BUSINESS WITH EIRÍKUR INGVARSSON

Eden’s mining operation is only one part of Eden co-owner Eiríkur Ingvarsson’s multifaceted participation in business connected to the IC. (The other co-owner, Kristinn Ólafsson, has not been as prominent in the business of the IC.) The author of the present document does estimate how great or small business influence a church member should have in the IC. But the author believes it is important for church members to be aware of business influences in general, regardless of who is involved or whether the business dealings are viewed in a positive or negative light.

 

Insufficient Information Available about the IC’s Business Dealings

Why is it necessary to inform church members about the business of Eiríkur Ingvarsson? That is because over the last few decades information flow from the IC to church members has been rather meager:

  1. Aðventfréttir, the official organ of the IC, was published irregularly during its last years and ceased publication completely in 2018

  2. Even though the EXCOM publishes the weekly Kirkjufréttir, this newsletter revolves mostly around announcements of upcoming events, but substantial discussion about past events is meager

  3. The IC’s physical archives are in a mess. There is no digital archives (except a GoogleDrive-folder with the minutes of the present EXCOM). Important documents such as the EXCOM’s minutes, meeting documents from Sessions, public committee reports, and other documents, have not been made accessible to all church members

  4. The EXCOM’s voted resolutions have not been published consistently over the last decades, and even when the present EXCOM began publishing their minutes, they have been redacted 

This lack of information means that the general church member has no clear overall picture of the dealings and activities of the IC over the last decades – unless the church member decides to embark on a personal research journey. This means that most likely but very few church members realize the extent of business Eiríkur Ingvarsson has had in connection to the IC. Here I will only touch on several instances.

 

Ingvarsson’s Business Connections to the IC 

The Mining Contracts (2008, 2009)

The present document is about these contracts so there is no need to discuss them again her.

 

Raufarhólshellir (2016) and a Health Center in Breiðabólstaður (2016–2018)

These matters were already discussed in chapter 16 in the present document.

 

The Committee for the Utilization and Future Vision of Breiðabólstaður Property and Hlíðardalsskóli (2015–2016) 

Committee members were chair Harald R. Óskarsson, Elías Theodórsson, and Harpa Theodórsdóttir. The purpose of the committee, according to the resolution of the EXCOM, was to “investigate possibilities of utilizing the property’s sources of income, what future vision the IC has for the area, and whether the buildings can be incorporated into that future vision.” The committee was active from January to March 2015[1] and turned in its report to Session, April 2015.[2] The report criticized the conduct of Eden.[3] Eiríkur Ingvarsson and Kristinn Ólafsson objected to the report to the EXCOM by sending them their complaints.[4]

 

Committee for the Utilization of Breiðabólstaður Property (?–2021)

The Committee for the Utilization of Breiðabólstaður Property delivered its report early 2021. In the report the business of Eiríkur Ingvarsson are emphasized.[5] At Session 2022, committee member Brynjar Ólafsson presented the report and underlined the great work and many ideas that Ingvarsson has concerning how to utilize the property. Ólafsson urged delegates not to miss out on these opportunities and stated that some of them were time sensitive and urgent. 

The author of the present document could have written more if time had allowed. Suffice to say that the EXCOM is working on several other business ventures—the reader can read about them in the published minutes of the present EXCOM. Some of these ideas are most likely the ideas of Ingvarsson, since they are similar to or the same as some of the opportunities he has expressed interest in and which he has encouraged the IC to put into action, e.g., selling the hot water from Breiðabólstaður property, etc.

 

Conclusion

As was stated at the outset of this chapter, the author does not intend to assess the business ideas of Eiríkur Ingvarsson. The chapter is intended to aid church members in getting a clearer big picture of the business connections Ingvarsson has had with the IC. The chapter has also tried to point out that there are other business options available to the IC than Ingvarsson’s ideas. 

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of Session and the EXCOM to decide what business ventures the IC should undertake and how much room and power a church member should have when it comes to the business of the IC. 

However, in the light of the previous chapter—about family relations and conflicts of interest—it is unavoidable to notice that in the time since the Recommendation Committee was abolished,[6] the EXCOM has taken upon themselves to unilaterally decide the business of the IC without consulting delegates at Session. And the present EXCOM has decided to give Ingvarsson much room to present his business ideas, and they seem to be eager to implement many of them.


[1] For members, purpose, and period of the committee, cf. Committee concerning the Utilization and Future Vision of Breiðabólstaður Property and Hlíðardalsskóli, “Tillaga að framtíðarsýn Kirkjunnar varðandi Hlíðardalsskólaeignina” (Proposal for a Future Vision of the IC concerning the Hlíðardalsskóli Property), p. 1.

[2] “Motion by Steinunn H. Theodórsdóttir:

That the report of the Committee for the Utilization and Future Vision of Breiðabólstaður Property and Hlíðardalsskóli shall be presented to the Session.

Voted.” Resolution no. 9, minutes of the Session 2015, unpaginated, meetings documents for Session 2019.

[3] Committee concerning the Utilization and Future Vision of Breiðabólstaður Property and Hlíðardalsskóli, “Tillaga að framtíðarsýn Kirkjunnar varðandi Hlíðardalsskólaeignina” (Proposal for a Future Vision of the IC concerning the Hlíðardalsskóli Property), pp. 3, 4–5.

[4] This is confirmed in the minutes from this period.

[5] Committee for the Utilization of Breiðabólstaður Property, the Report of the Committee, November 2021, pp. 5–6.

[6] Constitution-and-Bylaws Committee, “Skýrsla laganefndar” (Report of the Constitution-and-Bylaws Committee), meeting documents for Session 2012, pp. 62.