[2] Originally, this area was a part of the great Diocese of Nidaros, which covered all of Northern Norway from Romsdalen and north (Finnmark, Troms, and Nordland counties).

On 30 December 1803, the King of Norway named Peder Olivarius Bugge the "Bishop of Trondheim and Romsdal" and also named Mathias Bonsach Krogh the "Bishop of Nordland and Finnmark", thus essentially splitting the diocese into two starting in 1804, although legally it was one diocese with two bishops.

The newly appointed Bishop Krogh (in 1804) made Alstahaug Church the seat of his bishopric in the north, while Bishop Bugge stayed in Trondheim.

The interior is dominated by the altar, a copy of the Resurrection by Adolph Tidemand.

[3] The Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland is divided into nine deaneries (Norwegian: prosti).