Bethesda Academy

Grace Sight #10 is Bethesda Academy. 

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.  (Jim Elliot)

Most of what we do in our time on earth will vanish a few years after we are gone, but when God finds a willing servant to carry out His work, the legacy may sometimes live on for centuries. Such is the case when one considers what has become of George Whitefield's Orphanage that he founded in Savannah, Georgia in 1740.  Sometimes at great sacrifice Whitefield provided for the financial needs of a struggling orphanage near Savannah, Georgia throughout his life.His motto in giving according to the Whitefield Society was, "Poor yet making others rich."  

Bethesda Academy (formerly Bethesda Home for Boys) has been a consistent refuge over the centuries, serving over 10,000 boys since it's beginnings.  It had to be rebuilt in 1773 after a fire shortly before the United States was officially birthed. While many institutions come and go, it remains the oldest child caring institution in the United States.  Today, under the leadership of Dr. T. David Tribble, Whitefield's Orphanage is a learning institution known as Bethesda Academy, and it still has a housing component for children that need it.   According to Jenel Few, 40% of the 100 students live at the Academy in 2011.

Paula Deen has a close relationship with Bethesda Academy today and in recent years and supports them with charitable fundraising (for more information see www.pauladeen.com/article_view/paula_and_the_deen_team_give_back/)   Below is the Bethesda Academy video on their core values.

Below is the Bethesda video related to their core value of A Love for God that George Whitefield made part of the institution when it was created 271 years ago.

For more information on the Bethesda Academy visit some of the following links: 

• Bethesda Academy Official Website
• Bethesda Orphanage Wikipedia Page
• Christianity.com History Page for Whitefield's Orphanage

The mission for Christians should be to follow the leading of the sovereign God in sacrificial giving.   One may not comprehend the long term impact of giving to the Lord, but with God at work in something it may endure for centuries, making an impact for time and eternity.  Bethesda Academy shows us how one's giving may live on long after one is gone.  To God be the glory!