The Mission Friends had their origins in the spiritual reform movements founded by laymen within the Lutheran Church of Sweden from the mid-19th century onwards, particularly the teachings of Swedish Pietists Carl Olof Rosenius and Peter Fjellstedt.
The Evangeliska fosterlands-stiftelsen (today the Swedish Evangelical Mission), founded in 1856 by Fjellstedt and others, was the main association for the group.
At Swede Point, north of Des Moines, Hans Blom preached, and elsewhere in Iowa, A. W. Hedenschoug and John Peterson were active preachers.
[5] In Galesburg, Illinois, Nicolaus Bergensköld, disciple of the "Reader Count" (läsargreven) Adolphe Stackelberg, preached.
[2] American evangelist Dwight L. Moody was highly appreciated and influential among the Mission Friends, despite his lack of personal connection to Sweden or the Swedish language.
To this group belonged preachers such as Fredrik Franson, strongly influenced by Moody and his ecumenical revival preaching.
[24] The Mission Friends' beliefs were described by professor Axel Mellander, who stated, "they generally stand on Lutheran ground in their attitude to the means of grace."