It is located in the village of Bjørnskinn on the island of Andøya.

It is one of the churches for the Andøy parish which is part of the Vesterålen prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

A new wooden church was built soon after, about 375 metres (1,230 ft) to the southeast, further away from the base of the mountain.

The new church was built in 1885 and it was designed by the local architect, Johan Kunig, to seat about 250 people.

The new church was consecrated on 29 April 1885 by the Bishop Jacob Sverdrup Smitt.