It was the church for the Skeidi parish which was part of the Bamble prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark.

[1][2] Skeidi Church was built of stone sometime before 1150 in Romanesque-Norman style inspired by English Norman architecture.

It was dedicated to St. Olaf, the patron saint of Norway, so it was also known as St. Olav's Church.

The church served as a center for the veneration of St. Olaf by the nearby Gimsøy Abbey.

It had a number of unusual building features, including a chancel screen (lektorium).

The separate small room, which today is called Maria's Chapel (Mariakapellet), was consecrated by the Bishop Halvor Bergan on 29 July 1988.