[7] The Arizona Republic reports that "his ministry, the Don Stewart Association, operates out of a nondescript warehouse in an industrial park near Interstate 17.
The church, which had a strict and insular doctrine, and its 300 members had several confrontations with utility workers, neighbors, and eventually law enforcement, resulting in what became known as the Miracle Valley shootout.
In 1982, Miracle Valley's main administration building and vast warehouse were set on fire by arson, which resulted in the total destruction of the facilities.
[18] 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.
"[19] 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.
[12][19] The Don Stewart Association controls "Feed My People," the "Southwest Indian Children's Fund",[20] and "Miracle Life Fellowship International" (with offices in the Philippines).
"[27][28] In 1993, The Washington Post reported, "Feed My People International, an arm of the Don Stewart Association (a church)," sends "Prospective donors get heart-rending letters on behalf of starving children, with virtually no facts about where and how the money is distributed.
"[29] Then, in 1997, The Business Journal reported that the Internal Revenue Service was investigating Stewart's organization for mail fraud concerning high salaries and an $8 million annual income.
[32] In 1998, the Washington Post reported that Don Stewart's "followings all but disappeared after investigations," but he has "joined dozens of other preachers to become fixtures on BET.
"[33] Consequently, Stewart, along with Peter Popoff and Robert Tilton, received "criticism from those who say that preachers with a long trail of disillusioned followers have no place on a network that holds itself out as a model of entrepreneurship for the black community.
[43] The paper revealed Stewart's association spent the bulk of its money on salaries and expenses such as a Hummer H2 and $80,000 for a tract of farmland in Montana, purchased from the family of a hunger charity's president.