Gjerde Church

Gjerde Church
Gjerde kyrkje
View of the church
Gjerde Church Location in Hordaland county Show map of Hordaland Gjerde Church Location in Hordaland county Show map of Norway
59°39′51″N 5°56′05″E / 59.6641°N 5.9348°E / 59.6641; 5.9348Coordinates: 59°39′51″N 5°56′05″E / 59.6641°N 5.9348°E / 59.6641; 5.9348
Location	Etne, Hordaland
Country	Norway
Denomination	Church of Norway
Churchmanship	Evangelical Lutheran
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Completed	1676
Specifications
Capacity	250
Materials	Wood
Administration
Parish	Etne
Deanery	Sunnhordland prosti
Diocese	Diocese of Bjørgvin

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.

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."