A Family of Faith on Church Street
First Presbyterian Church of Plymouth, often shortened to FPCP, stands at 701 Church Street in Plymouth, Michigan, the very street for which the church is named. A congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA), FPCP calls itself a family of faith called to celebrate God's message of love and forgiveness in Jesus Christ, guided by the living Word of God and led by the Holy Spirit to reach out with hearts and hands to those in need.
The church's identity is shaped by two Sunday morning services that draw different kinds of worshippers into the same building, a deep musical tradition, a history stretching back nearly two centuries, and an unusually wide circle of mission partnerships that reaches from Plymouth to Detroit to Malawi, Africa. Visitors who walk through the doors encounter a congregation that takes its Reformed heritage seriously while remaining warm and accessible to newcomers.
Two Sunday Morning Services, Two Musical Worlds
FPCP holds two Sunday morning services each week, both in the same building but with distinctly different musical and stylistic characters. Both services are available for livestream and offer nursery care.
At 9:30 AM, the Sanctuary service gathers in the main sanctuary for a traditional service of worship. Music for the Sanctuary is led by the Chancel Choir, the Joyful Ringers Handbell Choir, and guest soloists, with Sue Scott at the organ and Sharon Smith serving as assistant organist and accompanist. The choral repertoire draws on classical sacred works, oratorio masterworks, and contemporary favorites, and the Chancel Choir welcomes singers from surrounding communities in addition to church members. During the school year, children are invited to attend the beginning of the 9:30 service with their families and are dismissed to Sunday School after the children's message.
At 11:15 AM, the Upper Room service offers an acoustic contemporary style in a more informal, contemplative setting. Music is led by Chris DuPont, Director of Upper Room Worship and Creative Arts, and Kylee Phillips, the Upper Room Vocalist and Accompanist, a vocal duo who accompany themselves on piano and acoustic guitar. Their repertoire mixes contemporary praise, modern worship music, traditional hymns, and original compositions drawn from their own work as songwriters and performers on the Midwest music circuit. The Upper Room service is designed to be invitational and inclusive, a space where attendees can encounter God in a reflective but joy-filled atmosphere.
Additional seating is available in the chapel for those who prefer a quieter setting, and both services are livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook for those worshipping from home.
What to Expect as a First-Time Visitor
Visitors enter from Church Street, where parking is available behind the building, and are encouraged to use the parking lot entrance. The church provides accessible parking spots, accessible bathrooms, ramps, and an elevator to navigate the building, making both worship services fully accessible to people who use mobility devices or who simply prefer to avoid stairs.
Nursery care is offered at both the 9:30 and 11:15 services for children from infancy through age three, and Sunday School for children ages four through fifth grade is offered during the 9:30 service during the school year. Children are always welcome at any service, and during the summer months the church invites children to remain in worship with their families; worship bags filled with faith-based activities are available as worshippers enter both the Sanctuary and Upper Room services.
The dress code is relaxed. Visitors are invited to come as they are, whether casual or dressed up. The office can be reached at 734-453-6464 ext. 115 from Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and on Fridays from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and visitors who want to introduce themselves to a pastor can do so through a simple online form that goes directly to either Rev. Emily Riley Campbell or Rev. Ashley S. Ashley.
What FPCP Believes
FPCP is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and upholds the central tenets of the Reformed faith: the sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture, justification by grace through faith, and the ministry of all believers. The church is governed by a combination of laity and clergy, women and men alike, following the Presbyterian model of shared leadership.
Five core values shape the congregation's life and mission. FPCP is Christ-centered, focused in its worship, mission, fellowship, and study on the saving work of Jesus Christ. It is mission minded, following the directive of Acts 1:8 to be witnesses of Christ in the local community, across the United States, and around the world, with deep rather than wide partnerships. It is growing in faith, committed to providing educational and mission opportunities for all ages. It is cultivating community, strengthening fellowship within the congregation while engaging the wider Plymouth community. And it is serving out of strengths, helping each member identify and use the gifts and talents God has given them.
The congregation's vision statement summarizes this calling: "We are a family of faith, called to celebrate God's message of love and forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Guided by the living Word of God, we nurture one another through worship, prayer, teaching and fellowship. Led by the Holy Spirit, we reach out with hearts and hands to those in need, seeking to inspire hope in an ever-changing community and world."
A History Dating to 1835
First Presbyterian Church of Plymouth was officially organized in July 1835 as the Second Presbyterian Church of Plymouth with the calling of its first minister, the Rev. A.M. McJunkin. Members had been gathering in people's homes for about two years before that, beginning in 1833, as they talked about starting a new church in the community.
The original church building was constructed in 1846, and in 1886 the congregation was renamed First Presbyterian Church of Plymouth. In 1936, a fire destroyed the church building; remarkably, the only items left untouched by the flames were the Bible and the lectern on which it stood.
The Presbyterian Thrift Shop opened its doors in 1950 and has been a community fixture ever since. In 1985, Samuel Hudson published a 150th anniversary history of the church, copies of which remain available in the church library. The building grew again in 2002 with the addition of an Education Wing and the Upper Room worship space, and in 2003 the Memorial Garden and Columbarium were added to the grounds.
The church's mission footprint expanded in 2007 with the start of a partnership with Colina de Luz Christian Home for Children in Mexico, and in 2009 the Upper Room service was launched to reach those seeking a more contemporary worship style. In 2010, FPCP became formal partners with Mtenthera CCAP, a rural Presbyterian church in Kamphata, Malawi. In 2019, the Rev. Emily Riley Campbell was called as the church's 35th Senior Minister. The following year, 2020, the congregation adapted to a worldwide pandemic by recording services at home and offering outdoor parking lot services, practices that have continued alongside the in-person return to worship.
The Building and the Memorial Garden
The church building at 701 Church Street has grown and adapted with the congregation over nearly two centuries. The original 1846 structure was replaced after the 1936 fire, and major additions in 2002 created the Education Wing and the Upper Room worship space. The building is fully accessible, with ramps, an elevator, accessible parking spots, and accessible bathrooms, allowing visitors and members to move easily between floors.
Just outside the building, the Memorial Garden offers a place of beauty, peace, and serenity filled with plantings, benches, and a tiered fountain. It is open to anyone who wishes to visit for meditation, prayer, or quiet reflection. The garden also contains a Cenotaph Wall, where people buried elsewhere can be memorialized, and a Columbarium, where ashes in urns can be placed in niches as a final resting place. Members and their families may purchase sites in either feature as part of their estate planning.
Christian Education for Every Age
FPCP's Christian Education ministry is built on a four-part framework: Engage children and teenagers in Christ, Equip them to be disciples, Empower them to do God's will, and Embrace the community because every child is created in the image of God. Programs span from infancy through adulthood.
The Nursery, led by Nursery Coordinator Terrine Boyd and overseen by Director of Children's Ministry Laura Craig, welcomes children from infancy through age three at both Sunday services. Cleanliness is a priority, with toys and surfaces disinfected between services.
Sunday School for children ages four through fifth grade meets during the 9:30 service from September through May in Room 41. Each week, children learn a Bible verse, create a craft, and play interactive games, journeying through the Old and New Testaments and discovering friendship with Jesus. Two to three adults are present in every classroom, and all volunteers are background checked. During the summer, children worship with their families and use the available worship bags.
Vacation Bible School takes place each summer as a week-long program for children entering kindergarten through fifth grade. Mornings are filled with Christ-centered stories, music, crafts, games, and snacks, all built around a single theme. The church is transformed into a children's wonderland, and children of all ages from preschoolers to senior citizens work together throughout the week.
The Youth Ministry, led by Director of Youth Ministry Patrick Tyrrell, serves middle school students in grades six through eight and high school students in grades nine through twelve. Both groups meet regularly on Sunday afternoons in the Youth Room on the lower level. The ministry's mission is to give students a place to belong, to develop their faith in Jesus right where they are, and to find opportunities to serve brothers and sisters in need.
Confirmation Class is a nine-month weekly program for students, typically during their eighth grade year, that precedes the decision to claim faith as one's own and become a full member of the church. Classes are assembled when a substantial number of students are ready to participate, with the next class anticipated to begin in September 2027. Confirmation Leaders Doug and Julie Heasley guide students through questions about faith, doubt, the meaning of being created in God's image, and how to live out their beliefs through worship, study, prayer, fellowship, service, and mission.
A Youth Mission Trip is planned each year, offering students the chance to serve God's children locally, nationally, or internationally and laying a foundation for their adult faith lives.
Adult Life-Long Learning at FPCP includes a wide range of Bible studies for every schedule. Continuing the Word meets Sunday evenings in the Chapel with a Zoom option. Listening to Jesus, Responding in Faith meets Sunday evenings on Zoom. Early Word meets Wednesday mornings on Zoom. Women of the Word meets Wednesday mornings in person and via Zoom. Saturday Morning Men's Bible Study meets in the Hearth Room with a Zoom option. Women's Thursday Evening Bible Study meets in the Hearth Room. The Family Group gathers monthly between the two Sunday services, with children in supervised activities and adults discussing the sermon topic. Presbyterian Women also offer Lunch and a Book on the first Wednesday of each month and the PW Horizons Monthly Bible Study on the second Tuesday evening.
The church library holds approximately 700 books, including commentaries, church history, theology, devotionals, fiction, and children's books, available for checkout by both members and visitors.
Music Ministry in Full Voice
Music is one of the most visible expressions of FPCP's worship life. The music ministry is overseen by Sanctuary Music Director Jeff Swan and Sanctuary Music Coordinator Kim Swan, both of whom have been members of the Chancel Choir since 2010. Jeff holds a Bachelor of Music from Central Michigan University and brings decades of choral experience and study with noted directors including the late Dr. Jerry Smith, after whom one of the church's endowment funds is named.
The Chancel Choir leads music at the 9:30 Sanctuary service, with a choral season that runs from September through May. Rehearsals take place on Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00 PM in the Upper Room. The choir welcomes singers from the wider community and gives concerts throughout the year, including an annual Spring Choir Concert.
The Joyful Ringers handbell choir, directed by Sue Scott, rehearses on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in Room 137. The ability to read music is helpful but not required. The handbell choir performs monthly during worship services and at special events, handbell workshops, and festivals.
The Upper Room's musical voice comes from Chris DuPont and Kylee Phillips, who lead worship with piano and acoustic guitar. Both are active songwriters and performers who also serve other churches and events across the Midwest.
Children's Music Ministry is directed by Carole Moon and gives children the opportunity during Sunday School to learn traditional Bible songs and prepare to perform in worship on special occasions throughout the year. The highlight of the year is the Christmas Pageant each December, when PreK through fifth graders sing Christmas carols and act out the Nativity story.
Caring for One Another
FPCP places a strong emphasis on caring for its own members through its Congregational Care ministries.
The Board of Deacons is a body of eighteen members serving staggered three-year terms whose role is to demonstrate God's love for His people by caring for the church family, assisting in worship, and engaging in outreach. Among the Deacon activities are Comfort Care Kits for those experiencing bereavement, illness, or depression; Christmas Card Display; clothing and food drives; College Care Gift Cards sent to students at exam time; funeral greeters; greeting card ministry; Red Cross Blood Drives; Salvation Army Angel Tree; bell ringing; the Unsung Hero Award; and many other expressions of care.
Suppers of Support is a volunteer team that prepares and delivers meals to anyone finding meal preparation a challenge, whether due to a death in the family, a birth, or an illness. Volunteer cooks are always welcome, and the team is coordinated through Pastor Ashley and Deacon Chair Linda Baric.
The Prayer Shawl Ministry is a circle of knitters and crocheters who create shawls to wrap those in need of comfort in God's love. Each shawl begins and ends with prayer and blessings for the recipient. Shawls are given to people undergoing medical procedures, recovering from illness or loss, experiencing stress or bereavement, or celebrating a marriage or the birth of a child. The group meets on the third Tuesday of the month from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in the Hearth Room, September through May.
Threads to Heal the Heart is the church's prayer quilt ministry, established in 2001. Members create quilts for anyone experiencing illness, depression, grief, or other serious situations, and the quilts have been given both locally and internationally. The group meets on the fourth Monday of each month from 12:30 to 3:30 PM in Room 134, and many opportunities exist for volunteers who press, cut, piece, assemble, hand stitch, or scrapbook.
Building and Grounds is an all-volunteer group with a wide variety of construction and building management skills. They meet on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 9:00 AM in the basement office to assign work projects, and they also offer a Handyman Service for members needing help with small home repairs that don't require more than a six-foot ladder or fifty pounds of lifting.
The Retired Men's Breakfast gathers on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 AM at the Omelette and Waffle Cafe in Northville, and welcomes all men whether or not they are retired.
The Praise and Prayer Request system allows members and friends to share praises and prayer concerns through an online form or email, with concerns added to the Thursday Deacons' Prayer Email and the Prayer Concerns page in the Sunday bulletin. Requests may be marked private so that they go only to the ministers.
Mission Outreach: Plymouth, Detroit, and Beyond
FPCP's mission outreach is anchored in Acts 1:8, taking the call to be Christ's witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth to mean Plymouth, the wider United States, and the world. Rather than spreading thin across many causes, the church develops deep relationships with a small number of mission partners in each region.
Local Mission Partners include Calvin East Presbyterian Church on Detroit's east side, where FPCP volunteers help provide free community dinners; Cass Community Social Services, where volunteers prepare and serve breakfast for guests staying at the First United Methodist Church of Plymouth for a week; Crossroads, where the congregation prepares and serves more than 400 meals at the Sunday Soup Kitchen; Faith Communities Coalition on Foster Care, providing clothing, school supplies, backpacks, and support for foster children and Wayne State University students aging out of foster care; First Step/ARK, a shelter for victims of domestic violence and their pets, where a gardening team tends the grounds and grows vegetables for residents; HOPE Clinic in Ypsilanti, a free medical, dental, food, prayer, and mental health clinic that FPCP has partnered with for over twenty years; Kids Hope USA, mentoring students at Bird Elementary School and West Middle School in Plymouth; Northville Civic Concern, providing food bank support; the Salvation Army, with food, supplies, financial assistance, and Christmas gifts; and Second Mile Center, a Christian center for youth and families on Detroit's east side.
National and International Mission Partners include Colina de Luz Orphanage, a Christian home for about sixty children outside Tijuana, Mexico, with annual adult mission trips and occasional youth trips dating back to 2007; Marion Medical Mission, which installs thousands of clean water wells in rural communities in Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, and Tanzania; Mtenthera CCAP, the church's sister Presbyterian church in Kamphata, Malawi, supported through prayer, joint devotions, and joint water, building, and infrastructure projects including a girls' dormitory providing safe access to secondary education; Veritas College Malawi, which provides Bible, leadership, agricultural, and financial training to church leaders and members in Malawi, with FPCP supporting training at Mtenthera CCAP; and Youth Haven, a Christ-centered summer camp and Kid's Club for disadvantaged children, where FPCP supports grounds cleanup, sponsors a cabin, and helps with toy drives and Christmas dinner.
A special endowment provides financial assistance for up to fifty percent of mission trip participation fees for those called to serve on national or international trips.
Presbyterian Women and Partners in Earth Care
Presbyterian Women at FPCP follows the purpose of the national Presbyterian Women organization: to nurture faith through prayer and Bible study, to support the mission of the church worldwide, to work for justice and peace, and to build an inclusive, caring community of women that strengthens the Presbyterian Church (USA) and witnesses to the promise of God's kingdom. The local PW runs Lunch and a Book on the first Wednesday of each month, the PW Horizons Monthly Bible Study on the second Tuesday, Women of the Word on Wednesdays, and a Women's Thursday Evening Bible Study. Activities include Earth Care, the Festival of Tables, Kids Hope mentoring, the Prayer Shawl Ministry, Threads to Heal the Heart, and outings for Women of Retirement Age.
Partners in Earth Care is a committee inspired by a 2015 Bible Study that led the Presbyterian Women through the process of becoming a PC(USA) certified Earth Care congregation. The committee meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month, excluding December, in the Chapel through June. Activities include recycling on Sundays, tending church gardens, recycling batteries and printer cartridges, selling fair-trade coffee and tea, and helping update the Earth Care bulletin board. The committee also organizes volunteers to care for the vegetable and flower gardens at the First Step Shelter and maintains lists of where to bring items that don't belong in curbside recycling.
The Presbyterian Thrift Shop
Open since 1950, the Presbyterian Thrift Shop is a Plymouth institution and a major community ministry of the church. Proceeds support the church's mission and benevolence work, and the shop offers clothing, household items, and more at affordable prices. Volunteers staff the shop, and donations of goods are welcomed from the wider community.
Life Events: Weddings, Baptisms, and Funerals
FPCP views marriage as a covenant relationship created by God as part of God's design. Members of FPCP or family members of members who wish to be married in the Sanctuary or Chapel, or who would like an FPCP minister to perform their ceremony elsewhere, are invited to fill out a Wedding Inquiry Form. The Director of Music and the organist work with brides to construct the musical portion of the service.
Baptisms within the Presbyterian tradition are a holy sacrament, an outward sign of God's internal grace that can occur at any age but should only occur once in a person's life. Families interested in baptizing a child should contact the Information Administrator to set up a required baptismal conference with a minister; at least one parent must be a member of FPCP or the child of an FPCP member to schedule a baptism at the church.
Funerals at FPCP communicate the hope of eternal life that Jesus Christ provides and the deep love that God has for each person. Members and regular visitors may plan funerals in the Sanctuary, Chapel, or Memorial Garden, and FPCP ministers are available to perform memorial services outside the church. The Memorial Garden, Cenotaph Wall, and Columbarium are available as final resting places or places of remembrance, with the Information Administrator assisting families in preparing memorial bulletins and arranging luncheons at the church when space allows.
Leadership and Staff
FPCP is led by two pastors and a team of ministry directors and support staff. Rev. Emily Riley Campbell has served as Senior Minister since 2019 and has been part of the FPCP family since 2006, when she first joined as Associate Pastor. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Wooster and a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, was ordained in 1997, and served for ten years with the Church of Scotland alongside her husband, the Rev. Doug Campbell, before returning to the United States. She leads worship, preaches, provides pastoral care, moderates Session, and serves as pastoral liaison to the Mission, Finance, Human Resources, and Member Connect committees.
Rev. Ashley S. Ashley joined FPCP in December 2020 as Associate Minister. A Washington State native, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Whitworth University, a Master of Divinity from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and a Master of Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh. She assists with preaching, teaching, worship leadership, and pastoral care, and serves as pastoral liaison to the Deacons, Building and Grounds, Christian Nurture, and Member Connect.
Patrick Tyrrell serves as Director of Youth Ministry, having grown up in the Presbyterian faith in the Metro Detroit area and earning a Master of Arts in Youth and Family Ministry from Indiana Wesleyan University. Laura Craig directs Children's Ministry, overseeing programs from birth through fifth grade and events such as Vacation Bible School. Terrine Boyd serves as Nursery Coordinator.
The music ministry is led by Sanctuary Music Director Jeff Swan, Sanctuary Music Coordinator Kim Swan, Organist and Handbell Director Sue Scott, Assistant Organist and Accompanist Sharon Smith, Director of Upper Room Worship and Creative Arts Chris DuPont, and Upper Room Vocalist and Accompanist Kylee Phillips.
Administrative and operational leadership includes Church Business Manager Jennifer Bird, Information Administrator Jennifer Hollebrands, Technology and Communications Administrator Sierris Smith, Partnership Coordinator for the Mtenthera CCAP partnership Hussein Latif, and Church Security Attendants Ervin Miller and Mark Gaskill. Robert Sherby serves as Live Video Producer, overseeing the livestream ministry that began during the 2020 pandemic.
The Session, the church's governing body of ordained elders elected by the congregation, is organized into three classes and oversees committees including Christian Education, Stewardship, Finance, Worship, National and International Mission, Local Mission, Human Resources, Member Connect, and Building and Grounds. The Board of Deacons, organized into three classes of elected members, oversees ministries of care and outreach.
Giving and Endowments
FPCP is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity and offers a wide range of giving options, including online giving, in-person offerings on Sunday, mail, text to give, bank bill pay, Venmo, donor-advised funds, qualified charitable distributions from IRAs, and non-cash gifts of appreciated securities. Members are invited to make an annual giving pledge each year, with numbered envelopes provided to track contributions and quarterly statements issued for tax purposes.
The church oversees three endowment funds. The General Endowment, first established in 1981, supports worship and ministry, benevolence and advocacy, education and fellowship, and property and equipment, and was instrumental in launching the Upper Room service. The Scholarship Endowment grants scholarships to church members pursuing higher education and occasionally to those answering a call to seminary. The Dr. Jerry Smith Excellence in Music Endowment honors the memory of the church's longtime Director of Music and supports concerts, soloists, and instrumentalists.
The church also welcomes planned legacy gifts through wills, trusts, and beneficiary designations on IRAs and life insurance policies, with sample bequest language available for members to share with their attorneys and advisors.