It is the church for the Vestre Gausdal parish which is part of the Sør-Gudbrandsdal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

The white, wooden church was built in a cruciform design in 1784 using plans drawn up by the architect Per Korpberget.

The Nordic Museum in Stockholm have two carved boards from the old stave church that have been dated to the early 12th century, likely the date the church was first constructed.

The new church was mostly built in 1781, but due to a lack of funds, much of the interior work and furnishings took longer.

According to local traditions, the old church in Bødalen must have been used, among other things, as a meeting place for about one hundred years afterwards.