In 1847; the American Methodist Episcopal Society (North) entered the field of China; and soon surpassed all others in the number of its agents and members. Its pioneer was Rev. Judson Dwight Collins; who passionately asked the society to enter China.

Mr. Collins was sent to Fuzhou; where; after ten years weary preparation; a mission was established; which spread itself over six large districts; and comprised sixty stations. A printing press was kept busily employed; which; in the year 1888 alone; issued 14;000 pages of Christian literature. A large college was also established.

The mission also wound along the banks of the Yangtze for three hundred miles; and had stations in Jiujiang and other large cities. Northwards it has churches in Beijing; Tianjin and Isunhua; with full accompaniments of schools and hospitals; and it extended westward to Chongqing; 1;400 miles from the sea. In 1890 it had thirty-two missionaries; seventeen lady agents; forty-three native ordained pastors; ninety-one unordained native helpers; and over four thousand communicants.