Miracle Valley, Arizona

Miracle Valley Bible College

The community of Miracle Valley was founded in rural Cochise County in 1959 by evangelist A. A. Allen who established the Miracle Valley Bible College (MVBC) on 1240 acres along the south side of Highway 92. Since Allen's death in 1970 the property has been purchased and/or occupied by a variety of organizations: the Don Stewart Evangelistic Association, later the Don Stewart Association; the Southern Arizona Bible College, operated by the Hispanic Assemblies (until 1995); and the Miracle Valley Bible College and Seminary, operated by Harter Ministries (from 1999). The property was foreclosed on in 2009 and a subsequent sale in 2011 to Miracle Valley Arizona Ministries (founded by missionaries Gilles and Diane Langevins) fell through. In 2014 the property was purchased by another group planning to restore the abandoned and derelict campus and re-establish a bible college.

Miracle Valley shootout

In 1978-80 approximately 300 members of the Christ Miracle Healing Center and Church (CMHCC) moved from Mississippi and Chicago. They purchased property in the subdivision on the north side of Highway 92 across from the bible college. Thomas was a former disciple of Allen's at MVBC and attempted to purchase it after his death. Over the following two years numerous conflicts arose between the church and its members, and the local community and law enforcement on the other. Tensions escalated when it was discovered that five young children of church members had died over the previous year, with one and possibly four due to the church's refusal to seek medical attention. Faith healing was a major component of the church's teachings. Conflicts also arose when the church refused access to parents and law enforcement in retrieving he children of at least two families who had been illegally transported to the Valley against their parents' wishes. Racial tensions arose between the African American church members and the mostly white residents. In late 1982 a variety of incidents with law enforcement culminated when local sheriff deputies, with backup by state law enforcement, attempted to serve bench warrants for the arrest of 3 members of the church. A large group of church members confronted the officials and in the ensuing "shootout" two church members were killed and seven law enforcement officers were injured. One church member and one sheriff's deputy would later die of their injuries. The church and its members departed Miracle Valley in early 1983.