Sujata V.Manohar, J. - (1.) The Methodist Church is a well-established religious organization. The Methodist Episcopal Church began its work in India in the year 1856. By 1864, its work was organised in the name of India Mission Conference. By 1870, the Methodist Episcopal Church and established work both along educational and evangelical lines. At present the Methodist Church in India is divided into 11 regional bodies called "regional conferences". It has about six lakhs members and it owns a very large number of immovable properties throughout the country. It runes educational institutions, hospitals, schools for the handicapped, hostels and houses for orphans, lepers, etc.
(2.) Originally the central conference of the United Methodist Church, USA, consisting of about 1,000 elected delegates from all over the world governed the Methodist Church throughout the world. Outside the United Methodist Church of America, there was a single conference of the Methodist Church in every country or region where the church was functioning. The central conference of the Methodist Church in Southern Asia was governing the said church in India.
(3.) In 1980, the central conference decided to reorganize the Methodist Church in Southern Asia by having an autonomous body for India. It was therefore, decided to reorganize the Methodist Church in Southern Asia as the Methodist Church in India. On January 7, 1981, the central conference declared that the central conference of the Methodist Church in Southern Asia stood dissolved and was reorganized as the central conference of the Methodist Church in India as from January 7, 1981. Accordingly, the original first petitioner, viz., the executive board of the Methodist Church in Southern Asia, also amended its name to the executive board of the Methodist Church in India.;