Christianity in Namibia comprises more than 90 percent of the population. The largest Christian group is the Lutheran church, which is split into three churches: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN), which grew out of the work of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission (earlier known as the Finnish Missionary Society) which began in 1870 among the Ovambo and Kavango people; the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN), which grew out of the work of the Rhenish Missionary Society from Germany which began working in the area in 1842; and the German-speaking Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN-GELC). In 2007 the three churches established the United Church Council of the Lutheran Churches in Namibia in an attempt to merge and unify.