在十九世紀末的貴州西北偏遠山區，先後有中國內地會與循道會兩個基督新教差會派遣傳教士們來此，將基督新教的「福音」，帶給了這塊以苗彝族為主要聚居族群的地區，並且獲得了這些少數民族的熱烈迴響。由於少數民族接受之迅速與受洗信徒人數增長之多，令許多傳教士感到振奮，並先後在此地為苗族建立起兩個重要的傳教據點：葛布教會與石門坎教會。然而，由於這個地區存在著地主與佃農之間強烈的緊張關係，促使傳教士必需在兩造之間求取和諧，甚至必需另立專屬該民族的教會。最後，由於循道會在族群問題、教育目標與末世觀上不能符合苗族的期待，因而最後走上沒落一途。反之，由於內地會的傳教策略與苗族的實際需要相符，因而在歷經數次的政治運動中，仍能保留其基本信徒，甚至在運動過後，數倍增長，進而擴大其傳教腹地至原屬循道會的區域。

In the late 19th century, there were two Christian missions working in the northwest Guizhou. One is China Inland Mission (CIM), the other is Methodist Missionary Society (MMS). Missionaries of these two missions preached the Gospel in the area where the Hmong(苗) and Yi(彝) people lived, and experienced mass conversions to Christianity among these minority groups. Both missions established the missionary centers: one is the church of Gebu(葛布教會) in He-zhang county (赫章縣) belonged to CIM, the other is the church of Shimenkan (石門坎教會) in Wei-ning county(威寧縣) belonged to MMS. However, the relation among the Yi landlords, Tu-Mu(土目), and the Hmong tenant-peasants became very tense in the northwest Guizhou during that period. Secondly, the Hmong people could not content with the educational goals of MMS. Finally, the historical memory and identity of the Hmong people were hoping for a savior, Miao Wang(苗王), to liberate them from the Yi or Han(漢) landlords. On these three issues, the strategies of MMS did not conform to the expectation of Hmong people, but CIM did. This is why that after many times of political movements in China, the population of followers almost vanished in the area of MMS, but formerly still increased more than ten times in the area of CIM.