It is the church for the Kragerø parish which is part of the Bamble prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark.

In 1651, the people of Kragerø requested to build their own church in the village (which at that time was a small place with about 300 inhabitants).

The new building was consecrated on 1 November 1652, and it was called "Christ Church" (Norwegian: Christi kirke).

In 1666, Kragerø was granted kjøpstad (town) status which led to a growth in population over the next century or so.

[4][5] By the 1860s, the town of Kragerø had grown to a population was nearing 5,000 people, so the church was no longer large enough for the parish.