George attended his family's church and Saint Stephen's Normal School as well,where he studied under Giles Buckner Cooke,a former confederate staff officer and dedicated educator of freeman people.George also became involved in the field of Journalism.From an early age he delivered newspaper and accordingly established realtionships with prominent white residents of Petersburg,among them an editor of the Petersburgh Index,John H.Chamberlayne,who in time gave him practical experience in every aspect of newspaper publishing.John also introduced George to the world of Virginia politics,for the editor was a close ally of William Mahone,of Petersburgh,who created the Readjuster Party and actively courted African American voters.George moved quickly through the normal school at Saint Stephen's and enterd its theological department in the autumn of 1878.Six months the church's white rector expelled him for insufficient humility,just in time for George to become caught up in the campaigns of the Readjusters.He worked at William's headquarters in Petersburgh throughout the successful campaign of 1881,assisting with distribution of literature and other political tasks.For his efforts George was appointed a page in the 1881-1882 session of the House of Delegates.
On July 1,1882,George put his knowledge of journalism to work by founding a weekly newspaper,the Petersburgh Lancet.Its first motto was "Sworn to no Party; of no Sect am I; I can be silent,but will not lie." George was concerned above all with civil rights,and he encouraged African Americans to become politically active in order to demonstrate and protect their citizenship.At that time African American political activity in Virginia was closely tied to to the Readjuster Party.In 1884,following the previous year's electoral defeat for the Readjusters,a split developed between William and African American political leaders over the the local congressional nomination.William's candidate James D.Brady,defeated Joseph P.Evans,an African American man,for the seat from the Fourth Congressional District,which included Petersburgh.George supported Joseph and accused William of dictatorial behavior concerned less with African American rights than African American votes.The nasty split and Joseph's subsequent loss disillusioned George about politics.He blamed Joseph's defeat on William's corruption and on African American voters' willingness to be corrupted.
On September 12,1885,George announced that the Lancet would eschew and partisan politics and instead urge African Americans to concentrate on moral,educational,and commercial pursuits.Two months later it declared that it would henceforth focus on the activities of African American Episcopalian.In January 1886 the paper adopted a new motto reflecting the change in George's outlook:For what is a man profited,if he shall gain the whole world,and lose his own soul." Beginning on February 6 of that year the paper appeared as the Afro-America Churchman,which was published for a time by his younger sister Carrie Bragg.
George journalistic shift coincided with his return to the seminary.A change in the rectorship at Saint Stephen's Church allowed him to reenter what become Bishop Payne Divinity and industrial School in the autumn of 1885,and in July 1886 he gave up publication of the Afro-American Churchman.Ordained a deacon on January 12,1887,George took over the ailing Holy Innocents Episcopal Church in Norfolk,which depended on missionary support for survival.On December 19,1888,he was ordained a priest at Saint Luke's Episcopal Church in Norfolk,thus becoming only the twelfth African American Episcopal priest in the United States.During his five years in Norfolk he invigorated and expanded his congregation,making it,into the fully self-supporting Grace Episcopal Church.He also established the industrial School for Colored Girls and served from 1887-1890 on the board of Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute.On September 20, 1887,William married Nellie Hill,a member of another prominent family in Petersburgh's African American community.They had two sons and two daughters.
On November 17,1891,George was called to resuurrent another church,the Saint James African Episcopal Church in Baltimore.Start with sixty-nine members and dependent on financial aid from the bishop,he made the church sufficient,tripled the size of its congregation within a few years,and erected a new church building in 1901.George helped establish the Maryland Home For Friendless Colored Children in 1899 and devoted much time to preparing twenty African American men for the ministry.During his forty-eight years in Baltimore he returned to his roots in publishing by editing a monthly newspaper,the Church Advocate,writing and printing,more than a score of books and pamphlets,several of which dealt with the history of African American in Virginia.His most important works included The Colored Harvest in the Old Virginia Diocese (1901),Afro-American Church Work and Workers (1904),The Story of Old St.Stephen's,Petersburgh,Va.(1906),A Bond-Slave of Christ: Entering the Ministry Under Great Difficulties (1912),History of the Afro-American Group of the Episcopal Church (1922),and The Hero of Jerusalem (1926),which commemorated the centennial of the birth of William Mahone.
In recognition of George's contribution to the church and to African American historiography,Wilberforce University awarded him an honorary D.D. in 1902.He was a central figure in the Conference of Church Workers Among the Colored People,the national black episcopal organization,which argued that the appointment of black bishops would increase the number of African Americans in the church.Twice George was proposed for elevation to bishop.He was suggested as bishop.He was suggested as bishop of Haiti in 1911 and as suffragan bishop of Arkansas in 1917 but was not elected either time.
He continued his ministry at Saint James Church until his death at Provident Hospital in Baltimore following a brief respiratory illness.
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