It is one of the two churches for the Midtgulen parish which is part of the Nordfjord prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.

[1][2] The old municipality of Bremanger comprised some areas around the Gulen fjord, while the majority of people lived on the island of Bremangerlandet where the parish church was located.

The local people of Midtgulen had long thought about the idea of having a church near them, but the issue was more of a wish rather than a demand, and they discussed the matter more among themselves than with the vicar.

[3][4] The first vicar in the parish, Ulrik Koren, was not particularly enthusiastic about building a church at Mudtgulen, as this would mean that he would have to cross the Frøysjøen strait by boat in all kinds of weather.

Just after 1900, approval was given for a new church site close to the pine forest in the sheltered bay of Hjellvika, right by the cemetery.