East Village church to be resurrected

An East Village church is rebuilding after being burned by both a fire and what the reverend considers an unscrupulous development deal. After a fire rendered the Elim Pentecostal Church unusable in October 2006, the structure is still planning to reopen its doors at 602 East 12th Street on the corner of Avenue B. But the plans come after months of negotiations with a group posing as investors, according to the church’s senior pastor, Reverend Carlos Torres. The alleged investors “were trying to steal the property from the church,” Torres said. “Now, I’m taking them to court.” The building once housed the 800-seat movie spot the Charles Theater, according to the Villager, and the church had been honoring the building’s history by showing films, up until the fire severely damaged its roof.