Iglesia Ni Cristo buys 25-hectare 'ghost town' in Connecticut — reports

Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) has acquired another property in the US, this time in the state of Connecticut.

The church purchased Johnsonville Village in East Haddam, a former mill community turned into a 25-hectare tourist attraction that has been abandoned for 20 years.

Connecticut news outfit Hartfourt Courant revealed that INC paid $1.85 million  — over P93.7 million — for the abandoned property.

The church in 2011 shelled out $700,000 for another abandoned town in South Dakota.

INCTV Church News Weekend on Saturday reported that INC acquired the property during the first week of July, with INC General Auditor Glicerio Santos Jr. leading the contract signing.

According to Santos, Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo found the property online and found that it aligned with his ongoing campaign against poverty.

"Kinakampaniya ng ating tagapamahala 'yong paglaban sa kahirapan," Santos said. "Alam natin sa Amerika ay talagang may krisis ng kahirapan, kaya gusto ng Kapatid na Eduardo Manalo na 'yong ating mga Kapatid ay makinabang sa mga eco-farming natin."

The newly acquired land includes 14 Victorian Era-inspired houses, two warehouses, and one church.

East Haddam Mayor and First Selectman Emmett Lyman in the INCTV Church News Weekend report expressed his excitement in seeing the abandoned village come to life again.

INC spokesperson Edwil Zabala in a text message to GMA News Online on Tuesday confirmed the reports.

"The Iglesia Ni Cristo is the new owner of Johnsonville, Connecticut, USA. The INC paid almost 1.9 million dollars for the 62 acre town," Zabala said. "The INC took ownership of Johnsonville in the first week of July 2017."

"Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, INC Executive Minister, envisions Johnsonville as a future site of INC activities in the Northeaster Seaboard of the United States. The INC, which currently has three congregations in Connecticut, is found in 138 countries and territories around the world," he stated further. — AT/LA/KG, GMA News