1. Why does PTBC exist?

PTBC exists to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ (Ephesians 3:8).

As one local expression of the global body of Christ, by God’s grace we seek to herald the good news (gospel) of the sinless Savior who died and rose again to save everyone in every nation who repents and trusts in him, our witness being the overflow of fellowship with God and with each other. We likewise endeavor to help each other live lives of personal and relational godliness, thereby commending the truth of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the watching world. With the Holy Spirit’s help, we aim to be gracious in our character and conduct, and uncompromising in our commitment to Scripture. 

2. Why plant a church in this area?

What is most important about PTBC are the things we have in common with every other genuinely Christian church, and we look forward to partnering with other Bible-believing churches for Great Commission purposes, especially in prayer and evangelism. At the same time, we believe that as an elder-led congregational and baptistic church, intentionally teaching the Bible from a Reformed/Calvinistic doctrinal perspective, PTBC makes a unique contribution to Plymouth Township and the surrounding area.

3. What does PTBC believe a local church is?

There are various ways to describe what a local church is. One shorter definition is that a church is a group of baptized Christians who gather regularly to proclaim the gospel (through preaching), portray the gospel (through the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper), protect the gospel (through meaningful membership and restorative church discipline), and praise the Lord of the gospel (through worship). We also find the following definition helpful:

A local church is a group of baptized Christians who regularly gather in Christ’s name to worship the triune God and to officially affirm and oversee one another’s membership in Jesus Christ and his kingdom through gospel preaching and gospel ordinances.

4. What do members of PTBC believe?

A statement of faith is like glue that binds members of a church together. Historically, churches have used statements of faith to summarize biblical teaching and clearly identify their core doctrine. PTBC uses a slightly revised version of the New Hampshire Confession of Faith (1853), which shows that we are a historically Christian, Protestant/evangelical, and Baptist church.

5. What are the core distinctives of PTBC?

Distinctives of PTBC include: expositional preaching, historic baptist ecclesiology, Reformed/Calvinistic soteriology, meaningful membership and restorative church discipline, elder-led congregationalism, one unified assembly, biblically oriented public worship, and church-centered missions and evangelism. These distinctives are helpfully explained here.

6. What commitment do PTBC members make to one another?

While our statement of faith summarizes what we believe, our church covenant summarizes how we commit to relate to each other as members of the same local body. Our acceptance of this covenant follows the practice of believers throughout the centuries who have pledged to God and one another to live out the gospel in community.

7. How is PTBC led?

PTBC is led by biblically qualified male elders, as described in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. The ministry of elders is to shepherd the flock, primarily through prayer and the faithful teaching of God’s Word (Acts 6:4). Guiding the congregation as servant leaders who intentionally, personally, and prayerfully disciple and care for the church’s members is the heartbeat of what PTBC elders are called to do. Those who serve as deacons, the other biblically sanctioned office in a local church, help meet practical needs and cultivate unity, enabling elders to focus centrally on shepherding the congregation. 

8. What do children do during the corporate worship service?

Children of all ages are welcome to stay in the corporate worship service— distractions and all! We intend to eventually have kids’ Bible classes available, but from the beginning we want to cultivate a church culture that lovingly welcomes children: helping them regularly hear the gospel, interact with people being transformed by the gospel, and witness a congregation characterized by reverent joy in God, devoted to worshipping him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). 

9. When and where does PTBC meet for corporate worship?

PTBC meets at Ivywood Classical Academy on Sunday mornings. Our prayer meeting begins at 9:00 a.m., and public worship at 10:00 a.m. Ivywood is located at M-14 & Beck Road. Ivywood’s street address is 14345 Genoa Ct, Plymouth, MI 48170. 

10. When is the midweek meeting?

We gather at Ivywood on Wednesday evenings from 7:00-8:15 p.m. for Bible study and prayer. During this time, we typically work through a book of the Bible two or three verses at a time, writing them on a large whiteboard for discussion. We conclude each session with a time of prayer together. 

11. Does PTBC belong to any associations of churches?

PTBC belongs to The Pillar Network and is in the process of joining the Association of Churches for Missions & Evangelism (ACME). 

12. Who can I contact for more information?

Scott Belsley - 248-222-3831 - scott.j.belsley@gmail.com

Doug Cousino - 704-712-0631 - dscousino@fastmail.fm

Tony Dattilio - 734-845-6506 - tonydattilio@gmail.com