The missionary movement was instrumental in the growth and spread of Christian’s holy church in Karnataka. The missionaries brought with them the good news of Christ and God’s love and teachings of Jesus Christ of the many missions that came to India and in particular to Karnataka, the Basel Mission is the most prominent one.
The Basel mission had its inception in the year 1815 with the sole aim and intention of taking the good news overseas. It was in the year 1834 that they set foot on the Indian soils, when they reached Calicut. They established Mangalore as their head quarters and began their missionary work. The most prominent missionaries were Rev. Samuel Hebich, Rev. Lehner, and Rev. Grainer who travelled far and wide across Karnataka established mission station at strategic places. One such station was Hubli-Dharwad region with its neighbouring villages.
The social and religious environment of Hubli drew the attention of Rev.Hebich in the year 1835. After having decided the very next year to establish a centre at Hubli, Rev.Hebich returned to the base station Mangalore. When he came back in the year 1836 he got along with him Rev.Mogling and decided to establish Basel Mission centre at Dharwad from where they planned to start their mission work.
Hubli having captured Hebich imagination he decided to establish it as another centre for mission work besides Dharwad, with this in mind he met District Collector E.B.Mils and convinced him to allocate a vast place in the heart of Hubli to carry out the work.
Then in the year 1839, Hubli known as an industrial hub became the second centre for missionary work.
The year 1839 was the establishment of Basel Mission in Hubli. Rev. J C Lehner, Rev.C Hiller, Rev.H Frey were the first three missionaries appointed to start mission work with the commitment and dedication of these three missionaries, the church of Hubli started sprouting and slowly letting down its roots.
7th February 1839 is a date to be written in the golden letters in the history of Hubli church because it was on this day that four Men one Woman and Two Children came to accept the Lord and were baptised. These seven early members the first fruit of the missionary service were Isaac, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Rachel and their two children. They began to live near the home stead of the missionaries. These early members through living close by did not depend upon the missionaries for their livelihood but continued with their former profession. These seven members were the first and the earliest.
The early missionaries put in dedicated service, they visited many places and spread the word of God and equipped natives to spread the good news.
Since 1839 the missionaries who arrived at Hubli came not only with a burden to spread the good news of God’s love but with far-sighted vision and commitment for the upliftment of the natives with the establishment of the congregation, the missionaries took up the task of development for the fostered only not spiritual development but enrichment of other spheres of their lives. They were committed to the overall development of the church and the congregation.
Some of the wings established for the enhancement of the spiritual growth of the congregation were Primary and Secondary schools Kindergarten for kids, YMCA for the youth, Orphanages, Sunday school, Women’s fellowship, Tailoring centres and old age homes.
With the start of the World War 1, and a restriction on the coming of the missionaries to India, it was now the responsibility of the local pastors trained in Theological studies to shepherd the Indian churches.
From 1914 onwards each
congregation began operation under the leadership of a local pastors with the guidance of a missionary Since 1962 the arrival of missionaries stopped and the complete responsibility fell on the shoulders of the native Christians.
From the year 1852, native pastors like Rev.Paul Nagappa, Rev.Christian Chennappa slowly began to learn to take the reins of the church in their hands the other early native pastors like Rev.Solomon Bhaskar, Rev. Lot Harry, and Rev.Solomon Devadar contributed tremendously for the growth and development of the church.
The late 1950’s saw a tremendous change in the governance and history of the church this period saw the dawn of a new era. The church unanimously chose to be united and one with the church of south India on May 20th 1958, all the pastors came together for a meeting at the Hubli church to review their past and plan for the future. By the year 1962, German Missionaries saw to it than the native churches could take the responsibilities and look after themselves and having ascertained that the natives were fully equipped, they set soil to Germany.
October 14th and 15th 1972 was another important date in the history of the church. Till this date the church was called Ex-Basel Mission church, but on 1st January 1973 the church was re-christened as Maier Memorial Church was also on this day that Rev.Maier said the foundation for the building of the new church.
The 
church now strengthen to stand on its own feet followed the guidelines and footsteps of the German missionaries, especially when it comes to catering and taking forward the different wings established by them. These were now well equipped and efficient to start a few wings of their own. Some of the wings still active and added are Sunday school, women’s Fellowship, Senior Men’s Fellowship, Workers Fellowship, Medical Fellowship, Early Morning Fellowship, Fasting Prayer, Youth fellowship and Teachers Fellowship.
All the above mentioned wings are active and carrying out their commitments to the fullest possible extent.
The church now is an active entity with various activities planned for spiritual enrichment right from January to December.
The various programme scheduled for year are as follows New Year Celebration, Medical Sunday, Lent Days, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter, Women’s Day, Vacation Bible School, Worker’s Sunday, Old Age Home Sunday, Senior Men’s Sunday, Dr.Earnest Gokavi inter- Church Bible Quiz, Teachers Sunday, Bible Society Sunday, Youth Sunday, Church 
Anniversary(Harvest Festival) , Sunday school Anniversary, Confirmation, Christmas, Yearend Service, Watch – Night Service, are the various activities of the church wherein both the young and the old take active part and come together to praise and worship the name of the Lord.
The church has till date been carrying out the vision and mission planted and uphold by the missionaries. For the past 175 years, the church has emerged as a congregation built upon the rock and is the back bone of the Karnataka Northern Diocese.
The church that made a humble beginning with just seven members has grown in stature and strength of more than 12000 memberships.
From the year of inception in the year 1839 till today, 67 missionaries and 102 local/native pastors have been shepherding the church their names and years of service is listed in church records though our church is now an integral part of the CSI, it has not lost its connection and camaraderie with the German mission. There are various collaborative programmes undertaken each year. Many German pastors and laymen visit our churches and so do some of our church members. Our church situated in the centre of the city is one of the oldest and biggest largest protestant congregation in this part of North Karnataka. The church with its progressive activities is on the path of greater achievement and is reading herself for the second coming of Jesus Christ.