HEREFORD, Ariz. -- An Ohio-based church group has purchased the former Southern Arizona Bible College as its ministry's headquarters.
Melvin Harter Ministries, part of the Church of God, has renamed the campus the Miracle Valley Bible College & Seminary. Its president and founder, the Rev. Melvin Harter, said the college will train pastors, evangelists and missionaries for the Pentecostal church.He said it was to be open by next fall with an international mix of about 100 students. Eventually, the church expects to spend $4 million on expansion and to move its headquarters from Columbus, Ohio, to Arizona.
Hereford is a tiny community about 20 miles southeast of Sierra Vista. In October 1982 the area suffered a riot involving police and members of the Christ Miracle Healing Center and Church. Two church members and one police officer died.
Evangelist A.A. Allen founded Miracle Valley Bible College in 1958. Southern Arizona Bible College purchased the school and ran it from 1976-1995.
"We are actually going back to the same name," Harter said. "This particular area is Miracle Valley, and it has such a strong history of that."