Death of James L. Compton

Thanks for the link Joseph. I didn't know Bro. Compton, but had heard of him.

 

Thank you for posting this Bro. Joseph.

Bro. pinoybaptist knew Elder Compton very well.

Unfortunately, I never had the pleasure to meet him, but many ministers in this area, and all over the country, have spoken very highly of his preaching ability and his personal character over the years. There is a very interesting story about him fixing General Omar Bradley's watch before he let out for D-Day. Elder Compton operated a watch/clock shop in D.C. and General Bradley needed his watch fixed. Elder Compton told him it could not be fixed in time for the General to leave out, so Elder Compton lent his own watch to General Bradley during the WWII invasion.

That is one of the many interesting stories I've heard told of Elder Compton over the years.

As near as I can tell, he was the oldest living Primitive Baptist preacher, and he was still preaching half hour sermons into this year.

If I am able to preach the gospel half as long as Elder Compton, I would consider it a priviledge.

Primitive Baptists have suffered a great loss in his death, but Elder Compton has finally realized the dream that he preached for so many decades.

May God grant us all the same liberty to boldly approach the throne of grace.

Bro. James

 

At his blog, Bro. Chris Crouse has a couple of posts on Bro. Compton:

http://ledbyanunknownway.blogspot.com

 

I have had the privilege of knowing Elder Compton.
We have washed each other's feet several times.
He is a very gentle spirit, with nothing negative to say or think of anyone.
When his wife Becie passed away, he gave me her pair of hearing aids (I'm a little hard of hearing), and spent a thousand dollars of his own personal money for it to be modified for my ears.
I joined the church in January of 1999, when Elder Compton was about 94 years old and the sight of him riding on a tractor mowing the grass right along with us youngers is something that is indelibly etched in my mind.

At his house in DC, you can see the evidence of a hardworking, industrious soul when you go down to the basement. He made clocks, and was never happier than when he can gift a brother with one.

Nothing made him happier than for the church to come to his house and sing hymns and discuss Scripture.

I thank Elder Bloyd, pastor of The Bel Air church in Maryland, for being so kind to this brother, taking care of him, and taking him all over the South to preach. Elder Bloyd has made Elder Compton happy and comforted in his last years. Elder Compton missed his wife Becie, and would often talk about the times when he would be up in the roof of their house fixing the roof and Becie right alongside him, or passing him what he neeeded from below.

He often shared with us that story about General Bradley. It seems after the war, the General did come, returned the watch, and got back his own, which Elder Compton fixed.

Another story I remember is one that Elder Bloyd told us, when he and Elder Compton went visiting one of the oldest clockmakers in I think one of these Texas or Georgia towns they were visiting, and how the proprietor, a lot younger than Elder Compton, remarked "ya'll gotta be careful when workin' round them thar machines cuz ya'll kin end up gittin' yer fingers cut" and Elder Compton saying, "oh, yes, that is so true", waggin a cut right index finger for emphasis, but never saying he cut it in one of his own machines.

I love this brother, very much.

 

I heard Elder Jim preach many times at Columbia Church during the 70s and 80s.
God Bless You, Brother.

 

Very sad news , I too knew Elder Compton well. He performed the wedding ceremony for myself and my wife. I also had the pleasure to visit in his home and at Columbia church many times over the years. If any man ever had a work of grace performed, surely it was Jim Compton.

Jeff