we shall serve you as we have served David."

Hall's congregation stood silently. Then, without hesitation and with great dignity, Hall knelt beside the pole. "Let us pray." As one, his followers knelt with him. "Lord God," Hall said, "I pray for these men here who need your salvation."

Astounded, the slave owners departed, leaving Hall and his followers unharmed. Thus did Liele and other faithful men—many of whom Liele had pointed to Christ—stand for their beliefs. It was the blessing of God's Spirit upon George Liele and the others that brought thousands to true freedom—salvation in Jesus Christ.

Reprinted from Teacher to Teacher, December 1997.

Used with permission from BJU Press. For permission to reproduce this article, please write BJU Press.