In 1884, William Scranton, a doctor living in Cleveland felt called by God to serve as a medical missionary in Korea. This calling also became the calling of his mother Mary Scranton, who had moved to Ohio to be near her son after her husband’s death. They were both commissioned for service and in 1885 became the first missionaries sent to Korea by the Methodist Episcopal Church, a forerunner to The United Methodist Church.

Despite many challenges the mission of William and Mary Scranton flourished. Through their dedication, hospitals and schools were established, the Good News of Jesus Christ was spread throughout the land, and the foundation was laid for the Methodist movement in Korea.

Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, resident bishop of the Ohio Episcopal Area consisting of the East Ohio and West Ohio Conferences of The United Methodist Church, proudly claims that he is a product of Ohio Missions because the Methodist Church was instrumental in his conversion to Christianity when he was a teenager. When he began his ministry one of his early appointments was to East Gate Church, a congregation born from the mission and ministry of William and Mary Scranton.