The works of missions and organized missionary endeavors are a major thrust of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. The first-known missionary endeavor for women began in 1824 when Richard Allen organized the Dorcas Society. The major emphasis of the Society was caring for men who were laboring to establish and expand the AME Church. They carried out this mission until 1827. From this humble initiative, what we now know as the Women's Missionary Society expanded and galvanized women of the AME

Church into a knowledgeable and global mission force committed to definite and clearly defined mission goals, activities, and obligations that command major contributions of time, talent, and resources. Present-day mission initiatives are global in scope and extend beyond the continental United States to Africa, the Caribbean, South America, Europe, and India.