His family removed to Utica, New York, and there, at the age of fifteen, he was hopefully converted during a revival of religion, and united with a Presbyterian church.

He graduated at Hamilton College in 1825, and, while in the Theological Seminary at Andover, became deeply interested in the missionary work, and took great pains, along with some fellow-students, to illustrate the beginning of foreign missions from the United States.

In his last year at the Seminary he offered himself to the American Board, and was appointed one of its missionaries.

After completing his studies, he entered upon an agency for the Board, which continued until 1829.
From this time, through more than thirty years, the events of his life form an important part of the history of the mission to the Armenians.

That mission grew, in his time, from a single station at Constantinople to twenty-three stations, and eighty-one out-stations, extending over the greater part of Western Asia; and whereas, at the commencement of his labors, he did not know of a single convert in the whole country, at their close, there were forty-two churches, with sixteen hundred members, twelve ordained native pastors, forty-three licensed native preachers, thirty-four catechists, fifty-five teachers, and thirty-nine other helpers.
He was made to be a leader in the Lord's host.