CORNERSTONE BAPTIST CHURCH trustees donate their church building and land to River of Life Church of Fairfield. Pictured are: l-r, Cornerstone trustees J.D. and Joyce Teague, Margaret Drinkard, trustee Waverly Drinkard, River of Life pastor Bubba Rutherford and church members Don Kent, Roger Wilson and Lissa and Zacharia Smith. River of Life Church in Fairfield received something akin to a gift from Heaven last week when it received the title to Cornerstone Baptist Church and accompanying five acres for a new home.

"There is no reason they had to do this," River of Life pastor Bubba Rutherford says. "It's amazing. That's God."

Title to the church and property was signed over Friday afternoon, cementing a relationship the two churches started building more than a year ago.

Cornerstone was founded in 1989, built a facility in 1991, and added on to that facility.

Membership in the church, however, has declined as worshippers aged through the years to the point it had gotten hard to maintain the facility, and justify its use by fewer people.

River of Life, on the other hand, is a newer church with a healthy number of young members.

"We have a lot of youth," Rutherford says, pointing out that they recently hired a fulltime youth minister.

Rutherford founded the church in January 2002—- the first worship meeting was at a used car dealership office—-and it has grown to active membership of about 100 members at Sunday services, and about 70 at Wednesday evening services.

"This is our fourth move," the pastor says.

The church moved from the car lot office to a retail space in a strip shopping area in Fairfield and then into a building that formerly housed Brookshire Brothers supermarket on E. Commerce Street.

Rutherford reports that the present church facility also was donated.

River of Life and Cornerstone started working together more than a year ago with the newer church using Cornerstone facilities for special services, such as baptisms.

The Cornerstone facility includes a sanctuary, classrooms, fellowship hall and offices.

"Our first service is going to be Easter Sunday," Rutherford says.

River of Life has been holding Wednesday even- ing activities at the Cornerstone facility for awhile and at 10:30 a.m. this Sunday will conduct a special farewell and remembrance service at its present location.

In addition to traditional church functions, River of Life operates a community food pantry which will remain in place at the old supermarket building.

"We felt like they have major outreach programs we could get involved in," Cornerstone trustee and treasurer J.D. Teague says. "Our way to be involved is to provide space."

Cornerstone trustees Teague, Joyce Teague and Waverly Drinkard officially signed over title in a brief ceremony. Also attending were Margaret Drinkard and River of Life representitives Rutherford, Don Kent, Roger Wilson and Lissa Smith.