(1732), named in honor of King George II, was founded by James Edward Oglethorpe (1696–1785), who was granted the colonial charter and served as its governor till he returned to England, 1743. The colony was conceived as a refuge for poor debtors from England and persecuted Protestants from Europe.698 One hundred settlers moved into the area, quickly followed by the Moravians, who were enthusiastic Christian missionaries, and other Christian groups. As the settlers touched the shore, they kneeled and declared:
Our end in leaving our native country is not to gain riches and honor, but singly this: to live wholly to the glory of God.699
Their object was:
To make Georgia a religious colony.700
John Wesley (1703–1791) and Charles Wesley (1707–1788), who led the Methodist movement, served in Georgia as ministers and missionaries to the Indians, along with George Whitefield (1714–1770), who built an orphanage there.701