Bethel Baptist gives pastor deed to parsonage

Since 1975, Reuben Compere and his wife, Karen, have lived in the parsonage at Bethel Baptist Church, Brent, only two miles from the church he has led for nearly 29 years.
   
Earlier this year, the congregation gave their beloved pastor the deed to the home as a symbol of their appreciation for his years of service.
   
“We were thinking about it for a good while with his tenure and the number of years of dedicated service,” said Danny Russell, chairman of deacons and minister of music at the Bibb Association church.
   
“He had been toying with what to do if he chose to retire. Instead of him having to worry about what he would do for a home site when he retired, we would take care of it now,” he said.
   
In a surprise ceremony held after a worship service, Russell and other church members presented the Comperes with the deed to the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home.
   
“I would never in this world think that they would think this much about your ministry no matter how long you have been in a church,” Compere said. “It was humbling and exciting at the same time.”
   
The Comperes were turned down when they tried to purchase the house from the church several years ago. But they were recently told that the church was open to considering another option to help the couple remain in the home.
   
“One of the deacons suggested that we get some kind of living trust between us and the church so that we could live here whether we were pastor or not,” Compere said.
   
During that time, the entire church prayed about the decision to give the couple the home.
   
“It was a unanimous decision throughout deacon body,” Russell said.
   
“I think it was long overdue. Both of them are so well-deserving. They have so many years of faithful service to our church and community,” he said.
   
“Now they have an opportunity to make some changes to the house to make it more to their choosing instead of going through the church to do so.”
   
Since Compere and his wife have  lived in an apartment or pastoral housing throughout their entire marriage, he joked about looking forward to paying homeowner taxes in Alabama.
   
He also looks forward to serving Bethel until he retires.
   
“They have been more than gracious to us in these 29 years,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. It has been more of a blessing to us I think than to them. We call it the Bethel Church family.”