Without Walls Central Church was a

non-denominational A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. Overview The term has been used in the context of various faiths including Jainism, Baháʼí Fait ...

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

megachurch A megachurch is a church with an unusually large membership that also offers a variety of educational and social activities, usually Protestant or Evangelical. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research defines a megachurch as any Protestant C ...

Auburndale, Florida Auburndale is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 13,507 at the 2010 census. According to the U.S. Census estimates of 2019, the city had a population of 16,650. It is part of the Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida Metropo ...

outside Lakeland co-founded by Paula and Randy White, in January 2004, when they were still married. It was under the auspices of Without Walls International Church,

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

. The Church closed in 2011 and should not be confused with Without Walls Church, a ministry for the homeless also based in Tampa, Florida.

History

In one year, the congregation grew from 125 to over 1,500. With growth of this scale, the Auburndale facility quickly became inadequate and, in April 2005, Pastor Scott began two Sunday morning worship services to accommodate the attendance. This, however, was only a short-term solution, as in September 2005, Without Walls Central Church moved to a new location at the former facility of

Carpenter's Home Church Carpenter's Home Church was a prominent Pentecostalism, Pentecostal megachurch in Lakeland, Florida, affiliated with the Assemblies of God USA. Opened in 1985, the church claimed nearly 7,000 worshipers at its peak. The church closed amidst financi ...

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal c ...

. Pastors Scott and Cindy Thomas were the senior pastors at the church. Its operations included citywide ministry outreaches and relationships with city schools, businessmen, and government officials; networking with community organizations to help local residents; bringing well-known Christian artists and ministers to the community; and participating in city- and county-sponsored community activities. In 2011, the Without Walls Central Church vacated the Lakeland building, as a result of debts. The

United States bankruptcy court United States bankruptcy courts are courts created under Article I of the United States Constitution. The current system of bankruptcy courts was created by the United States Congress in 1978, effective April 1, 1984. United States bankruptcy c ...

required Without Walls to sell their properties. In February 2015, the building was purchased by developers. Demolition commenced on 16 March 2015.A Vanishing Mega Church in North Lakeland
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Kay Fields

In November 2007, Kay Fields, a local school board member and member of Without Walls church, responded to suggested new standards for Florida science teaching by suggesting that the section that mentioned evolution be changed to require the teaching of

intelligent design Intelligent design (ID) is a pseudoscientific argument for the existence of God, presented by its proponents as "an evidence-based scientific theory about life's origins". Numbers 2006, p. 373; " Dcaptured headlines for its bold attempt to ...

as well.

Notes

{{Coord, 28.0990, -81.9646, display=title Former megachurches Former evangelical non-denominational churches Buildings and structures in Lakeland, Florida Churches in Polk County, Florida 2004 establishments in Florida 2011 disestablishments in Florida Buildings and structures demolished in 2015