We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. Look up! The restricted usage of these funds is documented with the Churchs Human Resources department. Sara Brady, spokesperson for Stovall and Kerri Weems. Pastors Stovall and Kerri never intended to receive any money from this investment. They also said the crypto investment was for a retirement fund for church employees, and wasnt made with PPP funds. Tim Timberlake has been leading Celebration Church since last year. Copyright 2022 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved. 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. 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.. Defendants launched their outrageous, libelous attack after Pastor Weems had already resigned and completely separated himself and his family from Celebration Church, said the complaint by Tampa-based attorney Shane B. Vogt, who previouslyrepresented former Alaska Gov. When the wolves all surround themselves with other wolves, and are accountable only to those wolves, what should we expect? The former pastors of Celebration Church owe more than $716,000, according to a lawsuit filed by First Citizens Bank. To find the best group for you, simply click the advanced search tab under the group search bar and complete the filtered search. We believe that true life change happens in the context of community. 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. The celebration.org site shows that Celebration Churchs main campus is at 9555 RG Skinner Parkway, in the Baymeadows area. To sign up for a group, please follow these instructions: 3. Toll free: (866) 364-9980, Gospel for Asia Files for Creditor Protection, MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT: Way Media Inc. (WayFM). Wedekinds motion to dismiss said that, in December, the trustees had learned of worrisome financial transactions including the churchs purchase of a parsonage from a company that Weems controlled. Therefore, the Church purchased the home from The Weems Group at the $1.3 million price. We remain focused on advancing the kingdom of God. --Wayland Wiseman, Executive Pastor, Celebration Church. We remain focused on advancing the kingdom of God.. The Churchs 2020 audited financials certifies that the Church utilized the PPP funds in accordance with their legally allowed purposes. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. These are fiefdoms and not churches. We are being retaliated against and have been denied a proper investigation according to long-held church by-laws. Asked for comment on the new filing, Wedekind said Tuesday he was looking into how that should be handled. The 71-page filing said Stovall and Kerri Weems and . 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. 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.. We have always wanted to have a Celebration Church campus in the Regency/Arlington area of Jacksonville but havent found the perfect location until now, King said by email. Pastor Drew King, chief business officer of Celebration Church, said the church will open in the summer. . They created a cult like following of the pastor, who absolutely designed the organization to operate in that manner. Tim and Jen Timberlake serve as the Senior Pastors of Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Celebration is praying for a resolution for all parties involved, and is confident in Gods plan for the church and that ultimately the truth will prevail. $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. Other pastors dont spend much time looking after other pastors; it is the board and leadership that witnesses this every week. My recommendation to them may be to produce something publicly, Wedekind said, whether the full findings or a summary of some sort. If you need help with WJXTs or WCWJ's FCC public inspection file, call (904) 393-9801. Honestly? Celebration Church sold the Deerwood Park Boulevard property Dec. 11 to Full Source LLC for $7 million. It's big, with about 12,000 members who attend nondenominational services at around 10 far-flung locations or join in online. The city is reviewing a permit application for a $125,000 remodel of the space at 9400 Atlantic Blvd., Nos. In addition to financial compensation, the complaint asks for court action "prohibiting the publication or republication of the defamatory narrative and statements.". "Celebration Church has been mine and my familys church home for close to ten years. Celebration Church is preparing to open an Arlington campus at the Regency Park Shopping Center in the former Hobby Lobby space. Hey Rob. Stovall and Kerri Weems, who founded Celebration Church in 1998, filed a lawsuit for injunctive relief against Celebration Church on February 23, alleging a church trustee was improperly billing the church and was setting the scene to oust Stovall Weems from the church he built. [1] and is led by Senior Pastors Tim and Jen Timberlake. COURT DOCUMENT: Read the complaint 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. We have many groups that meet virtually as well as hybrid groups that meet in-person and virtually. personally benefited from unauthorized financial transactions and managed the church poorly. While the investigation consists mostly of reviewing documents, Wedekind estimates a dozen to 15 people have been interviewed as well. We highly encourage you to use the advanced search tab under the group search bar to help you find the best group for you. A hearing in the case is set for May 20, court records show. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. Another recounted that an employee was instructed to purchase a car for Stovall Weems and deliver it to his home. After that, it will be up to the trustees to decide whetheror how muchof the findings to make public. When Is A Bible Translation Not A Bible Translation? Copyright 2023 News4JAX.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. There are certain allegations regarding what I can best characterize as spiritual abuse.. The complaint was time-stamped Saturday morning but only added to the Duval County online court docket after Tuesdays hearing was canceled. Celebrations board of trusteesrecently suspended Pastor Stovall Weems pending aninvestigationinto certain decisions made by him in early 2021 that were not in the best interest of the church and were not approved by the board. 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. Administration of the Churchs PPP funds was controlled by the Churchs CFOs. As thatinvestigation remains ongoing, the church does not intend to make any further comments about it at this time. What Happens Now? 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. Scandals have lately surrounded ARC-affiliated churches and even the ARC itself, arguably North America's biggest church planting organization. Founders of the 12,000-member Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida, Stovall Weems and his wife, Kerri, have filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction that would force the megachurch to recognize Weems as their chief executive officer and settle dueling claims of financial fraud involving hundreds of thousands of dollars. Create an account or sign in to your My Celebration Account to sign up! Timberlake spoke at a service in March, assuring the congregation that the church is OK. No criminal charges have been filed in this case. According to a recent investigation carried out by the Nelson Mullins law firm, Weems. The Weemses sued Celebration Church the month after the church launched its investigation. We offer a wide variety of mens, womens, bible/book study, dinner parties, activity-based groups, and more! 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. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Stovall Weems dismissed the trustee in January over the alleged misconduct, according to the Weemses lawsuit. That suggests a long term pattern, so why is that part only coming out in light of the financial issues? Neither the PPP funds nor the Turncoin investment also had anything to do with Pastor Stovalls salary advance. Currently, that investment is worth more than $1.5 million. To donate, click here. You're invited to join us at Future Conference 2021 from August 4th-6th in Jacksonville, Florida! Stovall and Kerri Weems are in a legal dispute. The Jacksonville-based church will lease almost 40,000 square feet of space adjacent to and behind Books-A . The motion outlines four areas of concern: READ: Celebration Churchs motion to dismiss. . Pastor Stovall and his wife, Kerri Weems, founded the Jacksonville church in 1998. The Weemses, who have been ARC leaders for more than a decade, are no longer listed as ARC Lead Team members. Rizzo is the executive director of ARC and missions pastor at Church of the Highlands, another scandal-plagued ARC church. Then the trustees suspended him. What I have witnessed is more pastors are using their authority to control the narrative. 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