Location Etne, Hordaland Denomination Church of Norway Functional status Active Opened 1676 Status Parish church | Country Norway Churchmanship Evangelical Lutheran Completed 1676 Capacity 250 | |
 | ||
Address 220, E134, 5590 Etne, Norway Diocese Lutheran Diocese of Bjørgvin Similar Grindheim Church, Stødle Church, Skånevik Church, Norsk Motormuseum, Ølen Church | ||
Gjerde Church (Norwegian: Gjerde kyrkje) is a parish church in Etne municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Etnesjøen, just south of the village centre. The church is part of the Etne parish in the Sunnhordland deanery in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.
History
The church at Gjerde in Etnesjøen is first mentioned in historical records in 1288, but it was built some time before that. That church was most likely a stave church that was in use until 1673 when it was badly damaged in a storm and it was torn down. Instead of rebuilding, the parish purchased another church that was moved here from Sandviken in Bergen. The new church was completed in 1676 and has been in use since that time. This white, wooden church seats about 250 people. The church bell dates back to 1315. The bell is inscribed (in Norwegian): "Jakob made me 1315. Pastor Erling had me made."