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Anchor: Guy Atchley
Web Producer: Martha Serda

It was one of Arizona's most bizarre stories.  A piece of land that seems to attract what one minister calls the "crazies."  Whatever you call them, they've been coming and going for almost half a century in a quest to revive the ministry that ended in tragedy and disgrace.  It all revolved around a minister who became known as God's man of faith and power.

At one time, A.A. Allen claimed to raise the dead.  But in 1970, Allen died of what a medical examiner called acute alcoholism.  To this day, his son doesn't believe it.  Instead, Paul Allen implies his father may have been assassinated for desegregating his congregations during the tumultuous civil rights years.

Paul Allen, Son of A.A. Allen, "The KKK.  We got so many death threats it was comical."

But Paul Allen is not laughing about what's happened to the empire his father built on Cochise County grassland.  The once grandiose tabernacle has been steadily crumbling for almost half a century, despite the best efforts of some to save it.

Rev. Melvin Harter, "I just wanted to do something to be a blessing to the local community."

Enter the Revered Melvin Harter.  

Rev. Harter, "I heard a voice and the voice simply said to me these words: Go down to Miracle Valley and build my bible college."

Since 1999, Harter says that's what he tried to do, financing the endeavor with a child care center, assisted living home and a Bible College.

But then came the recession, and a  creditor came calling.

When the property went into receivership, a Canadian family -- Gil and Diane Langevin with their son Michael came in, hoping to do what others could not.  All they lacked was the money.

Diane Langevin's interview from February 12, 2012, "We're hoping someone will donate 10 million."

Now it appears the Miracle Valley complex once again could be headed into receivership, with Revered Harter waiting in the wings to make another go of it.

And watching all of this unfold is the son of A.A. Allen.

Paul Allen, "I am fed up with people trying to get wealthy for themselves off my dad's name and reputation."

Paul Allen takes aim at the current family on the property.

Paul Allen, "The Canadians who are there now, they've told so many stories that it's hard to keep up with the what the current one is."

As for for Revered Harter, Allen accused him of using false pretenses to raise money.

Rev. Harter, "It's still off and I did it probably in 2007 but you know I give you a CD with pictures and you'll see that entire section was falling on the floor."

Re. Harter, "I tore that off because it was dangerous you know."

Pal Allen, "There has been at least tens of thousands of dollars, probably hundreds of thousands of dollars donated to fix that."

Rev. Harter,  "You know I don't know where Paul gets his information.  That's all untrue.  There is no truth to that whatsoever."

Allen also questions the existence of a Bible College.

Paul Allen. "He would have somewhere between three or four or five people that he had written up as student."

Guy Atchley,  "I think  some people have wondered whether you really had a Bible College going on there because they didn't see any classes going on."

Re. Harter, "Well we had classes and we have pictures to prove that.  Some people have.  Our Bible School, we probably no more than 28 people at tops, but you really can't bring a lot of students on board when your dormitories are not updated.  Everything there needs a lot of repair, a lot of work, a lot of updating."

Reverend Harter makes no secret of using the Internet to raise money for a Bible College.

Rev. Harter, "But those funds we really haven't gotten anything from that in the last year or so. We are developing an on line Bible College and we're trying to work that up so any donations we would be pushing would be toward the on line."

Rev. Harter, "And how much money have people donated in the time that you have been there since 1999 toward Miracle Valley and all of the enterprises that you have had there.  You know I don't really.  I couldn't tell you how much.  I could say that probably I really don't know the amount."

However, Reverend Harter does know the buildings on the Miracle Valley property are in jeopardy.

Rev. Harter, "The church will be bulldozed.  Most of that will be bulldozed to the ground if someone doesn't go in and salvage it and do something quickly."

And, ironically, the son of the founding minister says, the way things are going, that would be okay with him.

Paul Allen, "I personally rather than to see people like that, what has been down there for the past 10 years bastardize my father, his ministry, his doctrine everything he was and everything he stood for, I'd rather see it bulldozed."

The Langevin Family has until the end of May to come up with the money or the Miracle Valley property may once again go into receivership.