Records of YMCA international work in Lebanon

The earliest Lebanese YMCAs date back to the 1890s, established in a Syrian Protestant College in Beirut, and several high schools in Lebanon maintained by the American and British missionary societies and Protestant nationals. In 1920 A YMCA was started in Tripoli, but it lasted for only five years. A movement to launch a city association in Beirut but also foundered. In 1930 Foyer des Jeunes was organized in connection with the French National Alliance of YMCAs and was recognized by the World's Alliance of YMCAs. From 1931 to 1939 the Lebanon YMCA had a French secretary. For a short time during World War II it was taken over by the British Army YMCA. After World War II it was revived by a Lebanese secretary who was trained by the French, and again reorganized by the World Alliance of YMCAs.

After an influx of Palestinian refugees in 1948 from the Palestine War, work began in a number of camps under World Alliance auspices. In 1951 the Beirut YMCA received a fraternal secretary, among other aid, from the North American International Committee of YMCAs. In 1955 representatives of the Associations of Beirut and Tripoli formed an ad hoc YMCA National Committee of Lebanon and by the end of 1956 a constitution for a National Alliance had been adopted. In June 1957 a National Alliance of the YMCAs of Lebanon was formally established with full legal status. The first project of the newly established YMCA, in service to Palestinian refugee, was a secondary school in Tyre, a city in southern Lebanon. The United States YMCA sent a fraternal secretary in an advisory role to assist this project, and financial assistance came from the Near East Christian Council of Churches, the Joint Christian Committee for Social Service in Lebanon (JCC) and the World Alliance of YMCAs, among others. From 1960 there was a direct contractual relationship between the Refugee Services of the World Alliance of YMCAs and the United Nations Works and Relief Agency. This was for work among Palestinian refugees within the host countries of these refugees, including Lebanon.

In 1963 camping was introduced to the Lebanese YMCA. The Beirut YMCA was also reorganized to include larger elements of their community during this time. By 1966 a purchase of 105,000 square meters of land was completed at Ras el Matn. Camp Faris, a regional camping program was initiated there. The Rouche YMCA center was initiated in Beirut in 1970. It offered services to Lebanese and international communities in Beirut and boosted membership from 200 to over 3,000. The Rouche center also allowed the Beirut YMCA to expand its outreach program for inner city youth. The United States YMCA's International Committee supplied support through staffing of fraternal secretaries, volunteers, program support, building projects and partial salary support of Lebanese laymen.

By 1969, the UAR (United Arab Republic) YMCAs primarily consisted of ten associations in Egypt and Jordan, plus four YMCA units in Lebanon. They comprised most of the YMCA work in the Arab Middle East. The promotion of extension work and development of professionals within this area became a priority of the YMCA. Staff and lay training as well as instruction in securing resources that were needed became focal points for instruction. By 1993 the UAR YMCAs had developed into a Middle East Committee based in Cairo. It was primarily through this that the World Alliance of YMCAs worked in the Middle East. The Middle East Committee had five standing committees of its own, development, leadership, inter-movement cooperation, finance and young people. Membership consisted of general secretaries and presidents, chairs or lay volunteers of YMCA associations in the Middle East.

The outbreak of civil war in 1975 caused rapid and drastic changes in the Lebanon YMCA, as well as an urgent need for emergency relief in the area. The YMCA repositioned itself as a leading national NGO and began to serve all the regions of Lebanon. During the war, which lasted until 1990, the Lebanon YMCA became actively engaged in carrying out a number of strategic programs in both relief and rehabilitation. The YMCA oversaw the distribution of food, clothing and medicine to the destitute and war-affected. YMCA rehabilitation efforts focused also on the training of young men and women in vocations in order to offer them an alternative to joining the militias or generating an illegal income. Assistance was also offered to social service institutions helping them repair physical damages caused by the war and training their staff in more efficient methods to meet the needs of the population.

By the 1990s Lebanon faced significant economic and social suffering. More than 100,000 people had died, another 200,000 were wounded and as many as a million were refugees from the start of the civil war until the early 1990s and later. The YMCA continued to work with refugees and those affected by the war with community need driven programs that were assisted by multiple outside organizations and with an approach to aid that avoided preference for religion or political affiliations. As of 2010 the Lebanon YMCA had expanded to meet the changing needs of reconstruction and national development in Lebanon. Its partners in development include USAID (United States Agency of International Development), WHO (World Health Organization), IMA (Interchurch Medical Assistance, Inc) and MAP (Medical Assistance Program) International among others.

The following is a list of individuals who served as YMCA secretaries in Lebanon along with their dates of service: