The Lesotho Evangelical Church in Southern Africa is one of the oldest Protestant churches in Africa, established in 1833 by the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society. They received the support of the local king, and under its protection the church developed. The first mission station was in Morija. In 1868 Lesotho became a British protectorate. In 1898 a Synod was opened, while in 1964 the church gained independence.