It is the church for the Utsira parish which is part of the Haugaland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger.

The white, wooden church was built in a long church style in 1785 using designs by an unknown architect.

[1][2] The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to around the year 1620, but it was likely built well before that time.

According to some sources, an Irish hermit settled on the island in the Middle Ages built the first chapel on the island.

In 1704, a major repair work took place, and from the description it appears that the church was then a small log building.