in 1773 george met an old childhood friend and former slave, george lisle, who had been converted to the baptist faith. during the great awakening, baptist preachers had traveled throughout the south, converting both whites and blacks, free and slave. brother palmer was a white minister that uplifted and spread the word of god to david george and other black people. palmer was the start of the church in silver bluff. impressed with liele's conversion, george, his wife and eight others were baptized at silver bluff. in 1775 george and eight other slaves formed one of the first african-american baptist congregations in the united states.