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

It is the oldest preserved wooden church in the whole diocese, so it is a protected historic site.

[3] The Sami missionary Thomas von Westen had a new church built here in 1728.

This in effect made the churchyard a major community gathering center each week.

In 1750, the church was described as a low, wooden, cruciform building with a slate roof and no tower.