Port-Harcourt-based Salvation Ministries is now the proud owner of an expensive church building in the United States.
General overseer, Pastor David Ibiyeomie, said the church building was acquired by the grace of God for just $10 (approximately N5,000). The church was also asked to donate $1,000 to a charity organisation.
The building, formerly owned by Called Central Baptist Church, is located in Alabama’s city of Birmingham and was insured for $7 million.
“The property has been an integral part of the community for decades and comprises of three floors, fully equipped with an institutional kitchen that can prepare meals for 1,000 people at a time,” it was reported on Sunday, citing a video shared by Salvation Ministries.
“It has two sanctuaries; the first can seat 750 to 900 people (with two floors) and the second sanctuary seats 250 to 350 people.
“The property comprises of two massive buildings joined together and both have three floors. The total number of rooms is 27 to 32. It has an administrative section which has a pastor’s office and a section for a secretary and offices for staff.
“It has over nine lavatories and state of the art indoor gymnasium in the middle of the building which is large enough to seat up to 500 or more people and is furnished to host two basketball teams in a game. It also has changing rooms.
“Behind the sanctuary, there is a customized area for indoor baptism with views from the sanctuary. It has several rooms for children ministry, game rooms for entertainment, cloakrooms for choir members, a library, multiple storage rooms, a prayer room, over four grand pianos (top quality), three external entrances and parking for members, around the church premises.
“There is also a plot of land that can be used to erect a live-in quarter in future. The property was insured for a monetary value of seven million USD. The building itself has a square footage of 51,000 square ft.
“The previous mayor of the city of Tarrant, the Honourable Loxcil B. Tuck, was the mayor for 16 years (longest-serving female mayor in the history of the state of Alabama) until she retired in 2020. She was one of the trustees of Central Baptist Church in Tarrant.
“In 2020, she and the trustees of the church where she has worshipped for over 40 years decided that the time had come for them to hand the church to a faith-based and Bible-believing church that would take it over and use it for the glory of God to reach out and make great impact in the city of Birmingham and state of Alabama.
“They unanimously decided to reach out to Billy Graham Ministries who they have so much respect for based on the impact of the ministry globally. When they reached out to Billy Graham Ministries, they were elated and appreciative but surprisingly, after talking amongst themselves, they decided that they would rather hand the building to another ministry that has great integrity and one that preaches and lives by the undiluted Word of God.
“They decided that the only ministry that fits the description is no other than Salvation Ministries under the leadership of Pastor David Ibiyeomie. The only condition given was for Salvation Ministries to make a one-time donation of $1,000 to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
“They reached out to Salvation Ministries and the Trustees of Central Baptist Church obliged them and by the favour of God, things moved quickly since October 2021 and on the 22nd of December 2021, the ownership of the property was transferred to Salvation Ministries with Pastor David Ibiyeomie, Billy Graham Ministries and the church trustees in attendance.
“Salvation Ministries paid only a symbolic token of $10 for the building. This building came by the favour of God alone and to Him alone be all the glory and praise in Jesus’s name.”
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