It is the main church for the Kvæfjord parish which is part of the Trondenes prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.

The white, wooden, neo-Gothic church was built in a long church style in 1867 using plans drawn up by the architect Jacob Wilhelm Nordan.

It had a small tower over the central part of the building with an extended choir and sacristy in the east.

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 at Eidsvoll Manor later that year.

The new building was a long church with a narrower, rectangular choir and sacristy built to the east, as well as a tower next to the nave to the west.