During the 1600s or early 1700s, the nave was enlarged with a timber-framed addition on the west end of the building.

[6][8] In 1844, the parish considered expanding the church since it was too small for the population, but this was not carried out.

A law passed in 1851 required the church be able to seat at least 30% of the people living in the parish, so it had to be enlarged or replaced.

The same year, the new Vanylven Church in the nearby village of Slagnes was opened.

In 1937, the architect Johan Lindstrøm and the historian Cato Engen, in conjunction with the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage, led the construction of a replica of the historic church using the old plans for the building and using the old foundations that were never removed.

Work on the project was paused for a number of years during World War II, but resumed in 1950.

[3][4][5] The church was named after St. Edmund (Norwegian: Sankt Jetmund), an English saint.