THE MINES

Before discussing the mining operation of the IC, it is helpful to explain why the denomination owns mines in Iceland to begin with.

The Financial Basis of the Mission of Seventh-day Adventist Church

The Seventh-day Adventist Church usually does not own assets which are not directly related to its stated purpose. (The denomination’s stated mission is to preach the Gospel.[1]) Assets directly related to this goal include church buildings, administrative offices, real estate and buildings for summer gatherings and other events, educational institutions, and health institutions.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church usually does not run businesses besides those which are directly related to her stated goal. The reason for this preference is that the Seventh-day Adventist Church does not need to run businesses to finance itself. The denomination is funded by tithes and offerings from church members. The financial basis of the denomination is not business or state taxation.[2]

Breiðabólstaður Property and Hlíðardalsskóli Academy

In the first several decades of the 20th century, Adventists in Iceland realized that they needed an academy for their teenagers.[3] Times were hard in Iceland but church members demonstrated a strong spirit of self-sacrifice and unity and collected money for the project for over a decade. In 1947, the Breiðabólstaður property was bought. Church members continued to donate money, time, and work to the project: those who could helped with the construction and people donated furniture and other needed articles. The academy was built in a remarkably short time. All the nation watched in astonishment and with respect how this small denomination raised and ran an excellent academy without state support.

Adventists continued this self-sacrificing work through the half century which the academy was in operation. But times change. As the educational system in Iceland was overhauled, boarding schools became outdated. Eventually, it was not financially feasible to continue the academy and Suðurhlíðarskóli comprehensive school (grunnskóli) (which had started in the city in 1990) took over the upper grades which had been taught in the academy.

But what was to be done with all this real estate and all these buildings, now that Hlíðardalsskóli academy had been closed in 1995? Adventists in Iceland knew through how much sacrifice the academy had been founded and run, and how important its work had been in the life and mission of the church. They felt that the buildings and the property was a gift from God. For instance, hot water had been discovered in a critical moment in the academy’s history, at a time when it was uncertain whether it would be possible to run the academy due to the great cost of gas. Adventists therefore felt that surely all this property had some purpose still in the life of the church. However, they were unsure what that purpose was if it was not running an academy. In an extraordinary Session in December 1996, delegates therefore voted to authorize the EXCOM to sell the property.[4] The property was advertised[5] but eventually nothing came of it.

In 1999, three Adventist couples – Kristján Friðbergsson and Unnur Halldórsdóttir, Eric Guðmundsson and Laila Panduro, and Elías Theodórsson and Ester Ólafsdóttir – founded the company Hlíðardalssetrið, inc.[6] They were offered to take over a bid that was on the table but since they wanted the property to remain in the possession of the IC, they came up with another suggestion: they would manage the buildings and the surrounding land for the IC so that the denomination would not have to sell the property. Hlíðardalssetrið took on the responsibility of paying all regular costs related to the property, such as real estate taxes, insurance, etc. They also took on the responsibility of all maintenance and renovations of the buildings. They would create revenue by renting the housing. All work hours by Hlíðardalssetrið would be for free. The IC accepted the offer and the property remained in the possession of the denomination. The IC has received revenue from the property and the buildings have been maintained and renovated. Furthermore, the IC has had access to the buildings for free. This is in harmony with the goals of Hlíðardalssetrið, which envisions that the IC will continue to own the property[7] and to use it for mission-related purposes as was the case when it was an academy. Hlíðardalssetrið has been in operation to this day.  

In 2004, the EXCOM was going to sell a piece of the property to Reykjavík Energy (Orkuveita Reykjavíkur). Reykjavík Energy pushed aggressively for the purchase. Had this piece been sold, the mines had been sold with it. It was only for the interference of Elías Theodórsson and Eric Guðmundsson that the EXCOM excepted the mines from the sale.[8]

Close to the academy buildings is Breiðabólstaður farm. The couple Pétur Ottósson and Ólöf Haraldsdóttir rented the farm in 1991. When the academy closed, they continued to run the farm and worked there through 2021. There was good co-operation between the farm and Hlíðardalssetrið.

In this way, the Hlíðardalssetrið and the couple Ottósson and Haraldsdóttir saved the Breiðabólstaður property so that it is still in possession of the IC. Had it not been for this group of people, the IC would have sold the property.

The Mines in Mt. Litla-Sandfell and Mt. Lambafell

Breiðabólstaður property (which was bought to create Hlíðardalsskóli academy) is quite large. It runs from the academy all the way to the Þrengslin pass. On this property are Mt. Lambafell in the Þrengslin pass and Mt. Litla-Sandfell.

In the 1960s, the IC started to use the mining license in these two mountains and the mining operation began. To begin with, the mining operation was nothing in comparison to the great amount of material that modern machinery processes.

When the academy closed and the IC tried to sell the property, these two mines would have been sold, had it not been for the church members who had the foresight to believe that it would be in the interest of the IC to own the property. And if it had not been for the interference of Hlíðardalssetrið members in 1999 and 2004, the IC would have lost the mines, for the EXCOM intended to sell them.

Conclusion

The IC owns two mines for it so happened that two mountains suitable for mining are on the property which the denomination bought to raise an academy in 1947. The IC owns these mines today because it ran an academy on the property with great sacrifice and because several church members fought against the sale of the property once the academy was closed. This history cannot be overlooked when the mines, their usage, and possible revenue is discussed today.

[1] The General Conference Working Policy is an internal document which contains, amongst other things, the constitution, bylaws, and the mission statement of the General Conference. The General Conference is the highest administrative level of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The laws and policies of the General Conference are therefore legally binding and formative for the entire denomination. In article no. 2 of the constitution and the mission statement, it is clear that “The purpose of the General Conference is to teach all nations the everlasting gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the commandments of God.” The General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, General Conference Working Policy 2010–2011 (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald, 2010), pp. 1, 29. This purpose is also stated in the beginning of the bylaws of the IC, in article no. 2: “The purpose of the IC is to preach Jesus Christ as a personal Savior and the everlasting Gospel.” Bylaws of the IC, 2019, article no 2, author’s translation.

[2] “The biblical plan for the support of the work of God is by the tithes and offerings of His people.” Secretariat, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual, 19th ed. (Review and Herald, 2016), 135. This is the opening line of the chapter entitled “Finance.”

[3] The author has collected newspaper articles and minutes about the history of Hlíðardalsskóli academy into a working document which is the basis for this summary of the school’s history. The working document is entitled “Greinar um Hlíðardalsskóla, 1948–2011” (Articles about Hlíðardalsskóli Academy, 1948–2011) and is available from the author.

[4] Eric Guðmundsson. “Aukaaðalfundur Samtakanna 1. desember 1996” (Extraordinary Session of the Conference, 1 December 1996), Aðventfréttir, no. 4, 1996, 3, ttps://timarit.is/page/5830988.

[5] “Hlíðardalsskóli í Ölfusi til sölu” (Hlíðardalsskóli Academy in Ölfus Municipality for Sale) Morgunblaðið, 21 January 1997, C 2; real estate advertisement, Morgunblaðið, 27 May 1997, C 6; real estate advertisement, Morgunblaðið, 1 June 1997, 39.

[6] Hlíðardalssetrið distributed a report about its operation during the first half of 41st Session (September 2022). It contains information about its history, purpose, and influence.

[7] The goal is not mentioned in the constitution and bylaws of the Hlíðardalssetrið. But it is made explicit in the oldest drafted documents of the association, in the history of its operation, and in countless conversations between its founders and the author over the last two decades.

In a letter from the “group of members interested in the future of Hlíðardalsskóli, which said group wrote before it went on to become Hlíðardalssetrið, the views of the founders on what the goals of the association were is made clear: “In light of the ongoing discussion concerning the future of Hlíðardalsskóli, we want to remind the IC EXCOM of the existence of a group of members interested in Hlíðardalsskóli. This groups has the following aims:

       1. To ensure that Hlíðardalsskóli remains a property of the IC

       2. To be a constructive force for the IC as a whole.” Group of members interested in the future of Hlíðardalsskóli, letter to the EXCOM, 12 September 1999. A little later the group wrote an open letter to church members, in which the following was stated: “Our aims are as follows:

       1. To ensure that Hlíðardalsskóli remains a property of the IC for future generations. . . .

       3. That Hlíðardalsskóli will be a constructive and honorable institution for the denomination and interests of Adventists in Iceland.

       Hlíðardalsskóli was established to strengthen the church by providing the youth of the denomination (as well as non-SDA students) with a Christian environment and to promote the main goals of the Advent Movement. The strength of Hlíðardalsskóli has always been proportionate to its fidelity to this original and main goal, and it is our policy to keep the future operation of the institution in harmony with this goal. The group of interested members, open letter to church members, 8 October 1999.

The same ideas are expressed in the oldest drafted documents of the institution, from the time when the founders were formulating Hlíðardalssetrið: “The operation of Hlíðardalsskóli shall have the following goals:

       1. To ensure HDS remains a property of the denomination.

       2. To ensure that the operation of the HDS will be constructive for the denomination as a whole.”

[Hlíðardalssetrið], Ráðstefnusetrið í Hlíðardal: Hugmyndir varðandi framtíðarrekstur Hlíðardalsskóla (The Conference Institution in Hlíðardalur Valley: Ideas concerning the Future Operation of Hlíðardalsskóli), n.d., [p. 1]. In another similar document, the Hlíðardalssetrið founders express their interest in evangelistic work: “The entire operation of the Bible School in Hlíðardalsskóli shall have as its main goal to support the work of the Adventist churches in Iceland by leading individuals into a closer knowledge of Jesus Christ, and to keep his commandments and to increase their ability to participate in the Great Commission as expressed in Matthew 28:16–19.” [Hlíðardalssetrið], Biblíuskólinn Hlíðardalsskóli: Hugmyndir varðandi framtíðarrekstur Hlíðaralsskóla (The Bible School in Hlíðardalsskóli: Ideas concerning the Future Operation of Hlíðardalsskóli), n.d., [p. 1].

[8] “Sala hluta lands Hlíðardalsskólans” (Piece of the Hlíðardalsskóli Property Sold) Aðventfréttir, no. 1, 2004, 8–9, https://timarit.is/page/5831550; Elías Theodórsson. This matter has not been discussed sufficiently in the official magazines and newsletters of the IC.