Allen died of alcoholism and liver failure in a coma at the age of 59 in San Francisco, California, and was buried at his ministry headquarters in Miracle Valley, Arizona.
By the late 1960s, however, music formed an increasingly dominant part of Allen's programs, which was generally performed by African-American singer and choir leader Gene Martin.
[10] After paying a fine without contest in order to avoid terminating his Knoxville meetings which were then in progress, Allen was re-ordained by his "Miracle Revival Fellowship.
He became one of the first evangelists to propagate the prosperity gospel, calling poverty a "spirit" and expounding God's ability to perform miracles financially.
[17]In his television programs, Allen or his ministry associates made frequent mention of the fact that his meetings were racially integrated.
This racial attitude also found its expression in Allen's sermon record album titled, Did God Call the Apostle Paul to Preach the Gospel to the Black Man?
[20] This was also the theme of a book authored by Clarence G. Mitchell and published by Allen's ministry, titled Starving Sheep and Overfed Shepherds (1963).
At a revival meeting on January 1, 1958, in Phoenix, Arizona, recent convert Urbane Leiendecker approached Allen and offered him 1,280 acres (5.2 km2) of land.
A. Allen Revivals, Inc. successfully sued the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)[22] in an attempt to get the government to refund collections of the Federal Insurance Contributions Act taxes for 1958–59.
[3] Don Stewart, his successor, was accused of attempting "to clean up evidence of his mentor's alcoholic binge in a San Francisco hotel before the police arrived".
[28] However, following a twelve-day investigation and an autopsy, the coroner's report concluded Allen died from liver failure brought on by acute alcoholism.
[27] Nonetheless, the activities of the Don Stewart Association were moved to Phoenix, and the Bible college continued to operate in Miracle Valley until 1975.
Initially relations between locals and CMHCC members relocated from Mississippi – both of whom were followers of Allen – were peaceful and in keeping with Allen's theme of racial harmony and integration; however, once the Thomases and the Chicago-based followers moved to Arizona, relations quickly deteriorated, and church members began to isolate themselves and started professing what locals said was an "anti-white doctrine.
"[35][36] CMHCC's doctrine of exclusive use of faith healing resulted in the death of six-year-old Therial Davis, and as many as four additional children.
[3] In September 1982, the Southern Arizona Bible College's main administration building and vast warehouse were destroyed by arson.
[38] Stewart sent multiple donation requests to some people on his 100,000 person mailing list "even though his ministry is not associated with the college and the fire damage was insured.
"[34] According to the press, one of his letters "gave the impression ... the fire had crippled Stewart's ministry" and another purported to include the building's ashes with a request for $200 donations.
[citation needed] However, Stewart forced the Assemblies of God to maintain a Bible college for a minimum of twenty years, or the property would revert to his ministry.
In 1995, exactly twenty years later, the Assemblies of God closed Southern Arizona Bible College and put the campus up for sale.
[40] In 1982, the group had several confrontations with utility workers, neighbors, and eventually law enforcement, culminating in what became known as the Miracle Valley shootout in October 1982, during which two members of the church were killed and multiple sheriff's deputies were injured.
[47] Since his death a number of audio and video recordings of his tent revivals and his meetings at Miracle Valley have been released in various formats.