William Wilberforce (1759-1833)
He was an English politician and a Christian hero, a statesman-saint held up as a role model for putting his faith into action.
He was born in a rich family and spent his youth in wasteful pursuits. He loved parties, drinking alcohol and having many worldly friends. He was going to Anglican Church but he was not saved. He was a member of the Parliament.
He was never strong physically. His eye sight was very poor. He was 39 years old when he married and he had six children.
At the age of 25 he had a deep crisis conversion. He openly repented of all his sins in an age when people mocked true believers. He promised God that he will do all he can to improve the lives of men. That is when God touched his heart about the sin of slavery.
The British initially became involved in the slave trade during the 16th century. By 1783, the triangular route that took British-made goods to Africa to buy slaves, transported the enslaved to the West Indies, and then brought slave-grown products such as sugar, tobacco, and cotton back to Britain. This represented about 80 percent of Great Britain’s foreign income. British ships carried forty thousand enslaved men, women and children across the Atlantic in horrific conditions. Of the estimated 11 million Africans transported into slavery, about 1.4 million died during the voyage.
William Wilberforce took the lead to pass a law in the Parliament that abolishes the slave trade. He called slavery a sin against God and a national disgrace. The fight against the slave trade took many years of mighty opposition. Pro-slavery advocates claimed that enslaved Africans were lesser human beings and they benefited from their bondage. They said that the black people cannot organize themselves and they will always need a master to tell them what to do. Wilberforce never wavered from his commitment that all men should be free and he insisted that the black man is a brother. His passion for justice was rewarded at last. After 21 years of violent debates in the Parliament, when he lost many friends and supporters, he finally witnessed the passing of the law that made slave trade illegal. The date was 25th of March, 1807. As his colleagues congratulated him for his victory, he collapsed and openly wept tears of joy… Then he said:
“Africa, your sufferings have been the theme that has arrested and engaged my heart. Your sufferings, no tongue can express, no language impart…May God Himself bless and heal Africa!”
Amen!