Compassion Toledo & Calvary Bible Chapel Became One: Compassion at Calvary
By Dr. Linda Alvarado-Arce
In late 2017, Pastor James M. (Mike) Brewer, Jr. had become discouraged that his church, Bible Temple Family Worship Center, Inc., had plateaued and was decreasing in attendance. Pastor Mike was ready to resign or retire until he heard about Compassion/Vida Church and the success that they were having. After attending a meeting in Dickson, Tennessee, Pastor Mike brought his vision of merging Compassion/Vida Church with Bible Temple Family Worship Center, Inc. to an annual church business meeting. And by March of 2018, the two churches were working together and following the Compassion system.
By January of 2019, the Executive Board would give Bible Temple Family Worship Center, Inc. the authority to decide if they want to change their name to Compassion Church, and by April of 2019 the Executive Board would vote to change the name of the church on Airport Highway: Bible Temple Family Worship Center Inc., to Bible Temple Family Worship Center Inc. DBA (“Doing Business As”) Compassion Toledo in September 2019.
This first merger began after Pastor Mike met with Pastor Chaz D. Boes one snowy wintery night in the University of Toledo’s Health Science Campus, formally the Medical College of Ohio’s, parking lot as both pastors had come to pray for the same person. Pastor Brewer asked Pastor Boes to pray with him, and as the snow was falling and the temperature quite cold, Pastor Brewer said that God spoke to him and told him that “Pastor Boes was to the be pastor of Compassion Toledo,” and he immediately said yes to God.
During this time, God was also speaking to Pastor Boes. Following God’s words, Pastor Boes called Pastor Brewer, who set up a meeting on July 4, 2022, to bring his Compassion/Vida congregation that had outgrown their facility to Bible Temple Family Worship Center. The two churches, with the same mission and the same doctrinal statements, became one on August 7, 2022. Under the ministry of Pastor (Bishop) Chaz D. Boes the church on Airport Highway would continue with the Compassion model, his evangelistic and apostolic ministry, and would explode in growth with a Day Care, Mental Health Ministry, food pantry, missions, and a Latinx newspaper called La Prensa, Inc,
Then by the beginning of 2025, it was evident that the church had to have an even larger facility. So, Bishop Boes and Pastor Brewer began praying again and looking for a larger facility. But God, as always, had a plan. The plan would include a third church, Calvary Bible Chapel of Toledo. Calvary Bible Chapel of Toledo had the space they needed, but they needed an evangelistic apostolic pastor and a larger congregation. As a result, on August 3, 2025, the congregation of Calvary Bible Chapel and Compassion Toledo became one church and changed their name to Compassion at Calvary. Compassion at Calvary is located at 3740 W. Alexis Rd., Toledo, Ohio, and everyone is welcomed!
Compasión Toledo y Calvary Bible Chapel se Unieron: Compasión en el Calvario
Por la Dra. Linda Alvarado-Arce
A finales de 2017, el pastor James M. (Mike) Brewer, Jr. se sentía desanimado porque su iglesia, Bible Temple Family Worship Center, Inc., se había estancado y su asistencia estaba disminuyendo. El pastor Mike estaba a punto de renunciar o jubilarse hasta que se enteró de la iglesia Compasión/Vida y del éxito que estaban teniendo. Después de asistir a una reunión en Dickson, Tennessee, el pastor Mike presentó su visión de fusionar la iglesia de Compasión/Vida Church con Bible Temple Family Worship Center, Inc. en una reunión anual de negocios de la iglesia. En marzo de 2018, ambas iglesias se juntaron y seguían el sistema Compasión. Para enero de 2019, la Junta Ejecutiva autorizó a Bible Temple Family Worship Center, Inc. a decidir si quería cambiar su nombre a Compasión. Para abril de 2019, la Junta Ejecutiva votó para cambiar el nombre de la iglesia ubicada en Airport Highway: Bible Temple Family Worship Center Inc., a Bible Temple Family Worship Center Inc., operando como Compasión Toledo en septiembre de 2019.
Esta primera fusión comenzó después de que el pastor Mike se reuniera con el Pastor Chaz D. Boes una noche nevada en el estacionamiento del Campus de Ciencias y Salud de la Universidad de Toledo, anteriormente el Colegio Médico de Ohio, ya que ambos pastores habían venido a orar por la misma persona. El Pastor Brewer le pidió al Pastor Boes que orara con él, y mientras nevaba y hacía bastante frío, el Pastor Brewer comentó que Dios le habló y le dijo que “el Pastor Boes sería el pastor de Compasión Toledo,” e inmediatamente le dijo que sí.
Durante este tiempo, Dios también le hablaba al Pastor Boes. Siguiendo la palabra de Dios, el Pastor Boes llamó al Pastor Brewer, quien programó una reunión el 4 de julio de 2022 para traer su congregación Compasión/Vida al Centro de Adoración Familiar Bible Temple. Las dos iglesias, con la misma misión y las mismas declaraciones doctrinales, se unieron el 7 de agosto de 2022. Bajo el ministerio del Pastor (Obispo) Chaz D. Boes, la iglesia en el Airport Highway continuaría con el modelo de Compasión, su ministerio evangelístico y apostólico, y experimentaría un crecimiento explosivo con una guardería, un ministerio de salud mental, un banco de alimentos, misiones, y un periódico latino llamado La Prensa, Inc.
A principios de 2025, era evidente que la iglesia necesitaba unas instalaciones aún más grandes. Así que el Obispo Boes y el Pastor Brewer comenzaron a orar de nuevo y a buscar unas instalaciones más grandes. Pero Dios, como siempre, tenía un plan. Este incluiría una tercera iglesia: Calvary Bible Chapel de Toledo. La Capilla Bíblica Calvario de Toledo contaba con el espacio necesario, pero necesitaba un pastor apostólico evangelista y una congregación más grande. Como resultado, el 3 de agosto de 2025, la congregación de la Capilla Bíblica Calvario y Compasión Toledo se unieron y cambiaron su nombre a Compasión at Calvary. Compasión at Calvary se encuentra en 3740 W. Alexis Rd., Toledo, Ohio, y todos son invitados!