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

The stone church was built in a rectangular style in 1851 using plans drawn up by the architect Christian Heinrich Grosch.

It is speculated that the first church here was constructed on the orders of the local Viking chief Hárek of Tjøtta around the year 1000.

In 1811, lightning struck the church causing a fire and some damage to the building which had to be rebuilt.

Then again in 1843 there was a massive fire due to another lightning strike, but this one virtually destroyed the whole building, with only small parts of the original structure remaining.