Transnational Evangelical Collaboration: Cuthbert G. Young, the Turkish Missions Aid Society and the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions in the Ottoman Empire

OpenAlex İngilizce

Abstract This article examines the life and impact of Cuthbert George Young, a British evangelical figure whose strategic initiatives were pivotal in sustaining American missionary efforts in the Ottoman Empire during the mid‐nineteenth century. Through the establishment of the Turkish Missions Aid Society (TMAS), Young played a crucial role in mobilizing British financial and institutional support for the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM), particularly in its outreach to Armenian Protestant communities. Rather than engaging in direct missionary work, Young's efforts centred on securing resources, financing educational institutions and strengthening local leadership. By situating Young's work within the broader framework of nineteenth‐century transnational religious networks, the article highlights the essential role of financial and logistical support in missionary success. It argues that Young's approach provided a sustainable model for missionary engagement that persisted beyond his premature death. The TMAS not only reinforced American‐led missions but also exemplified how transnational religious partnerships adapted to, and navigated, the socio‐political challenges of the Ottoman Empire. This study contributes to discussions on global evangelical movements by illustrating how Young's model of indirect support influenced missionary sustainability and shaped the broader history of Protestant expansion in the region.