We reject the utterly baseless and false allegations made against us. Sara Brady gave the following response on behalf of the Weemses: The Motion to Dismiss alleges that more than $1 million in PPP money went to fund Honey Lake Farms, LLC and to purchase Turncoin. We offer a wide variety of mens, womens, bible/book study, dinner parties, activity-based groups, and more! 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. If you need help with WJXTs or WCWJ's FCC public inspection file, call (904) 393-9801. These cookies do not store any personal information. COURT DOCUMENT: Read the complaint filed by First Citizens Bank. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A spokesperson for the founding pastors of Celebration Church, one of the largest churches in the Jacksonville area, says the couple did not misuse government Paycheck. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. 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., and its former senior pastor, Stovall Weems, have been plagued by scandals in recent months. Stovall and Kerri Weems founded Celebration Church in 1998 in Jacksonville, Florida, and grew it to some 12,000 members across several campuses. 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. The spokesperson also said PPP funds were not utilized in the TurnCoin investment. They created a cult like following of the pastor, who absolutely designed the organization to operate in that manner. Groups that do have childcare options will have that listed in their groups description. When the wolves all surround themselves with other wolves, and are accountable only to those wolves, what should we expect? 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. It said Honey Lake Farms LLC is different than the nonprofit Honey Lake Farms, Inc. and never had a bank account. Celebration Youth is our Middle and High School ministry for students. Its motion to dismiss states the Constitution doesnt give a secular court the authority to tell a church how to run its affairs. Cormier said by email Tuesday that the claims against him are baseless. 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. Attorney Gene Nichols, whose not affiliated with the case, reviewed the document. 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. ), 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. ECFA Standard Four relates to a ministrys use of resources and compliance with laws. Therefore, the Church purchased the home from The Weems Group at the $1.3 million price. 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. Simply walk into the main office door and let the receptionist know you are there to receive prayer. 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. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. That was nearly completed when the lawsuit was filed, the statement said. He also said the Timberlakes had effectively been functioning as lead pastors for about a year by the time the transition became official. The Weemses sued Celebration Church the month after the church launched its investigation. The first violation, of Standard Two, concerns organizational governance and states that "Every organization shall be governed . . . This story is another example of unchurchly. Suing to get your power position back, over a church? The Weemses denied misusing the PPP funds and the other alleged financial missteps in an extensive statement to News4JAX. Kim Roberts May 3, 2022. 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. No PPP funds were utilized in the Turncoin investment. Now, it's publishing the data, Author Kate Zernike dissects the years-long fight for gender equality at MIT. 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. The complaint was time-stamped Saturday morning but only added to the Duval County online court docket after Tuesdays hearing was canceled. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The News4JAX I-TEAM looked into what Celebration Church received in PPP money, which was distributed to help businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Tim and Jen Timberlake serve as the Senior Pastors of Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Pastor Stovall invested approximately $100,000 in Turncoin, an SEC approved investment, for the purpose of creating a retirement fund for long-time Celebration Church employees. Religious Freedom Updates Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. Stovall and Kerri Weems are in a legal dispute with the church they founded in 1998. This article has been corrected to accurately describe the churchs relationship with ARC. Global Senior Pastor Stovall Weems and his wife, Kerri, say in their lawsuit that Weems was wrongly suspended from his post in January after a trustee falsely claimed that Pastor Stovall was improperly manipulating and misdirecting the churchs finances., In reality, the suit argues, Weems had confronted the trustee after discovering fraud on the church and the trustee reacted by feeding the other trustees and senior church members lies and misinformation.. Kim Roberts is a freelance writer who holds a Juris Doctorate from Baylor University. According to news4jax.com, the report includes allegations of financial misconduct and fraud, among others. Was this article helpful? as required for Public Notices per section 50.011 (1)(e), F.S. The single word used most frequently to describe Stovall Weems was narcissist. Nearly every witness we interviewed used that specific word, the report stated. I left because the Word was replaced with Michael Heiser teachings. 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. 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.. 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. They targeted young, impressionable, new believers who didnt have the spiritual maturity to see the leaders for what they truly are. 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. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The former pastors of Celebration Church owe more than $716,000, according to a lawsuit filed by First Citizens Bank. At stake is control of the churchthe essence of a religious controversy into which this court is prohibited from intervening, attorney Lee Wedekind III wrote last week when he asked Aho to dismiss the case. The church was affiliated with the ARC as recently as last year. Its a shame because at the start, they had the right concept, but absolute power and money corrupt absolutely. Ministry Watch 2022 All rights reserved. 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. Celebration Church is preparing to open an Arlington campus at the Regency Park Shopping Center in the former Hobby Lobby space. 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. $400,000) was used for the updating, repairs, and ordinary housing-related expenses such as furniture and landscaping. We believe true life change happens in the context of community and we welcome everyone to experience this together, no matter what church you call your home! The church claims the Weemses used PPP monies to fund a business they managed and to buy cryptocurrency. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The former pastors of Celebration Church owe more than $716,000, according to a lawsuit filed by First Citizens Bank. Neither the PPP funds nor the Turncoin investment also had anything to do with Pastor Stovalls salary advance. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a15bd6698fd9b5e 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. 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. The I-TEAM talked with a local attorney about what the newest court filing could mean for the Weemses and their businesses. 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. To make a donation,click here. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The founder and former pastor of Celebration Church is firing back against accusations of fraud and misconduct. The difference between the two prices (approx. All of them ! Another recounted that an employee was instructed to purchase a car for Stovall Weems and deliver it to his home. 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.. 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. Please send all questions about groups to info@celebration.org. Its office and Celebration College are at 10302 Deerwood Park Blvd. The leadership as a whole sucks and the unsaved world lives better. 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. It also operates in Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Paris, the Netherlands and Zimbabwe, according to the website. Since . Where did the PPP money go? The filingincluded broad denials of wrongdoing by the Weemses, who launched the church in 1998. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. 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. Church officials havent publicly announced the rift with Weems but prepared a statement for members who inquired that said trustees had placed Weems in not good standing while an internal investigation was done. 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. By clicking "Accept", you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. We are being retaliated against and have been denied a proper investigation according to long-held church by-laws. Celebration Church sold the Deerwood Park Boulevard property Dec. 11 to Full Source LLC for $7 million. According to a recent investigation carried out by the Nelson Mullins law firm, Weems personally benefited from unauthorized financial transactions and managed the church poorly. He said he was "heavily involved" when Lundstrom Ramsey "made the decision to close the Sisseton office." The Churchs 2020 audited financials certifies that the Church utilized the PPP funds in accordance with their legally allowed purposes. No more needs to be said for a House of Hell reserved for. Our investigation is ongoing and will not be impeded. The church received $2,153,702 in federal stimulus monies which were later forgiven, data collected by ProPublica shows. 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. King said Full Source owns the building next door.
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