THE man behind a sprawling Christian 'mini village' which was gifted £15million (€16.9m) by now insolvent Wrightbus told his flock God was footing the bill for the building.

Pastor Jeff Wright faces protests on Sunday after 1,200 workers at the Ballymena manufacturing firm were laid off.

Pastor Jeff Wright Credit: Pacemaker Press

Workers at Wrightbus face an uncertain future Credit: Pacemaker Press

Boris Johnson during a visit to the Wrightbus Chassis plant in Antrim Credit: PA:Press Association

Green Pastures Church in Galgorm Credit: Pacemaker Press

Questions over why so much was pumped into the 97-acre Green Pastures charity project, currently underway on the outskirts of the town, have been raised.

Wrightbus went into administration on Wednesday after efforts by the family-owned firm to stay afloat were unsuccessful.

In two sermons in 2016 Wright, 54, the son of Wrightbus co-founder William Wright, told an 850 strong congregation that Green Pastures needed completed because "the world is ending".

He urged them to help find 400 new members for the emerging evangelical super-church at Ballee saying "Jesus is coming" and no seats should be empty.

Wright said: "I don't think you know the size of the church that you're about to build. Honestly. You only think you know. But when you see it, see when the steel goes up?

"You need to understand. And here's the thing — God will finance all of this, incredibly. Millions, millions.

"It's just not possible. Without any businesses or without any Asda's or anything like that, finance it all – why? Because it's his will."

WRIGHTBUS TALKS

Wrightbus had been in trouble over recent months after orders, largely from within the UK, dried up amid local government budget cuts and technological changes.

A number of potential buyers entered talks but failed causing the grim news for workers earlier this week.

The Irish Sun understands one key player is "still in the game" and local sources say behind-the-scenes talks are ongoing.

In the event that works out, it is believed almost all of the 1,200 jobs could be salvaged to work on contracts for zero emission double-deckers in South America.

However the picture remained uncertain last night with axed employees demanding to know why so much profit had been pumped into a Christian project.

Hundreds are expected to protest outside Wright's church on Sunday.

They are set to demand to know why £15million went from the firm to the Christian mini-village, Project Gateway, led by Green Pastures boss Jeff Wright, over the past six years.

Founded in 1946, Wrightbus was in profit for decades as it sold state-of-the-art buses worldwide.

It opened plants in Singapore, Hong Kong and India and, under then-London Mayor Boris Johnson, supplied the UK capital's Routemasters.

With the Wrightbus coffers full, millions were moved from The Cornerstone Group — the firm’s parent company — to Green Pastures after a site was sourced in 2012.

'THESE THINGS NEED TO COME OUT'

The company said it was in line with the business's "commitment to Christian, evangelical and other charitable activities".

Former Ballymena Utd forward Jeff Wright had been a director of his family's firm between 1999 and 2014 and remains the majority shareholder.

Building has been underway at the Project Gateway site for a complex which would include a car showroom, social housing, restaurants, student campus, recording studio, nursing home, pitches and a church.

Accounts to April 2018 reveal the project had £18.35million (€20.7m) in funds and an income of £4.3million(€4.8m) in the previous 12 months.

It is understood the Wright family dug deep from other resources and had pumped millions into the firm to try to save the jobs.

North Antrim MP Ian Paisley said how the firm spent any of its dividends was its own business.

Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy said: "I think all these things need to come out in the wash."

In 2016 Pastor Wright urged support for Brexit saying the EU was an emerging "Babylon".

Speaking just days ahead of the referendum, he told churchgoers: "We need to pray that we come out of this thing. I'm serious tonight."

He said "God is my provider" before adding: "Church, I don't know about you but I don't want my sons and my daughters inside of that (the EU).

"If we're part of this there will come a day they will make you bow the knee and plead to Allah as your God and if you refuse you will lose your head."