It is located in the village of Kleive, at the eastern end of the Fannefjorden.

It is the church for the Kleive parish which is part of the Molde domprosti (arch-deanery) in the Diocese of Møre.

The white, wooden church was built in an octagonal design in the Empire style in 1858 by an unknown architect.

Each church parish was a constituency that elected people called "electors" who later met together in each county to elect the representatives for the assembly that was to meet in Eidsvoll later that year.

A new church was constructed in 1857-1858 by an unknown architect, although there is some evidence that it could have been Christian H.