George Lisle (Baptist)

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George Lisle (1750-1820) was an emancipated slave from Virginia who became Pastor of the first Black Baptist church in America, and the first Baptist missionary in Jamaica.

George Lisle was one of several thousand slaves who had to leave America with their masters, when their masters chose to emigrate as a result of the American War of Independence 1775-1783. He became emancipated and preached on the racecourse at kingston, Jamaica, where the novelty of a black itinerant ex-slave preacher attracted considerable attention. News of his itinerant-style preaching quickly spread. It was akin to the technique once used by Whitfield and equally successful. He was soon able to gather a congregation and purchase a piece of land about a mile from Kingston, where a chapel was gradually built.

To support his work, and expand it, George Lisle sought support from London. He was helped in this endeavour by Moses Baker, an Afro-European barber who arrived in Jamaica from America in 1783 and was baptised by Lisle on conversion to Christianity. A Quaker invited Baker to live on his estate and instruct the slaves in 'religious and moral principles'. To expand this educational work Moses Baker, like Lisle approached benefactors in Britain. He made contact with the Baptist, Rev. John Ryland Jr., who became most interested in securing funds from British donors to meet such demand for missionary work, and was moved to helped instigate the non-denominational London Missionary Society to help provide for this.

Ryland's first missionary was funded by the Baptists rather than the LMS. Though sent to help, his missionary achievements were limited since he died early. Later, in the early 1800s, a trio of Baptist missionaries from Britain, Thomas Burchell, James Phillippo and William Knibb, and slightly later still others such as Samuel Oughton were more successful in supporting local African Baptist congregations and helping them develop their international links. However they met fierce resistance from the Planters who had great influence in the Jamaican House of Assembly, had provided adequately for their own spiritual needs with the Anglican authorities, and opposed both education and the congregational governance ideas of the Baptists, from being introduced amongst their slaves.