Construction work began on the new headquarters and church in March 1900. The plans were drawn up and the construction work supervised by the architect Karl August Wrede, who was later active in the work of the Missionary Society at home. At the time it was considered important that funds donated for missionary work not be used for building but that separate funds should be collected for that purpose. The church - or chapel, as it was first called - was dedicated on Advent Sunday, 2nd December, 1900.

The Mission Church was built in the middle of a residential area, and when it was finished it was only the seventh church in the capital. The programme of the mission church rapidly became fixed: there were services in Finnish and in Swedish, times of prayer and a Sunday school, which were the responsibility of the students of the mission school. Sewing and missionary circles and monthly missionary evenings with programmes rich in music, were all part of the activities of the mission church. Valedictory services for the missionaries were held in the Mission Church, as well as meetings to welcome them home.

The general strike of 1905 was followed by a spiritual awakening centred on the Mission Church.

It was not, however, intended to found a separate congregation and therefore holy communion was not celebrated there until after the Second World War.

For the Love of Mission

Today the students of the mission school no longer practise preaching sermons and teaching the Christian faith in the Mission Church, but it still has its place in the service of mission. The Mission Church was built first of all as a chapel, a place of prayer, and prayer is still needed today just as much as it ever was.

The staff of mission headquarters meet in the Mission Church everyday for morning prayers. International services and Bible studies, young people's evenings, various musical events, Christmas carol services and other events all form part of today's activities.