It is one of the churches for the Saltdal parish which is part of the Salten prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

The white, wooden church was built in a long church style in 1864 using plans drawn up by the architect Peter Høier Holtermann.

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.

A new church site was chosen on the west side of the river, located in a more central part of the main village of Rognan.

The new church had a tower in the west and a small sacristy on the south side between the nave and chancel.