From 148 Believers in a Cottage to a Sanctuary on 22nd Avenue
New Way Fellowship Praise & Worship Church has stood on NW 22nd Avenue in Miami Gardens since the mid-1970s, when Pastor Billy Baskin and his wife Catherine P. Baskin, along with 148 believers, covenanted together to form a new congregation. The fellowship began in the home of Brother and Sister Wade, grew rapidly, and within a few years needed a much larger home. A million-dollar construction program followed, anchored by a $500,000 bond financed through the Southern Baptist Convention in 1980. The new building was dedicated to the glory of God on Mother's Day, May 13, 1984. Pledges during that decade swelled from $22,320 to more than $1,200,000.
The early years were not without setbacks. Thieves once broke in and stole the church's organ and chairs, but the congregation never missed a service. Under the leadership of Pastor Baskin, New Way's reputation as a Bible-teaching fellowship spread throughout Dade County, attracting sinners and seekers from across the region. By the close of fiscal year 1980, membership had grown from 148 to 1,026. The church eventually grew to more than 4,000 members and, at its peak, fifty ministries.
Bible Teaching and Apostolic Leadership
The church's doctrinal commitments are spelled out in a Statement of Faith that covers seven pillars: God (one God in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), humanity (created in God's image but marred by sin), eternity (Heaven and Hell as real, eternal destinations), Jesus Christ (the co-equal Son, virgin-born, crucified, resurrected, ascended, and coming again as King of Kings), salvation (a gift received by faith in Christ), the Holy Spirit (present in the world and indwelling every believer from the moment of salvation), and the Bible (the inspired, error-free Word of God and the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living). Each pillar is grounded in a list of Scripture references drawn from Genesis through Revelation.
Midway through its history, Billy and Catherine Baskin accepted what they describe as an apostolic calling. A special ordination service confirming their apostleship was led by Archbishop Benson Idahosa. The worship services that followed were marked by what the church calls manifestations of the Holy Spirit - miracles of healing and deliverance that the congregation has long considered part of its New Way inheritance.
What Sundays and Wednesdays Look Like
Sunday morning begins at 9:30 with Sunday School, which runs until 10:45 a.m. The full worship gathering follows. The worship experience is described as interactive, Spirit-led, and a blend of traditional and contemporary. A Hospitality Ministry meets first-time guests at the door, and services begin right on time - so arriving a few minutes early is the way to get a good seat. Dress is, in the church's words, “come as you are.” Children worship with their parents at the start of the service and are then dismissed to classrooms with their teachers before the sermon.
On Wednesday nights, Awana for children meets at 6:30 p.m. Beyond the weekly schedule, a packed calendar carries men's and women's conferences, revivals, youth events, and seasonal services. An event calendar lives on the homepage for visitors who want to plan ahead.
Worship in the Arts: Dance, Mime, Stomp, Banner, and Rap
Perhaps nothing sets New Way Fellowship apart more visibly than the Worship in the Arts ministry. Five distinct groups serve together to magnify the name of the Lord through the arts:
- The Liturgical Dance Ministry, which lets worshipers praise His name “in dance,” from Psalm 149:3.
- The Mime Ministry, which communicates emotion, thought, and story through body gestures and facial expression, without any spoken word.
- The Stompers Ministry, whose members “wage war” with stomping feet and joyful sound.
- The Banner-Praise Ministry, which lifts high the banners of the Lord.
- The Rappers for Jesus Ministry, which magnifies the Lord through rhythmic word and laughter.
Members train through Bible study, prayer, workshops, and special sessions in 2 Timothy 2:15. The ministry has performed at churches throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, and has ministered internationally in Jamaica, Canada, Africa, and Germany during missionary trips. It has also been a featured ministry at the Gospel Heritage Conference and the Cece Winans Sister to Sister event, and was honored in 2009 as one of the ministries of the year at Chenaniah's Dancing With Authority Awards Conference.
Family Life, Men, Women, and Young Adults
The Family Life Ministry focuses on marriages and families, grounding its work in Genesis 1:27-28, Deuteronomy 6:6-9, and Ephesians 5:21-26. Its purpose is to strengthen, sustain, and/or restore the vision of a marriage and family that works - helping couples explore God's purpose for bringing them together, make meaningful progress on past hurts, and develop an individual plan for a lasting, healthy marriage. The School of the Bible Couples Class is the ministry's main vehicle, supported by special events and individual counseling sessions.
The Mighty Men's Ministry works to develop men as servant leaders in family, church, and community. Its recent themes, including “Men take your family/children to Christ,” point to the challenge of raising godly families in difficult times. Activities include evangelistic street ministry, a servant workshop that assists elderly women and widows with minor repairs, and a Growth and Leadership ministry with teaching and video sessions on the second and fourth Saturday of each month.
The Women's Growth Institute was birthed in 1987 under Bishop Catherine P. Baskin and has produced two annual conferences, Day Extraordinaire and the Women's Fall Conference, along with Bible studies such as Digging Deeper, Morning Coffee, and How to Pray. The Young Adults Ministry aims to create a desperate hunger for the word of God and to birth a young adult remnant to proclaim the gospel among the nations, grounding itself in Jeremiah 51:20-23 and its image of believers as a war club in God's hand.
Sunday School: A Class for Every Generation
The Sunday School Ministry aims to reach, teach, and change lives through Great Commission teaching. Four purposes shape it: reaching the lost for salvation through belief in Jesus Christ and church membership, teaching the Bible for knowledge, encouragement, and spiritual growth, training and equipping members for service in the church and community, and providing fellowship in small-group settings.
From preschool through senior adults, there is a class for everyone: Preschool and Kindergarten, Children in grades 1 through 7, Youth in grades 8 through 12, Young Adult Singles, Median Adult Bible Classes, Men's and Women's Bible Classes, a Couples' Class, and a New Member Class. Classes meet Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m.
Children and Youth: Transformers, Promise Generation, and VBS
For the church's youngest members, Transformers Children's services are tailored for children from age 2 through 5th grade. Children worship with their parents at the start of the service, then separate with their teachers for the sermon. Separate middle school and high school services are in development. The Promise Generation Youth Ministry, under Minister Steven Caldwell, has reached hundreds of youth across Dade and Broward counties.
Vacation Bible School is a recurring part of the year. A VBS Registration Form on the site collects emergency contacts, medical information, and allergy details for each child.
Missions Across Eighteen Countries
The Evangelism and Missions Ministry supports an active international footprint. Current mission work spans:
- The Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Vincent, Trinidad, and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean
- Canada and the United States
- China, Israel, and Russia
- Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe in Africa
- New Zealand in the Pacific
Early in the church's history, the Thomas family was sent to plant new churches in Africa and Russia, and those churches continue to grow. Men and women have been involved in domestic and foreign outreach throughout Dade County, the Caribbean Islands, and Bermuda. An online Evangelism Follow-Up Form lets members log visits, prayer responses, and decisions made during outreach.
Caring for the Community: Social Services and We Care
The Social Services Ministry provides intervention to individuals and families experiencing hardship in areas including food, shelter, utilities, mental health needs, and other daily circumstances. A separate Benevolence Application is available online for neighbors seeking rent assistance, financial help, food, counseling, or health care. A Food Pantry team is listed among the church's volunteer positions.
The We Care Ministry reaches members who are ill at home or in the hospital. Volunteers pray and visit, reminding the sick and shut-in that they are not “shut-out.” The We Care Ministry gathers on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 11:00 a.m., grounding its work in Matthew 25:36 - “I was sick, and ye visited me.”
Weddings, Baby Dedications, and Pastoral Counseling
Couples marrying at the church begin with a Wedding Application that lays out base services (rehearsal and ceremony coordination), optional pastoral counseling at $40 per session, optional hall rental for up to 100 guests, and a $1,500 base service fee. A $200 deposit secures the date. Music must contain no profanity or anti-Christian content, with dancing expected to be positive and non-sensual. Couples in most cases complete six to eight counseling sessions at least sixty days before the wedding and may be asked to cancel if counseling reveals they are not spiritually, morally, or emotionally compatible. Couples must also come from Christ-centered churches where they tithe and participate, and provide a pastoral reference letter.
Parents may request a Baby Dedication, a ceremony in which they commit to raise their child in God's ways, drawing the church's example from Hannah's dedication of Samuel in 1 Samuel 1 and the presentation of Jesus at the temple in Luke 2:22-24. At least one parent must be a participating disciple of the church or carry a pastoral reference letter from another church.
Pastoral counseling is offered outside of weddings as well. The first 50-minute intake session is free; a contribution is required before each subsequent session, and a 48-hour cancellation policy applies. Counseling issues addressed include pre-marital counseling, marriage conflict, addiction recovery, anger management, and depression.
Joining In: Volunteer, Give, or Watch Live
Volunteers are the lifeblood of New Way's ministry footprint. The application lists openings across twenty-six areas, including Nursery, Children's, Middle School, High School, Young Adults, Evangelism, Foreign Missions, Janitorial, Music, Arts, Administrative, Human Resource, New Visitors, Teaching, Women's, Men's, Prayer, Audio, Video, Online, Graphic Design, Website, Blogging, Social Media, Event Coordination, Food Pantry, and Lay Counseling. All volunteers working with children and vulnerable adults complete a background check and follow a two-volunteer supervision rule, arrive fifteen minutes before a shift, dress modestly and neatly, and keep member information private.
For those who want to support the church financially, an online giving portal is available through Shelby Giving, and an Annual Member Pledge form helps build the church budget without obligating members. Services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, with a Watch Live button on the homepage.
From a small band of 148 worshipers in 1975 to a multi-ministry fellowship reaching across Miami-Dade and around the world, New Way Fellowship Praise & Worship Church continues to teach the Bible, train disciples, and serve its community in the spirit of its founding call: to glorify God and exalt Jesus Christ by creating an atmosphere of praise, prayer, and worship based on the Word of God.