The Rhenish Missionary Society and the Basel Mission heeded the call and arranged for Theodor and Lechler to set sail for China, arriving on March 19, 1847.

In the same year, the Barmen Mission resolved to send Heinrich Köster and Ferdinand Genähr to assist Gutzlaff.

The Barmen Mission workers were to be assigned the southeastern and western parts of the province where the language of the local population is predominantly Cantonese.

The Berlin Mission Society was allotted the Guangzhou area north of the Beijiang River to preach to both the local Hakka and Cantonese residents.

This strategy continued until after the Boxer Incident when all three mission societies began to cooperate and jointly develop common goals amongst themselves.