Transformed Heart, Transforming Church: the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion

Selina, the Countess of Huntingdon (1707-1791) has a special place in the history of the Revival because she was one of its most prominent women advocates. Selina’s influence, however, reached deep, extending not only into her circle of aristocratic friends and contacts but also into the heart of strong relationships with the leading evangelists of the day, not least George Whitefield and both the Wesleys. She gained a hearing for the Revival where it might not otherwise have gained entry and brought the ‘new birth’ into the drawing rooms of the aristocracy, where it was not always welcomed. Selina’s heart had been transformed by the gospel, and she sought out avenues to enable the gospel to transform her church. Less well-known is that Selina was at the heart of the conflict for the soul of the Established Church. The lessons are salutary for today.