It is one of the two churches for the Ølen og Bjoa parish which is part of the Haugaland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger.

The white, wooden church was built in a long church style in 1874 using designs by the architect T. Solheim.

The original Ølen Church was built on a steep, prominent moraine ridge overlooking the village and fjord about 200 metres (660 ft) southeast of the present church site.

[3] In 1874, a new church was built about 200 metres (660 ft) to the west, down the hill by the fjord.

Shortly afterwards, the old church was torn down, but the small entrance area to the old church was kept and converted into a small tool shed that would be used for the cemetery.