Mission
Teaching the Good News of Jesus Christ, encouraging people in their faith, and equipping them to go into the world to meet spiritual and physical needs.
Teaching the Good News of Jesus Christ, encouraging people in their faith, and equipping them to go into the world to meet spiritual and physical needs.
A community loving and worshiping God, loving and serving our neighbors.
The idea of starting a church in Bonita Springs had always intrigued founding pastor John Anderson. From the late ‘80s Pastor Anderson had toyed with the idea. He was even asked to start a church in Bonita as early as 2000, but the timing never quite worked out. In the Fall of 2004, Pastor Anderson believed that God’s timing was now right and he attended the PCA’s Assessment Center to gain denominational approval for the work in Bonita Springs. The Assessment Center was held in February of ’05 and by the time he had finished, a place had opened for him to begin the work in Bonita.
On February 27 of 2005, Bay Fellowship started its first Sunday morning Bible study – 10 people attended. By Easter time that year, the ranks had swelled to 18 people! It was determined by that core group that if it was going to go anywhere, we needed to find a permanent location rather than Dave Young’s living room. In April of ’05, the Florida Sun Coast Presbytery gave its approval to begin as a church and all of the organizational and financial processes began. Our first communion was held in the middle of April of ’05.
When Pastor Anderson began to look for places to meet, he looked into 13 different locations. Among them, the Moose Lodge, the Elk’s Lodge, the dance hall at Limetree Mobil Home Park, the 7th Day Adventist Church and several rental properties. None of them were suitable geographically, financially or strategically, so other accommodations were pursued. Pastor Anderson finally took a check and went to the Trianon Hotel hoping to tie up their meeting room – where another church had started a few years before. The Sales Manager had gone on vacation and was not available, so frustrated, Pastor Anderson drove around to eh building adjacent (where he had been told – forget about ever meeting there) and he prayed for God’s direction. That afternoon, we received word that the owner of that building wanted us to meet with some of his people. We were eager to comply. The next day Bay PCA came away with an agreement to use the building (that had been the sales center for Bonita Bay) with no rent payments, no utilities payment for an undetermined period of time. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!! The growth of Bay hasn’t yet stopped – three years later. Our first Easter as a church, we had 18 people, the next Easter we had 206 and by Easter of 2008 there were 319 people in attendance for Easter services.
Soli Deo gloria!
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified dead and buried. He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, From Thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
Bay Presbyterian Church is a member of the Presbyterian Church in America, a group of churches whose theological beliefs are summarized in the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster Shorter and Larger Catechisms. Please feel free to contact one of our pastors or elders if you have any questions about what we believe the Bible teaches.