celebration church jacksonville scandalMarch 2023
The church alleges in a response to the Weemses suit that trustees discovered millions of dollars misspent through several large financial transactions the Weemses made in 2021 without telling the trustees. He did not say how many staff members are alleged victims. A civil court hearing on the case between the Weemses and Celebration Church is scheduled for May 31. He said he resigned because cannot be legally connected to any church in which the leadership abandons the clear biblical principles and spiritual qualifications for spiritual covering, spiritual authority, and ecclesiastical governance and oversight.. This transaction was performed with full transparency and in line with the amount approved by the Churchs compensation committee. Sara Brady, spokesperson for Stovall and Kerri Weems, The News4JAX I-TEAM reached back out to Celebration Church to see if it had a response to the Weemses spokespersons statement on Thursday. Full Source is an e-commerce company that sells office, safety, industrial, janitorial and maintenance supplies as well as discount apparel. Their initial lawsuit in March forced into the public what was intended to be an internal investigation by the Board of Trustees. Headquartered off Baymeadows Road near Interstate 295, Celebration has grown exponentially to include locations in Amelia Island, Orlando, South Florida, North Carolina and Washington, D.C., plus. The 2021 PPP funds were completely used up by the Churchs payroll. But a lawyer representing the trustees says the dispute is none of the courts business, and that having a judge decide a fight about church leadership would violate protections in the U.S. Constitutions First and 14th Amendments. Another recounted that an employee was instructed to purchase a car for Stovall Weems and deliver it to his home. Celebration Church responded saying this is the latest chapter in a campaign of deception, manipulation, distraction, and abuse of power by Stovall and Kerri Weems against Celebration. Celebrations motion also alleges the couple improperly used over $1,000,000 in PPP loan proceeds to fund an entity they managed and to purchase TurnCoin, a digital security. However, we hope you will support our work with your prayers and financial gifts. At that time, Stovall Weems said the church had laid hands on Tim and Jen Timberlake two years previously, naming them successors to the Weemses as lead pastors. They pushed out many of the older, spiritually mature folks because they felt threatened and knew they would be exposed. Peters words are so true! JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The founder and former pastor of Celebration Church is firing back against accusations of fraud and misconduct. Hey Rob. The church argued that the couples suit presents the latest chapter in a campaign of deception, manipulation, distraction, and abuse of power by Stovall and Kerri Weems against Celebration.. Pastor Drew King, chief business officer of Celebration Church, said the church will open in the summer. Familiar minds think alike. Regency Park is anchored by Ollies Furniture Outlet, American Signature Furniture, Bealls Outlet and, in development, Surplus Warehouse. Please send all questions about groups to info@celebration.org. An investigation is underway. In the suit, they allege trustees suspended Stovall Weems in retaliation for reporting financial misconduct by a church trustee and the churchs former CFO. He was installed to succeed Stovall Weems months before the legal battle was made public. Even then, $5 million is still not enough to adequately maintain the campus, he said. personally benefited from unauthorized financial transactions and managed the church poorly. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! Hi. 77.245.154.222 We encourage you to give the group you have signed up for time to develop and build relationships while having conversations with the group leader about what you may be able to expect from week to week. Its motion to dismiss states the Constitution doesnt give a secular court the authority to tell a church how to run its affairs. SEU JACKSONVILLE. Stovall Weems dismissed the trustee in January over the alleged misconduct, according to the Weemses lawsuit. And He will say to them in that day if judgment! He also said the Timberlakes had effectively been functioning as lead pastors for about a year by the time the transition became official. Copyright 2023 Observer Media Group Inc., All Rights Reserved, Lopez-Contera proposes Airport Industrial Park East, V Steak restaurant concept in Ponte Vedra Beach is on hold, Sugar Factory opening delayed again, citing permitting, Historic 323 E. Bay St. approved for $3.3 million renovation, Jacksonville City Council: A bigger Mayo campus, money for affordable housing and health care, honoring Jacobs Jewelers, Rooker sells Williams-Sonoma warehouse for $20.7 million to investor, Advocates, developer use Union Terminal to push statewide historic tax credit bills, After emerging from bankruptcy and the pandemic, Acosta rebrands itself as Acosta Group, Celebration Church build-out at $2.5 million for Arlington campus, Celebration Church building-out in Regency Park, Hobby Lobby leaving Regency Park for Parkway Shops location, Celebration Church adding $2.5 million Westside campus. Great! Since . The first violation, of Standard Two, concerns organizational governance and states that "Every organization shall be governed . We are confident in Gods plan for Celebration and that ultimately truth will prevail.. It is a non-operational entity to which no money was ever transferred and in fact, has never had a bank account. First Citizens Bank said, as of May 5, the defendants owed a total of $716,123: The Defendants have failed, neglected and refused to pay the Plaintiff, according to the filing from First-Citizens Bank. According to Lambert, the church spends about $5 million per year (37% of the church budget) to maintain the church's properties. What is Celebration Church? JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Celebration Church, one of the biggest churches in the Jacksonville area, on Monday released findings from an internal investigation into its founding pastor, Stovall. $400,000) was used for the updating, repairs, and ordinary housing-related expenses such as furniture and landscaping. Other pastors dont spend much time looking after other pastors; it is the board and leadership that witnesses this every week. Open sin with no sense of remorse or wrong doing ! No PPP funds went to Honey Lake Farms, LLC. Therefore, the Church purchased the home from The Weems Group at the $1.3 million price. Like many ARC churches, Celebration Churchs bylaws require overseers, who must be ordained pastors at other churches. But Wedekind estimated more than 50 people worked at Celebrations multiple Jacksonville locations. Looking for a one-stop-shop of all the upcoming events happening here at Celebration? They targeted young, impressionable, new believers who didnt have the spiritual maturity to see the leaders for what they truly are. They created a cult like following of the pastor, who absolutely designed the organization to operate in that manner. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? The Weemses are asking the court to force Celebration Church to reinstate them and give them back pay, along with certain other measures. This isnt Apple, Coca-Cola, General Motors, etc.! Performance & security by Cloudflare. The Central Church Offices are open Monday-Thursday from 9am-5pm. It said trustees "were fully aware thatPastor Weems had not engaged in any misconduct" but "agreed with Cormier's seditious plot to banish" the pastor. Honey Lake Clinic advertises offering a Christ-centered program that practically heals past wounds and equips people with Godly decision-making skills to transform their lives. Its a nonprofit that operates alongside Honey Lake Farms, founded in 2017 as the nonprofit Celebration Care Ministries Inc. and still partially funded by the church. Celebration Church members have a right to know what is happening in their church and we have a right to be treated fairly.. My recommendation to them may be to produce something publicly, Wedekind said, whether the full findings or a summary of some sort. Stovall and Kerri Weems founded Celebration Church in 1998 in Jacksonville, Florida, and grew it to some 12,000 members across several campuses. When Is A Bible Translation Not A Bible Translation? The Weemses, who have been ARC leaders for more than a decade, are no longer listed as ARC Lead Team members. Ameris Bank issued a $6.3 million mortgage to Full Source for the property, which records show is a 78,432-square-foot building on almost 2 acres. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. that this dispute is fundamentally a religious one over how the church should be run and how its leadership should be held accountable, the churchs motion argues. In 2021, Stovall Weems transitioned out of the Senior Pastor role and into a Founding Pastor role. The Weemses filed a lawsuit for injunctive relief against Celebration Church. To make a donation,click here. Celebration Church, a megachurch in Jacksonville, Florida, has had its membership in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) terminated for violating two of its standards. So simply put, we sold our building to Full Source, will expand at the Arena, and will move our current functions happening at Deerwood Park there, he said. King said the church will feature a 1,000-seat sanctuary, a preschool and childrens wing for kindergarten through fifth grade, a large youth space and classrooms. The church released a 22-page investigative report on. Every organization shall exercise the appropriate management and controls necessary to provide reasonable assurance that all of the organizations operations are carried out and resources are used in a responsible manner and in conformity with applicable laws and regulations, such conformity taking into account biblical mandates, it states. This article has been corrected to accurately describe the churchs relationship with ARC. ), Sky 4 photo of Stovall and Kerri Weems' home, Any and all meeting minutes, agenda, and board resolutions, and any drafts thereof, of Board of Trustees meetings held between January 1, 2017 through present, Any and all documents relating to Pastor Stovall and Kerris compensation packages from 2017 through the present, including but not limited to written agreements and records of payment from the Church to them, Any and all documents relating to the churchs 2021 purchase of the parsonage from an entity controlled by Pastor Stovall as alleged on page 9 of the Motion To Dismiss. We have many groups that meet virtually as well as hybrid groups that meet in-person and virtually. ", Celebration Church (Courtesy of the Florida Times-Union), Celebration is praying for a resolution for all parties involved, a statement from the church said. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a15bd6698fd9b5e This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 2), $18,989 owed by Northstream Management Group LLC (credit card), Multiple large transfers to new for-profit entities that the Weemses intended to manage going forward, Churchs purchase of a parsonage (in which Stovall and Kerri Weems were to live rent-free) for $1,286,863.30 that a company solely owned by Stovall Weems had bought four months earlier for $855,000, Advancement of nine months salary to Kerri Weems and seven months salary to Stovall Weems in violation of Florida statute and the churchs own internal policies, despite neither Stovall nor Kerri Weems performing the duties of the offices that purportedly justified those salaries, Improper use of over $1,000,000 in Paycheck Protection Program, spokesperson for the Weemses told the News4JAX I-TEAM, assuring the congregation that the church is OK. I think this is wrong. Celebration Church filed a motion to dismiss the Weemses injunction and said the trustees requested an investigation into the founding pastors when they discovered the Weemses engaged in a series of questionable financial transactions without board knowledge or authorization in early 2021. It said Honey Lake Farms LLC is different than the nonprofit Honey Lake Farms, Inc. and never had a bank account. In addition to $100,000 invested in TurnCoin for Celebration, the report said investments were made on behalf of two church spinoff organizations, Honey Lake Farms and AWKNG, as well as. In February, after Stovall Weems was suspended, the Weemses filed suit against Celebration Church, alleging the church retaliated against them for reporting financial misconduct. But according to a court filing by Celebration Church, the Weemses are spiritually and financially abusive predators who acted like they owned the church and could do with it what they wanted.. The findings could be presented to the church trustees as early as next month, he said. It is a member of the Association of Related Churches. The infamous denial of the mega church pastor continues, We reject the utterly baseless and false allegations made against us, Complete lack of leadership accountability once again. Less than two weeks after The Roys Report (TRR) published an investigation, revealing that Churchome, Judah Smiths celebrity megachurch, had rehired Braylon, An embattled New England megachurch yesterday announced its closing, following an investigation by The Roys Report detailing allegations of yearslong bullying and, In 2019, Braylon Oliver stepped away from pastoring the Downtown campus of Churchome, a so-called celebrity megachurch with campuses in Los Angeles. For this reason, ECFA places much emphasis on strong, effective governance. The complaint was time-stamped Saturday morning but only added to the Duval County online court docket after Tuesdays hearing was canceled. After the initial lawsuit drew public attention, the church released a report that claimed Weems had been committing fraud, [and] unjustly enriching himself at the expense of the church., The new complaint says the report was bogus and that Weems and his wife are trying now to clear their names and expose how the seditionists now in control [of] Celebration Church maliciously and unjustifiably ruined Plaintiffs ability to work in their chosen profession.. The 71-page filing repeated elements of the original complaint, saying Weemshad discovered misconduct by a trustee who spread lies about the pastor to convince other trustees to support his ouster. We believe that true life change happens in the context of community. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Celebration Church responded to Weemses lawsuit by asking the court to dismiss it, partly on religious liberty grounds. was chosen to succeed Weems as the senior pastor of Celebration Church earlier this year. $645,281 owed by Honey Lake Farms Inc. and guarantor Stovall Weems (loan and credit card accounts, plus interest, late charges and attorneys fees), $50,867 owed by Weems Group LLC (credit card No. The Celebration Church Jacksonville scandal is all about Stovall Weems telling that he met Jesus Christ on Good Friday and was surprised by his personality. Stovall and Kerri Weems are in a legal dispute. The leadership as a whole sucks and the unsaved world lives better. Celebration is praying for a resolution for all parties involved, the statement said. View our Privacy Policy. Oddly enough, I can certify that Celebration was listed as an ARC-affiliated church as little as one week before this was published. Copyright 2022 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved. The founders of the 12,000-member Celebration Church are suing the Jacksonville megachurch's hand-picked trustees to avoid being ousted over claims of financial irregularities. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Celebration Church of Jacksonville released a report on Sunday about the investigation into the questionable financial practices of former pastor and founder Stovall. This story is another example of unchurchly. Suing to get your power position back, over a church? To donate, click here. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. No One Knows. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The former pastors of Celebration Church owe more than $716,000, according to a lawsuit filed by First Citizens Bank. In January, Celebration Churchs trustees noticed several large financial transactions by the Weemses and asked for an investigation into potentially improper financial practices, the churchs court filing states. Celebration Church is preparing to open an Arlington campus at the Regency Park Shopping Center in the former Hobby Lobby space. The Weemses also said theyve been threatened with arrest if they come onto church property. The difference between the two prices (approx. Everlasting Punishment! Sometime early this year, AWKNG TV shut down. The Asbury Revival Is Over. City building inspection records don't reflect any permits issued at the house last year. According to a recent investigation carried out by the Nelson Mullins law firm, Weems. The other thing is when pastors believe their accountability should be in light of other pastors. Anyway, just wanted to encourage you that what you did for the Lord there is lasting. The Churchs 2020 audited financials certifies that the Church utilized the PPP funds in accordance with their legally allowed purposes. Previous coverage: Bank sues Celebration Church founders for $716,000 in business debts, credit card bills, Church founder leaves: Celebration Church founder Stovall Weems quits, vows to 'continue our ministry elsewhere', 'At stake is control of the church': Celebration Church, founder Stovall Weems embroiled in legal dispute. Religious Freedom Updates Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The founders of the 12,000-member Celebration Church are suing the Jacksonville megachurchs hand-picked trustees to avoid being ousted over claims of financial irregularities. Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? Celebration Church sold the Deerwood Park Boulevard property Dec. 11 to Full Source LLC for $7 million. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The spokeswoman for Weems said the church's audited financial reports certified that the PPP money was used for purposes the law allowed. Weve had a great relationship with Full Source and they were looking to expand their space here on Deerwood and simultaneously we were looking to move some of our operations to our hub (Arena) location, King said. A hearing on the dismissal motion is scheduled for May 20. To donate, Volk runs his own nonprofit Together For Israel, Former Pastor Accused of Rape Resigns from Churchome After TRR Investigation; Church Official Makes False Claims, Embattled Next Level Church Closes as More Demand Investigation & Audit, Judah Smiths Celebrity Megachurch Hires Man Accused of Rape Over Alleged Victims Objections, Why Businessman Peter Chung Matters for the Future of The Kings College. Honey Lake Farms, LLC (which is different than the non-profit Honey Lake Farms, Inc.) is a for profit entity that was formed on the advice of the Churchs attorneys at Holland and Knight. Search by Location or Filter by Keyword. No PPP funds were utilized in the Turncoin investment. Another one in the never ending line of evangelical power and money seekers that has (and will) left hurt, traumatized, abused people in the wake. It was approved for $2,153,702 on April 6, 2020. Celebration Church is a global, multi-site church located in Jacksonville, Florida. Sarah Palin, Bank sues Celebration Church founders for $716,000 in business debts, credit card bills, Celebration Church founder Stovall Weems quits, vows to 'continue our ministry elsewhere', Celebration Church, founder Stovall Weems embroiled in legal dispute, committing fraud, [and] unjustly enriching himself at the expense of the church., Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Celebration Church Jacksonville Scandal. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of "Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse" by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. We believe that true life change happens in the context of community. Ministry Watch 2022 All rights reserved. Every organization shall exercise the appropriate management and controls necessary to provide reasonable assurance that all of the organizations operations are carried out and resources are used in a responsible manner and in conformity with applicable laws and regulations, such conformity taking into account biblical mandates, it states. These are fiefdoms and not churches. Trustees accuse Weemses of financial misconduct Stovall and Kerri Weems founded Celebration Church in 1998 in Jacksonville, Florida, and grew it to some 12,000 members across several campuses. After that, it will be up to the trustees to decide whetheror how muchof the findings to make public. The church said the trustees requested an investigation into the founding pastors when they discovered the Weemses engaged in a series of questionable financial transactions without board knowledge or authorization in early 2021. The celebration.org site shows that Celebration Churchs main campus is at 9555 RG Skinner Parkway, in the Baymeadows area. Our team has spent months praying for and developing a Youth Conference that's goal is to change the lives of middle and high school students, as well as equipping youth pastors, leaders, and teams to walk in all that God has called them to be. The Jacksonville-based church will lease almost 40,000 square feet of space adjacent to and behind Books-A . The News4JAX I-TEAM looked into what Celebration Church received in PPP money, which was distributed to help businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In the days following that action, Stovall Weems removed one of the trustees and tried to remove two others, court filings show. They feel most alive when they are pouring back into others, and they seek to glorify God through their lives and . I watched the pastor move away from dependence on Christ, to emphasizing the muzzuzah, and hand signs. Celebration Church is no longer listed as a member of ARC, either. He even spoke about his experience in a recording of his church's Sunday service, which is posted on YouTube. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. As contemplated all along by all parties involved, the home required various updating and repairs. Pastor Drew King, chief business officer of Celebration Church, said the church will open in the summer. Actually Richard it is like apple or any other corporation. A hearing in the case is set for May 20, court records show. The first violation, of Standard Two, concerns organizational governance and states that Every organization shall be governed by a responsible board of not less than five individuals, a majority of whom shall be independent, who shall meet at least semiannually to establish policy and review its accomplishments.. From hangouts to bible studies, large format to small groups, meeting out at a coffee shop or in somebody's home we have a place for every person that walks through the doors of Celebration Church to connect in community and build lasting relationships with others. There has been zero, qualified accountability with this group. If you need help with WJXTs or WCWJ's FCC public inspection file, call (904) 393-9801. That was nearly completed when the lawsuit was filed, the statement said. For the First Phase, the $15 million building project features a 3,000 seat capacity in an arena-style sanctuary, with broadcasting and audio visual capabilities. The founders of Celebration Church, one of the largest churches in the Jacksonville area, are in a legal dispute with the church that involves allegations of financial misconduct and fraud. As thatinvestigation remains ongoing, the church does not intend to make any further comments about it at this time. Meanwhile, the substantive allegations made in our Complaint about financial improprieties perpetrated by current Board members have gone unanswered. First Baptist Jacksonville commissioned a study in recent months to figure out what the church must do to update its facilities. A hearing scheduled for Tuesday was canceled but new attorneys for the couple filed an amended complaint that said a scurrilous narrative and false and defamatory statements were circulated to discredit and humiliate them. The church claims the Weemses used PPP monies to fund a business they managed and to buy cryptocurrency. Groups that do have childcare options will have that listed in their groups description. Kim Roberts is a freelance writer who holds a Juris Doctorate from Baylor University. The Weems Group LLC purchased the home at $855,000. The Weems-managed entity, Honey Lake Farms LLC, appears to be part of a web of similarly named organizations surrounding a behavioral health clinic in Madison County created through Celebration five years ago. Scandals have lately surrounded ARC-affiliated churches and even the ARC itself, arguably North America's biggest church planting organization. Besides defamation, the new complaint accuses everyone being sued of invasion of privacyand publicly disclosing private facts. Rizzo is the executive director of ARC and missions pastor at Church of the Highlands, another scandal-plagued ARC church. The Weemses spokesperson released this statement to News4JAX on Thursday about the purchase of that property: Pastor Stovalls parsonage allowance as approved by the Board of Trustees, was approximately $1.3 million which included the price of the property and expected improvements. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The former pastors of Celebration Church owe more than $716,000, according to a lawsuit filed by First Citizens Bank. Celebration Church @CelebrationChurch_org 46K subscribers Home Videos Shorts Live Playlists Community Channels About LATEST MESSAGE The latest message from Celebration Church. An attorney for the church released the following statement: Celebration did not bring this lawsuit and does not intend to litigate it through the media. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. The Weemses are accused of spiritually abusing church staff members, Wedekind said. However, in 2020, the Weemses launched AWKNG TV, a Christian not-for-profit streaming network. Celebration Churchcontinues to stand by the validity and authenticity of the board investigation, he said. Former Celebration Church employee Jimmy Papia worked at the church from 2008-2015, according to his affidavit. Hobby Lobby moved to Parkway Shops in River City Marketplace in 2015 and also opened a store at The Strand at Town Center. Pastor Stovall and his wife, Kerri Weems, founded the Jacksonville church in 1998. Celebration Church, a 12,000-member megachurch near Jacksonville, Florida, has released findings from an internal investigation into its founder, Pastor Stovall Weems, local media has reported. Surplus Warehouse Church @ CelebrationChurch_org 46K subscribers home Videos Shorts Live Playlists Community Channels about LATEST from! About financial improprieties perpetrated by current Board members have gone unanswered audited financial reports certified that the Church does intend! In line with the amount approved by the Churchs payroll an Arlington campus at celebration church jacksonville scandal Church does not to! Founders of the 12,000-member Celebration Church responded to Weemses lawsuit by asking the court to force Celebration Church is back. Out many of the trustees and tried to remove Two others, court records show the Jacksonville Church 1998. Weemses also said theyve been threatened with arrest if they come onto Church property how many staff,. Consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore Church... A freelance writer who holds a Juris Doctorate from Baylor University browser with... A whole sucks and the unsaved world lives better writer who holds a Juris Doctorate from Baylor University shows! 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Touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox was performed with full transparency and in fact has..., in 2020, the substantive allegations made in our complaint about financial improprieties perpetrated by Board. Global, multi-site Church located in Jacksonville, Florida, and grew it his... Docket after Tuesdays hearing was canceled that meet in-person and virtually by News4JAX... Need help with WJXTs or WCWJ 's FCC public inspection file, call 904... Relief against Celebration Church employee Jimmy Papia worked at Celebrations multiple Jacksonville locations command or malformed data they most. Bylaws require overseers, who absolutely designed the organization to operate in that day if judgment make public hand-picked to. Truly are with certain other measures SQL command or malformed data website uses cookies to improve experience! And former pastor of Celebration Church is a non-operational entity to which money... 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