Why Holy Ghost Tours Savannah?
By: Arlene Angwin
Why Holy Ghost Tours Savannah?
In a town famous for a variety of “ghost tours”, Pastor Ki Coleman, visionary leader of Freedom Fellowship in Georgetown, decided tourists and residents alike needed to know the people behind the founding of Savannah. These people were instrumental in establishing a new town in a new colony with solid physical and spiritual roots.
James Oglethorpe, a Member of Parliament and from a prominent family, offered to lead the experiment of forming a colony with the highest of goals in mind. Those sentiments were imprinted on Georgia’s original State Seal (used from 1733-1734): “Non sibi sed aliis”, “Not for ourselves but for others”.
Tomochichi, the local native chief treated with Oglethorpe with the help of John and Mary Musgrove as interpreters. These men forged a bond of trust, without which, the colony would have surely failed.
John and Charles Wesley arrived in 1734 to tend to the spiritual needs of the colonists, followed by George Whitefield. While the Wesley brothers’ time was short-lived and difficult in Georgia, Whitefield blazed a Great Awakening that stretched from Savannah to New York. The most famous man of his day, he fueled embers of freedom that later blazed into the American Revolution.
The tour concludes with the inspiring stories of three slaves, George Liele, David George and Andrew Bryan. All three left huge legacies from Georgia to Jamaica, Nova Scotia, London and Sierra Leone. Against tremendous odds, they preached the Gospel throughout their lives, never losing hope or courage to live and die for their Savior, Jesus Christ.
You will also learn of important people groups, after fleeing persecution in Europe, left a lasting impression in the New World: the Moravians and Salzburgers. The Jewish doctor, Nunes, literally saved Savannah from extinction when he and his group arrived in the middle of an epidemic.
Georgia was founded with the intent of no slavery, no hard liquor, no lawyers and no Catholics (due to religious persecution in Europe). Even the layout of the squares was to ensure each person equal opportunity to work hard and succeed in the new country. Georgia was founded without violence, through the integrity of both Oglethorpe and Tomochichi. Eclectic then, diverse now, come experience a unique tour experience of our lovely city via Holy Ghost Tours Savannah!