 In April 2005 he was criticized for an issue connected to monetary support of environmental projects and organizations . The Ministry approved a $ 90 @,@ 000 project support for the Church of Norway , while the pressure group Bellona faced a cut of the same amount . Hareide , being a devout Christian and a member of the Church of Norway , was accused of putting his own religious interests ahead of environmental considerations . The case became a curiosity in the Norwegian media as some of the money was channelled into the church internet site , which , among other things , contained a set of prayers for earthworms – described in such odd terms as " the blind subterranean workers " , " small sisters and brothers in the compost " and " members of the subterranean congregation " . Hareide responded to the criticism by describing the overall project as " exciting " . 
