It is the church for the Avaldsnes parish which is part of the Karmøy prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger.

The church was mentioned by the historian Snorri Sturluson in chapter 19 of his book Soga om Olav den heilage.

In this period, the church gradually fell into a state of ruin due to lack of repair.

German officials asserted that the high steeple was used as a landmark for Allied planes, coming in over the strait of Karmsund to drop bombs in the water.

Many people were engaged in the task of saving it, and they persuaded the German military to let them camouflage the whole church with timber.

They were the creation of by Norwegian artist Bernhard Greve (1886-1962) from Lofthus who worked mainly with stained glass, fresco, and ceramic sculpture.

The windows portrayed important events in the life of Christ: baptism, passion, ascension, and resurrection.

[9] The altar, baptismal font, and pulpit were designed in the 1920s by Norwegian functionalist architect Eivind Moestue (1893-1977).

[10] The pointed arches, but thick walls and no pillars, suggest an early Gothic design.

Mary's Needle (Norwegian: Jomfru Marias synål) is the only one remaining of several monumental stones which once stood around the church area.