Faroese church council secures funding for new Argir church, construction could begin immediately

Construction of a new church in Argir may start as early as Tuesday after the local parish council confirmed it has secured a third of the required funding, the Faroese national broadcaster KVF reports.

Fróði Olsen, chair of the Argir church council, stated that the parish now holds the necessary 27 million kronur—one third of the estimated 83 million kronur total cost—allowing work to commence in principle. “We could start tomorrow,” Olsen said, adding that the new church remains on schedule for completion in 2028, marking the 200th anniversary of Argir’s founding.

The funding dispute had stalled progress despite agreement on the church’s location. Bárður á Lakjuni, the Faroese minister for ecclesiastical affairs, previously insisted the parish must cover a third of construction costs before any building permit would be issued. Olsen confirmed the funds are now in place, though Bishop Jógvan Fríðriksson described the requirement as “a matter of interpretation” rather than a new policy.