The location of Karkku Church was once the subject of heated debate, as residents of the former Karkku municipality could not agree on which side of Lake Rautavesi the church should be built. The dispute was resolved when Alfons Ekholm, owner of the nearby Koski manor, donated land for the church and cemetery on the shore of Lake Riippilänjärvi, near Rautavesi.

The design of the church also divided opinions. Some locals wanted a church similar in size and style to Tyrvää Church, built in 1855 in the neighboring parish. However, architect Oiva Kallio was chosen to design a much smaller and completely different gray stone church, which was consecrated as the Church of Christ’s Second Coming in 1913. The bells ringing in Karkku Church were cast in the early 18th century and brought from St. Mary’s Church in Sastamala.