People of all groups, social status, and gender realized that everyone had a voice and could speak openly through their emotional feelings about religion. Johnathan Edwards was the first to initiate this new level of religious tolerance and states that: "Our people do not so much need to have their heads filled, as to have their hearts touched." Johnathan Edwards' first sermon brought more people together and listened. Then, after that individual gets the feeling that it is not necessary to be a preacher to preach nor that it is not necessary to preach in a church, you can preach wherever you want. For the first time there are different people coming together to preach the Gospel. There were African Americans preaching in the streets, Indian preachers preaching, and there were women starting to preach. The Great Awakening challenged people to find which church meets their needs spiritually and also informed them of optional choices instead of just one. The Great Awakening helped the American colonies unite in the growth of a democratic system