An earlier church at Gunnarp probably existed as early as the 13th century, since the font dates from that period. In the 1740s a new timber church with a tower was built, but it was completely destroyed in a fire caused by a lightning strike on 19 June 1753.
The present church was built in 1755–1756 and is one of the few timber churches in Halland. At its consecration the church was named after the then king, Adolf Fredrik. It has white-painted timber panelling on the exterior and, to the west, a broad tower built in three storeys, only slightly higher than the nave and crowned with a cross. The nave has a tall, copper-clad saddle roof. The church porch lies south of the chancel, and the sacristy to the north.
Inside, the timber walls are visible. The chancel windows have paintings. It was not until the 1860s that any major repairs were carried out. A new organ, altar and pulpit were installed at that time.
The ceiling, walls and images of the apostles on the gallery front were painted in 1782 by Henrik Andersson Wibeck from Varberg. The ceiling paintings were first painted over in 1881, and during the 1908 restoration the ceiling was clad with tongue-and-groove boarding and the walls with sackcloth. The boards of the gallery front were sold off. During the period 1908–1945, however, the interior of the church was painted light blue.
The most recent restoration, in 1949, aimed to restore the church's 18th-century appearance. Wibeck's ceiling paintings were uncovered under the direction of Thorbjörn Engblad, who also reconstructed the painting of the gallery front on the basis of some rediscovered fragments, as well as the drapery paintings on the walls.