The Methodist Episcopal Church began its work in India in 1856, when William Butler came from America.

Additional stations were occupied in Oudh, Rohilkhand, Garhwal, and Kumaon, and by 1876 The Methodist Episcopal Church had established work both along evangelistic and educational lines.

Methodist Churches were established in cities including Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Kanpur and Bangalore.

Special revival meetings were held which led the church out of its boundaries and gave it a national status.

The work had thus far been confined to the territory East and North of the Ganges, but by that river; this move was the first step of expansion into all Southern Asia.

There came into existence Methodist congregations in Kanpur, Bombay, Poona, Calcutta, Secunderabad, Madras, Bangalore, Nagpur and other cities.

In 1899, when the Philippines came into the possession of the United States of America, James M. Thoburn entered Manila and established the Church; Homer C. Stuntz was one of the pioneer workers.

Evangelistic work in the villages of northern India resulted in the baptism of large numbers of people from the deprived classes.

In 1970 the Central Conference voted against the plan of union, but dialogue with the Church of North India continued.

The ordinances of feetwashing (especially on Maundy Thursday), as well as women's headcovering (usually with a shawl, chiefly a dupatta), are practiced.

The Church also operates 19 College and vocational training institutions, 25 hospitals and health care centres, and many community welfare and development programmes in the country.