The Finnish Missionary Society (FMS, Suomen Lähetysseura, SLS in Finnish) was founded in January 1859. FELM operates in about 30 countries on five continents. FELM employs 350 staff members, of whom 220 work in mission’s capacities in about 20 countries. In 1868 FMS sent its first team of missionaries to Ovamboland in present-day Namibia, where they arrived in 1870. Since 1985, FMS has been known in English as the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission, abbreviated FELM. It is the largest Lutheran mission organization in Finland.