an open letter to the International Committee – the governing body of the North American Young Men ’ s Christian Association – petitioning them to enter the field. They requested that the YMCA “ secure and send to Peking a young man to develop the full scope of association work. ” 11 The missionaries of Peking ( Beijing ) called for the YMCA to provide services for the Chinese young men in the city. The missionaries believed that “ what the Chinese want is not the theory of the Association, but an object lesson presented by a successful Association. ” 12 In fact, the missionaries of Peking ( Beijing ) felt that the YMCA could ultimately serve as a force to unite the different denominations in China. They speculated that by bringing the different denominations together in China, the YMCA could ultimately demonstrate the strength of Protestantism. The first secretary that the North American Young Men ’ s Christian Association sent to China was David Willard Lyon. Lyon, whose parents were missionaries of the Presbyterian board, was born in 1870 in the city of Hangchow ( Hangzhou ) .
 
13 Lyon returned with his parents to America in 1891 to receive