Based on The John Fryer Papers and other archival materials, this study adopts the theory of trust to investigate how John Fryer, a missionary translator in the late Qing dynasty, mediated the relations and interests of different agents in the translation field so as to promote the translation activities. It is found that Fryer built up a thick level of interpersonal trust with authors, co-translators, Chinese governors and foreign merchants. He also developed the institutional trust by advocating the feasibility of translation, constructing translation norm and promoting translated book brand. Furthermore, he was dedicated to maintaining the cultural diversity and launched various translation-related cultural exchange activities to reinforce cultural trust, which contributed to the dissemination of the Western knowledge in China. By conducting a micro-historical analysis of Fryer’s translating behavior, this study has significant implications for translator education in the context of Chinese culture “going global.”