New Walk Church – 35008 State Road 54, Zephyrhills, Florida – Visited in person
After attending New Walk Church on multiple occasions, speaking personally with Pastor Eddie, listening to Lead Pastor Gary Baldus, and conducting additional research into the church’s teachings, Accepted Inc. is giving New Walk Church an Approved with Discernment recommendation. There are several things this church does well, along with some important concerns we believe prospective attendees should understand.
The Gospel and Salvation
One of the most encouraging findings was New Walk’s teaching about salvation. The church’s official statement clearly says salvation comes through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and is a gift that cannot be earned through our own efforts. Pastor Gary reinforced that message in his preaching, explaining that God’s forgiveness is free and that Christians can stumble without automatically losing their salvation. Pastor Eddie has also publicly preached that salvation is God’s gift received through faith. We believe this is foundational. Ephesians 2:8–9 reminds us that salvation is by grace through faith, not by works.
During our personal conversation with Pastor Eddie, we discussed repentance and the importance of distinguishing salvation from the spiritual growth that follows. Pastor Eddie described seeking forgiveness as involving a commitment to turn away from sin. We explained our understanding that salvation is received through faith in Jesus Christ, while obedience and changes in behavior follow as the Holy Spirit works in the believer’s life. The distinction matters because salvation is not something we earn through our ability to overcome sin. While we recognize the importance of repentance and obedience in the Christian life, we believe churches must be careful to distinguish the free gift of salvation from the transformation that follows it.
Welcome, Belonging, and Biblical Convictions
New Walk emphasizes reaching people with the message of Jesus Christ, and its website says everyone has a place. We appreciate that mission. However, one of our greatest concerns involves how New Walk communicates its beliefs about sexuality.
Its published statement groups adultery, premarital sex, homosexuality, and pedophilia together as sexual activities inconsistent with its teachings. However, these terms do not describe the same kinds of things. Adultery and premarital sex describe behaviors, while homosexuality describes a person’s sexual orientation. Being gay does not automatically mean someone is engaging in any particular sexual behavior.
There is also a fundamental difference between a loving, committed relationship between consenting adults and the sexual abuse of a child. While the church does not explicitly say these are equally harmful, placing them in the same list without distinguishing their differences can create a misleading and deeply troubling association.
We believe churches should be precise when communicating their convictions. If the concern is about particular sexual behaviors or the church’s definition of marriage, those beliefs can be explained without treating someone’s sexual orientation as though it were itself a sexual act. A person can be gay, love Jesus Christ, trust Him completely for salvation, and sincerely desire to follow Him. Their sexual orientation alone does not establish otherwise.
This concern is not merely hypothetical. When our reviewer first encountered New Walk’s sexuality statement, it discouraged him from attending and led him to consider other churches. Here was someone who loved Jesus, believed in salvation through faith, and was genuinely searching for a church home, yet the language on the church’s own website became a barrier before he ever walked through the doors.
That raises an important question. If a church’s mission is to do whatever it takes to reach people with the Gospel, shouldn’t it also consider whether the way it communicates its convictions is keeping some of those very people away?
There is also a difference between welcoming someone to attend and allowing that person to fully participate in church life. A gay Christian who openly acknowledges being in a committed same-sex marriage may face restrictions on leadership or serving because the church considers that relationship sinful. Meanwhile, a heterosexual Christian privately struggling with drunkenness, pornography, dishonesty, or other behavior may continue serving simply because those struggles are unknown.
We are not claiming New Walk knowingly permits those behaviors or deliberately applies a double standard. However, when someone’s openly acknowledged relationship becomes an immediate obstacle while another person’s private struggles may go unnoticed, it raises legitimate questions about fairness, consistency, and whether honesty itself becomes a disadvantage.
First Corinthians 6:9–11 identifies several categories of sin before reminding believers that they have been washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of Jesus Christ. The emphasis is on what Christ has done for those who believe in Him. We believe churches should be especially careful not to create the impression that one category of believer faces a greater barrier to God’s grace than another.
Worship and the Sunday Experience
New Walk Church offers a modern, high-energy worship experience with a full band, very loud music, and bright, flashing stage lights. At times, the atmosphere felt more like a concert than a traditional church service. This is consistent with how New Walk describes its own worship experience, which it calls a concert-like environment.
During our visits, we found the music volume excessive and some of the lighting and presentation distracting. Certain portions also felt overly staged rather than natural or personal. This is our experience, and we recognize that others may enjoy this style of worship and find it meaningful.
Our concern is not with contemporary Christian music or the use of technology in church. Worship can take many forms. However, we believe churches should consider how loud music and flashing lights may affect visitors, especially those who are sensitive to noise, bright lights, or overstimulation. Ultimately, the goal should be an environment where people can focus on worshiping God without unnecessary distractions.
Leadership and Accountability
One of New Walk’s most impressive strengths was how quickly its leadership responded to our outreach. Of the churches we contacted during this review process, New Walk was the only one that responded within days and arranged a personal meeting within days as well. That level of responsiveness stood out and deserves recognition.
Pastor Eddie made time to sit down with us and discuss difficult theological questions. He was willing to engage in a personal conversation about salvation, repentance, and other important matters. We appreciate that willingness to communicate, particularly when someone is sincerely considering making a church their spiritual home.
We also appreciate Pastor Gary’s emphasis on reaching people, encouraging hope, and presenting salvation as a gift from God. His preaching on grace and the security of believers was particularly encouraging. Although we have identified some theological concerns, those concerns do not diminish the positive experience we had with the church’s willingness to meet and communicate.
Our Final Assessment
New Walk Church has meaningful strengths. Its published Gospel message centers on salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, its leadership demonstrated exceptional responsiveness and accessibility, and its mission emphasizes reaching people with hope. Those are substantial reasons for our positive recommendation.
Our discernment concerns center on the relationship between repentance and salvation, the wording of the church’s published sexuality statement, questions about consistency in church participation and leadership, and the loud, highly produced worship environment.
Approved with Discernment means we see genuine reasons to consider New Walk Church, while encouraging prospective attendees to compare its teachings and practices with Scripture and determine whether the church is a place where they can grow in faith and community.
Our purpose is not to find a perfect church. There isn’t one. Our purpose is to help people find churches that faithfully proclaim Jesus Christ, communicate the Gospel clearly, and demonstrate His love toward the people they hope to reach.
The truth doesn’t need protection from honest questions.
- Accepted Inc. — Helping the hurting and the lost in Jesus’ name.acceptedinc.org