Carpenter's Home Church

{{Cleanup bare URLs|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox church
| name                   = Carpenter's Home Church
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| image                  = Carpenter's Home Church.jpg
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| caption                = Carpenter's Home Church in 2014
| coordinates            = <!-- {{coord|latitude|longitude|type:landmark|display=inline,title}} -->
| country                = United States
| denomination           = [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]]
| membership             = 
| attendance             = 7,000 (peak)
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| status                 = Defunct
| founded date           = {{start date|1985}}
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| closed date            = {{End date|2011}}
| demolished date        = March 2015
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'''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 financial scandal and dwindling attendance. The remaining members became two separate congregations, one of which became prominent as the host of the [[Lakeland Revival]] in 2008. The property was purchased by Without Walls International Church of [[Tampa, Florida]], and the facility became the home of their affiliate [[Without Walls Central Church]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.withoutwallscentral.org/ |title=Without Walls Central |access-date=2019-06-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061119135930/http://www.withoutwallscentral.org/ |archive-date=2006-11-19 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Without Walls experienced financial difficulties requiring them to sell their properties. The building was eventually acquired by developers and demolition commenced in March 2015. Today, nothing remains of the building.

==History==
The church was founded in 1921 as '''Lakeland First Assembly of God'''.  However, its modern history began when Karl Strader became senior pastor in 1966.  Strader's tenure saw a period of explosive growth.  By 1980, the church had ballooned to 4,000 members, and had overgrown its 16-year-old facility.<ref name=Ledger/>

Looking for a place to build a new, larger sanctuary, Strader found land originally owned by the [[United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America]], who built a retirement home for their members on it. The "Carpenters and Joiners Home" was dedicated in October 1928 and the first 36 retired carpenters and joiners moved in during March 1929. As many as 370 retirees stayed at one time.  With the advent of Social Security, the number of retirees living in the home began to decline.  By 1976, the home closed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lakelandgov.net/libraryspecialcollections/Manuscripts/Organizations/CarpentersHome.aspx|title=Lakeland Public Library - Special Collections}}</ref>

When First Assembly bought the plot in 1980, some of the land was sold off, and a 10,000 seat [[auditorium]] was built by [[Roe Messner]]. The new building opened in 1985, and First Assembly changed its name to Carpenter's Home Church.

Many Contemporary Christian and Gospel artists performed at the church, including [[Steven Curtis Chapman]], [[Michael W. Smith]], [[Newsboys]], [[Plus One (band)|Plus One]], [[The Florida Mass Choir]],  [[Skillet (band)|Skillet]], [[Audio Adrenaline]], [[OC Supertones]],  [[Carman]], [[TobyMac]], [[Petra (band)|Petra]], and [[Zoegirl]], among others. While in operation, the church ran a 100,000 watt FM Stereo radio station, WCIE, that served the [[Tampa Bay Area|Tampa Bay]] market; the station was sold to [[Moody Radio|Moody Broadcasting]] in 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cflradio.net/91.1_WCIE_FM.htm|title=WCIE-FM 91.1 Lakeland|website=cflradio.net}}</ref> Also, several conferences were held here including the Dawson McCalister Conference for youth age.

The church suffered a split in 1989, when about 800 members left in a dispute over Karl Strader's leadership.  Strader had long been open to [[charismatic movement|charismatic]] practices such as spontaneous dancing and singing, which caused chagrin among some of the church's more traditional members.  Although he was placed on probation, a congregational vote resulted in an overwhelming vote of confidence for Strader.  However, some 800 members broke away to form Victory Church.<ref name="charismamag.com"> {{cite web |author= Eric Tiansay |title=Florida Ministry Purchases 75-Acre Carpenter's Home Church Campus |url=https://mycharisma.com/charisma-archive/florida-ministry-purchases-75-acre-carpenters-home-church-campus/ |date=August 31, 2005 |work= mycharisma.com |access-date= }}</ref><ref name=Ledger/>

In 1994, Daniel Strader, one of Karl Strader's sons, was arrested on fraud charges and was later convicted. Daniel Strader had sold false securities and defrauded investors out of $2.3 million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19950713&id=N7tNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=J_0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4491,1128144&hl=en|title = Lakeland Ledger - Google News Archive Search}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19951228&id=KC5RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rvwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6657,3733797&hl=en|title = Lakeland Ledger - Google News Archive Search}}</ref> He was found guilty in 1995 on 238 counts of securities fraud and was sentenced to 45 years' imprisonment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19950809&id=XsJOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=B_0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6706,5957018&hl=en|title = Lakeland Ledger - Google News Archive Search}}</ref><ref>Geary, Jason (June 16, 2006). [http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060616/NEWS/606160330 "Daniel Strader to Stay in Prison"]. ''The Ledger''. Accessed 14 January 2011.</ref> The severe sentence resulted from the application of the [[Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/strader.html|title=Will Dan Strader Get Out of Jail in 2004?|website=www.deceptioninthechurch.com}}</ref> The scandal received considerable media coverage; membership of Carpenter's Home Church dwindled, and it became impossible for the church to maintain its large facilities.<ref name="charismamag.com"/>

In 2002, [[Without Walls Central Church]] commenced renting the building for services. This church was a branch of [[Randy White (pastor)|Randy]] and [[Paula White]]'s Without Walls International Church, that had outgrown its building in nearby [[Auburndale, Florida|Auburndale]].<ref name="ledger1">{{Cite web|author=Cary McMullen|title=Without Walls Pastor Discusses Arrangement With Carenter's Church|publisher=[[The Ledger]] |date=2002-07-27 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jzYxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9f0DAAAAIBAJ&dq=paula-white&pg=3720%2C4243357|accessdate=2011-04-15}}</ref><ref name="ledger2">{{Cite web|author=Cary McMullen|title=Local Church To Share Chapel|publisher=[[The Ledger]] |date=2002-07-17 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B78wAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-v0DAAAAIBAJ&dq=paula-white&pg=5352%2C4667090|accessdate=2011-04-15}}</ref> Eventually, in 2005, the property was sold to the Without Walls churches for $8 million in cash and the Auburndale building.<ref>http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?p=1&tc=pg&AID=/20050609/NEWS/506090408</ref>

Carpenter's Home Church used the cash to purchase and convert a former retail warehouse a mile north of the old location on US-98, which was called [[Lakeland revival|Ignited Church]], and Karl Strader's son Stephen was installed as pastor. The Auburndale property was renamed Auburndale Life Church and Karl Strader's son-in-law Shane Simmons was installed as pastor (Simmons died from cancer in March 2013). The remaining members of Carpenter's Home Church dispersed between these two churches,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://markbyron.typepad.com/main/2008/04/the-son-n-spiri.html|title=The Son-'n-Spirit Fly-In? - Mark Byron}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ignitedchurch.com/AboutUs/tabid/1250/Default.aspx|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080712182419/http://www.ignitedchurch.com/AboutUs/tabid/1250/Default.aspx|url-status=dead|title=Ignited Church|archivedate=July 12, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/theledger/name/shane-simmons-obituary?id=18399800|title=SHANE SIMMONS Obituary (2013) - Lakeland, FL - The Ledger|website=Legacy.com}}</ref> though Ignited Church claims to be the successor of Carpenter's Home Church (according to Stephen Strader's biography, Carpenter's Home changed its name to Ignited Church when Stephen became pastor).<ref>[http://ignitedchurch.com/pastor-stephen-strader- Stephen Strader's biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160620083717/http://ignitedchurch.com/pastor-stephen-strader-# |date=2016-06-20 }} at Ignited Church's Website</ref>

The Without Walls churches experienced problems and vacated the Lakeland building in 2011. As a result of debts, the [[United States bankruptcy court]] required Without Walls to sell their properties.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.charismanews.com/us/44511-randy-white-s-church-aims-to-turn-bankruptcy-into-blessing|title=Randy White's Church Aims to Turn Bankruptcy Into Blessing|first=Mark|last=Andrews|website=Charisma News}}</ref> In February 2015, it was reported that the land and building had been purchased by developers who were planning to demolish the church.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.theledger.com/article/20150216/NEWS/150219421 |title=Former Without Walls Central Property: Church Sanctuary to Be Torn Down |access-date=2015-03-18 |archive-date=2015-03-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317030331/http://www.theledger.com/article/20150216/NEWS/150219421 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2015/2/17/lakeland_church_to_b|title=Well-known Lakeland church to be demolished|website=baynews9.com}}</ref> Demolition commenced on 16 March 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wfla.com/story/28543270/lakelands-former-mega-church-under-demolition|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320062146/http://www.wfla.com/story/28543270/lakelands-former-mega-church-under-demolition|url-status=dead|title=Lakeland's former mega-church under demolition|archivedate=March 20, 2015}}</ref><ref name=Ledger>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theledger.com/story/news/2015/03/08/a-vanishing-mega-church-in-north-lakeland/27033135007/|title=A Vanishing Mega Church in North Lakeland|first=GARY WHITE THE|last=LEDGER|website=The Ledger}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.charismamag.com/blogs/the-strang-report/22811-sad-day-a-10-000-seat-charismatic-church-building-will-be-torn-down |title=Sad Day: A 10,000-Seat Charismatic Church Building Will Be Torn Down |access-date=2015-03-18 |archive-date=2015-03-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320054804/http://www.charismamag.com/blogs/the-strang-report/22811-sad-day-a-10-000-seat-charismatic-church-building-will-be-torn-down |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ministrytodaymag.com/ministry-life/legacy/21638-stephen-strader-the-story-behind-carpenter-s-home-church|title=Stephen Strader: The Story Behind Carpenter's Home Church}}</ref>

==Evangel Christian School==
The existing retirement home building on the site was used to house Evangel Christian School, which had been operated by First Lakeland Assembly of God since 1972. The school closed in 2006 following the sale of the land and properties to the Without Walls churches. A number of students moved to Victory Academy, operated by Victory Church, following the closure.<ref>Crouse, Julia (May 9, 2006). [https://www.theledger.com/story/news/2006/05/09/decision-a-win-for-evangel-students/25909037007/ "Decision a Win for Evangel Students"]. ''The Ledger''. Accessed 12 January 2023.</ref>

==Revivals==
Carpenter's Home Church and its successor entities have been associated with two prominent revivals. A 1993 revival by South African-born evangelist [[Rodney Howard-Browne]] helped spread a "Laughing revival" with manifestations of joy in the Holy Spirit; the [[Toronto Blessing]] movement is as an offshoot of the spiritual awakening that Howard-Browne started at his Lakeland Revival.<ref>[http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/holylaugh.htm "Holy Laughter"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160831163619/http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/holylaugh.htm |date=2016-08-31 }}, Rapidnet.com</ref> Howard-Browne's revival lasted for 16 weeks at Carpenter's Home, often holding two services a day and averaging 3,000 to 4,000 visitors at night.<ref>McMullen, Cary (May 18, 2008). [http://www.theledger.com/article/20080518/NEWS/805180341 "Florida Outpouring: Internet Draws Thousands to Lakeland Revival"]. ''The Ledger''. Accessed 14 January 2011.</ref>

The [[Todd Bentley]] led [[Lakeland Revival]] of 2008 began at Ignited Church and was later moved to Auburndale Life Church. As attendance increased, it eventually was moved to the Lakeland Civic Center.

==External links==
*[http://cdn.charismamag.com/images/stories/2015/blogs/the-strang-report/strader-2-page-spread.pdf Charisma Magazine feature on the church from January 1985]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927210226/http://www.meyersound.com/news/press/sc_carpenters300.htm System Upgrades Bring Both to Carpenter's Home Church in Lakeland, Florida]
*[[Florida outpouring]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{coord missing|Tampa Bay}}

[[Category:Former Assemblies of God churches]]
[[Category:Former megachurches]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Lakeland, Florida]]
[[Category:Christian organizations established in 1980]]
[[Category:Churches in Polk County, Florida]]