It is the church for the Sveio parish which is part of the Sunnhordland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.

The white, wooden church was built in a long church design in 1858 using plans drawn up by the architect Andreas Grønning.

[1][2] The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1686, but at that time it was described as an old, dilapidated stave church without a tower (Norwegian: een liden Vdgammel och i Grund forfalden Stafuekirche uden Taarn).

It had an open air corridor built all the way around the building.

The new church was partially constructed with salvaged materials from the previous building.