The American Mission in Egypt is the name often given to the operations of the United Presbyterian Church of North America that began in Cairo in 1854.
[1] American missionaries first came to Egypt in 1854; British Protestant missions already existed but the Associate Reformed missionaries had 600 converts in a network of stations by 1875, and 4600 members by 1895, seeking to convert Copts, with occasional outreach to Muslims as well.
Local government officials were hostile but by 1917, the "American Mission" was the largest Protestant group in Egypt, and had spent over £E800,000 on its missionary efforts.
It trained local clerics, built schools, and by 1894 reached the status of a synod with four presbyteries.
There were tensions between Egyptian ministers and American missionaries, particularly over the idea of converting Muslims and the adoption of "modern" Western attitudes.