George Whitefield was an English cleric and evangelist who became known for his passionate and energetic Methodist teachings at open-air gatherings. He was one of the founders of Methodism and the evangelical movement. He had joined the 'Holy Club' founded by John and Charles Wesley and later also served as its leader for some time. He was ordained under the Anglican Church, but deviated from it due to his strong emphasis on 'new birth', and often drew the ire of the English clergy for vehemently criticizing them. Instead of becoming a minister of a parish, he travelled to America and later raised funds in England to establish the Bethesda Orphanage in Savannah, Georgia, which is the oldest extant charity in North America. During his second voyage to America, he also preached a series of revivals throughout the colonies in New England, which became known as the 'First Great Awakening'. He took the longest horseback journey in North America by a white man during his travel from New York City to Charleston, South Carolina.