Surte grew rapidly from the late 1890s thanks to the activity of the Surte glassworks, and the parish church at Nödinge lay some seven kilometres away. Local efforts led to the decision to build a church nearer the village, at Jordfallet, with the glassworks donating the church site in 1911 and contributing to the planning work.
The building was funded by voluntary donations totalling 25,000 kronor and was completed in time for the first Sunday of Advent in 1912, to designs by the architect Sigfrid Ericson. It is considered one of the finest examples in the county of early twentieth-century National Romantic church architecture.
The most distinctive feature of Surte kyrka is its façade, faced with naturally rounded stones exposed within the rendered walls and plinths, giving the building an appearance older than its actual age. The stone was reportedly gathered from disused field walls in the surrounding area and transported to the site using some 740 horse-drawn loads. The roof was covered with slate.