ECFA Standard Four relates to a ministrys use of resources and compliance with laws. The other part of the churchs investigation concerns the spiritual leadership of the Weemses, Wedekind said. Its motion to dismiss states the Constitution doesnt give a secular court the authority to tell a church how to run its affairs. Celebration Church Jacksonville Scandal. It was approved for $2,153,702 on April 6, 2020. Groups that do have childcare options will have that listed in their groups description. Tim Timberlake has been leading Celebration Church since last year. The founding pastor of Celebration Church, one of the largest churches in Jacksonville, announced Monday hes resigned from his positions amid a legal battle with the churchs trustees. In 2021, Stovall Weems transitioned out of the Senior Pastor role and into a Founding Pastor role. Celebration Church and its former senior pastor, Stovall Weems, have been plagued by scandals in recent months. SEU JACKSONVILLE. Toll free: (866) 364-9980, Gospel for Asia Files for Creditor Protection, MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT: Way Media Inc. (WayFM). If you find a group you have signed up for does not feel like the best fit, we encourage you to communicate that with your group leader. Two former overseers, Dino Rizzo and John Siebeling, resigned in September 2021, and the church argues that a third, Scott Volk, wasnt qualified. The church claims the Weemses used PPP monies to fund a business they managed and to buy cryptocurrency. He also took steps to remove other trustees a few days later, the suit indicates. For more info on our latest happenings or to get involved, contact us at celebrationyouthjax@celebration.org or visit The Celebration App. And He will say to them in that day if judgment! Copyright 2023 News4JAX.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Stovall Weems dismissed the trustee in January over the alleged misconduct, according to the Weemses lawsuit. Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Celebration Church filed a motion to dismiss and accused Stovall Weems of financial misconduct, fraud and spiritual abuse. Looking for a one-stop-shop of all the upcoming events happening here at Celebration? Actually Richard it is like apple or any other corporation. Its office and Celebration College are at 10302 Deerwood Park Blvd. "Celebration Church has been mine and my familys church home for close to ten years. They feel most alive when they are pouring back into others, and they seek to glorify God through their lives and . Our investigation is ongoing and will not be impeded. He said he was "heavily involved" when Lundstrom Ramsey "made the decision to close the Sisseton office." Celebration Church responded to Weemses lawsuit by asking the court to dismiss it, partly on religious liberty grounds. Other pastors dont spend much time looking after other pastors; it is the board and leadership that witnesses this every week. Currently, that investment is worth more than $1.5 million. This standard is designed to help organizations obtain and maintain a governing body that enhances an environment of accountability, maximizing excellence in carrying out the Lords work and minimizing susceptibility to structural breakdown.. 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. What Happens Now? In the days following that action, Stovall Weems removed one of the trustees and tried to remove two others, court filings show. [1] and is led by Senior Pastors Tim and Jen Timberlake. 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. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. 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. All of them ! Search by Location or Filter by Keyword. Give me my job and salary back, even if you hate me? An investigation is underway. Then the trustee board suspended Weems and hired a law firm to investigate the Weemses alleged financial mismanagement and spiritual abuse. In 2018, Celebration Church's total revenue for the year was valued at a reported $13,639,193 by the ECFA,[4] and their total assets were valued at a reported $44,213,694. Global Senior . Copyright 2023 News4JAX.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. $700,000 in improper billing by the trustee; misuse of more than $1 million from the federal governments pandemic-era Paycheck Protection Program; and a 50-percent markup over four months on the price of a home a Weems company sold the church as a parsonage. To find the best group for you, simply click the advanced search tab under the group search bar and complete the filtered search. Christian Rocker Posts Stunning Response to Recent Apostasy of Christian Leaders, Chicago Radio Host & a Former Bodyguard Say James MacDonald Asked Them to Arrange Murders, James MacDonald Took Millions from Harvest & Now Demands Broadcast Ministry, Mancow Airs Shocking Comments By James MacDonald: My Response, Transfers of church funds to new businesses the Weemses were going to manage, The churchs purchase of a parsonage for over $430,000 more than Stovall Weemss company had paid four months earlier when it bought the property, An advance of seven months salary to Stovall Weems and nine months salary to Kerri Weems even though neither one carried out the duties those salaries were for. Former Celebration Church employee Jimmy Papia worked at the church from 2008-2015, according to his affidavit. Stovall and Kerri Weems founded Celebration Church in 1998 in Jacksonville, Florida, and grew it to some 12,000 members across several campuses. Meanwhile, the substantive allegations made in our Complaint about financial improprieties perpetrated by current Board members have gone unanswered. By clicking "Accept", you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Celebration Church is a member of the Association of Related Churches and aims to lead people to experience a God-First life. 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. Celebration Church, one of the biggest churches in the Jacksonville area, on Monday released findings from an internal investigation into its founding pastor, Stovall Weems. The spokeswoman for Weems said the church's audited financial reports certified that the PPP money was used for purposes the law allowed. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. 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. The injunction said one of the churchs trustees was improperly billing the church for construction-type services at its Honey Lake Farms property in Madison County. . 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. Stovall and Kerri Weems say they are whistleblowers and victims of retaliation by the church they foundedCelebration Church, a multi-site megachurch in Florida formerly part of the Association of Related Churches (ARC). Celebration's headquarters, called. No contractor is listed. Any and all documents supporting your allegation that Pastor Stovall made multiple large transfers to new for-profit entities that the Weemses intended to manage going forward including but not limited to bank records and written communications. [2] The first services in the new "Celebration Arena" was held November 11, 2012.[3]. He even spoke about his experience in a recording of his church's Sunday service, which is posted on YouTube. Celebration Church is preparing to open an Arlington campus at the Regency Park Shopping Center in the former Hobby Lobby space. 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. The allegations of spiritual abuse are kind of a head scratcher because that doesnt just happen when you get caught with your hand in the cookie jar. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. The leadership as a whole sucks and the unsaved world lives better. The church was affiliated with the ARC as recently as last year. The Roys Report has not been able to get any comments on the record about why AWKNG TV folded. No criminal charges have been filed in this case. 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. Kim Roberts May 3, 2022. Pastor Stovall and his wife, Kerri Weems, founded the Jacksonville church in 1998. Your IP: Hey Rob. They targeted young, impressionable, new believers who didnt have the spiritual maturity to see the leaders for what they truly are. The spokeswoman said the Weemses never intended to get any money for themselves from that retirement fund. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! They said through a spokesperson that the price difference on the parsonage reflected extensive updates, repairs and housing-related expenses they had paid for before selling it to the church. The dispute involves allegations of financial misconduct and fraud. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. This story is another example of unchurchly. Suing to get your power position back, over a church? The Roys Report reached out to Stovall Weems for comment, but did not hear back. Therefore, the Church purchased the home from The Weems Group at the $1.3 million price. The Weemses filed a request on March 15 for Celebration Church to produce the following documents within 30 days: READ: Stovall and Kerri Weems request to produce. Pastors Stovall and Kerri never intended to receive any money from this investment. Cormier said by email Tuesday that the claims against him are baseless. The investigation is largely focused on two different aspects of the Weems leadership, said Lee D. Wedekind III, a partner in the law firm Nelson Mullins. Nichols says cases like these usually are resolved before they end up going to trial. Click to reveal Celebration Church is no longer listed as a member of ARC, either. ), 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. 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. 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. 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. He says that if Weemses dont pay back what they owe, their personal or business assets could be seized. Now the church and the Weemses, who are former members of ARCs Lead Team, are caught up in a legal battle even as an investigation is underway into the Weemses alleged misconduct. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. Ministry Watch 2022 All rights reserved. 0:00 1:22 Celebration Church founder Stovall Weems has resigned from the Jacksonville megachurch "I founded and poured my life into," saying the choice was "absolutely necessary if I am to. Spokesperson for Stovall and Kerri Weems says funds were used for legally allowed purposes, 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 PPP loan proceeds to fund the Weems-managed entity Honey Lake Farms, LLC and to purchase TurnCoin, an illiquid, speculative digital currency, (Copyright 2022 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved. Kim Roberts is a freelance writer who holds a Juris Doctorate from Baylor University. 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. 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. They also said the crypto investment was for a retirement fund for church employees, and wasnt made with PPP funds. "I have and will continue to cooperate with the churchs investigation which has included the collection of documentation" about the claim, Cormier said. They filed a lawsuit for injunctive relief against Celebration Church, alleging a church trustee was improperly billing the church for construction-type services at its Honey Lake Farms property in Madison County and turned the other trustees against him, leading to Stovall Weems suspension. Weems has filed suit against the church claiming he was illegally removed from leadership, but Timberlake has assured the church that he will continue to lead with integrity, godly character, love, honor, and excellence.. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, gardening, and coaching high school extemporaneous speaking and debate. The Jacksonville-based church will lease almost 40,000 square feet of space adjacent to and behind Books-A-Million, according to a site plan by landlord Brixmor Property Group Inc., based in New York. This is how Celebration planned to use the money, based on data from the lender when the loan was originated: The News4JAX I-TEAM asked a spokesperson for Stovall and Kerri Weems to respond specifically to the allegations of misuse of PPP money. 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. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Throughout each day we have pastors and a prayer team on stand-by if you should need to stop in to have someone pray with you. Full Source is an e-commerce company that sells office, safety, industrial, janitorial and maintenance supplies as well as discount apparel. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The former pastors of Celebration Church owe more than $716,000, according to a lawsuit filed by First Citizens Bank. If time and conversations are not leading to a great group fit, please reach out to the contact listed below and we would be happy to help you find a group for you! Celebration Church Jacksonville ScandalMegachurch Pastor Stovall Weems Said Jesus Came to Him . I look forward to a solution that honors God above all else. The Church is based in Jacksonville, Florida with other regional and international locations. 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