celebration church jacksonville scandal

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.. A civil court hearing on the case between the Weemses and Celebration Church is scheduled for May 31. . 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. Look up! Neither the PPP funds nor the Turncoin investment also had anything to do with Pastor Stovalls salary advance. They targeted young, impressionable, new believers who didnt have the spiritual maturity to see the leaders for what they truly are. Hobby Lobby moved to Parkway Shops in River City Marketplace in 2015 and also opened a store at The Strand at Town Center. 77.245.154.222 It also operates in Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Paris, the Netherlands and Zimbabwe, according to the website. 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. The Jacksonville-based church will lease almost 40,000 square feet of space adjacent to and behind Books-A . Details havent been released about financial arrangements mentioned in the suit, but portions of court filings mention them ominously. From hangouts to bible studies, meeting out at a coffee shop or in someones 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. Kim Roberts May 3, 2022. Then the trustee board suspended Weems and hired a law firm to investigate the Weemses alleged financial mismanagement and spiritual abuse. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Religious Freedom Updates Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. 1), $984 owed by Weems Group LLC (credit card No. 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. Scandals have lately surrounded ARC-affiliated churches and even the ARC itself, arguably North Americas biggest church planting organization. For this reason, ECFA places much emphasis on strong, effective governance. 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. 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. "I have and will continue to cooperate with the churchs investigation which has included the collection of documentation" about the claim, Cormier said. He was suspended by the governing board earlier this year. He said Celebration Church has a large number of congregants in the Arlington area who now drive to the main location on RG Skinner Parkway. The motion outlines four areas of concern: READ: Celebration Churchs motion to dismiss. The Weemses have until June 12 to provide a written response to the court. Find more information on upcoming services, workshops, and ministry events. This weekend, Stovall Weems, the pastor of Jacksonville's Celebration Churchwhich has a membership of 12,000decided to forgo a sermon in favor of an on-stage interview with his wife Kerri. 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. It is a member of the Association of Related Churches. The churchs investigation has uncovered ample documentation to support the positions in its motion to dismiss, and Celebration remains confident that the truth will ultimately prevail. Lee Wedekind, attorney for Celebration Church, Celebration Church released a statement to News4JAX on Wednesday for our initial reporting on this case: Celebration Church has grown and thrived since Pastor Tim Timberlake became the churchs spiritual leaderin September2021. Celebration Churchcontinues to stand by the validity and authenticity of the board investigation, he said. The filingincluded broad denials of wrongdoing by the Weemses, who launched the church in 1998. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The other thing is when pastors believe their accountability should be in light of other pastors. Asked for comment on the new filing, Wedekind said Tuesday he was looking into how that should be handled. My recommendation to them may be to produce something publicly, Wedekind said, whether the full findings or a summary of some sort. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. ", Celebration Church (Courtesy of the Florida Times-Union), Celebration is praying for a resolution for all parties involved, a statement from the church said. 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. 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. Timberlake spoke at a service in March, assuring the congregation that the church is OK. No criminal charges have been filed in this case. 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. Create an account or sign in to your My Celebration Account to sign up! 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. Join us for Wednesday night services at all Jacksonville locations with hang-time from 6:30-7:00PM and service beginning at 7:00PM. I watched the pastor move away from dependence on Christ, to emphasizing the muzzuzah, and hand signs. Actually Richard it is like apple or any other corporation. I just want a humble and hungry people to be around. Celebration Church on the Southside of Jacksonville. Celebration Church is a global, multi-site church located in Jacksonville, Florida. The celebration.org site shows that Celebration Churchs main campus is at 9555 RG Skinner Parkway, in the Baymeadows area. Rizzo is the executive director of ARC and missions pastor at Church of the Highlands, another scandal-plagued ARC church. The Weemses sued Celebration Church the month after the church launched its investigation. He told his church that on Friday, Jesus Christ appeared to him at a church service. We believe that true life change happens in the context of community. In August 2011, a ceremony was held for its new location, a 7,000 square foot facility on 30 acres near 9A and Baymeadows Road. . Celebration Church Jacksonville Scandal. 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. Regency Park is anchored by Ollies Furniture Outlet, American Signature Furniture, Bealls Outlet and, in development, Surplus Warehouse. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The I-TEAM talked with a local attorney about what the newest court filing could mean for the Weemses and their businesses. Other pastors dont spend much time looking after other pastors; it is the board and leadership that witnesses this every week. And people wonder why the nones continue to grow while those affiliated with evangelicalism and Christianity decline. What I have witnessed is more pastors are using their authority to control the narrative. News4JAX reached out to a spokesperson for the Weemses who said they would not comment on these allegations. I left because the Word was replaced with Michael Heiser teachings. 3:1-8. The first violation, of Standard Two, concerns organizational governance and states that "Every organization shall be governed . Honestly? The Roys Report reached out to ARC, asking when the Weemses and Celebration Church were removed and why, but did not immediately hear back. Stovall and Kerri Weems released a statement to News4JAX on Wednesday: We could never have imagined that the church we started and nurtured for nearly 25 years would be seized by individuals whom we believe are prioritizing their individual interests in power and money ahead of their duties to Celebration Church and its mission. The spokeswoman said the Weemses never intended to get any money for themselves from that retirement fund. 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. Wednesday afternoon, he said by email that the new complaint was very disappointing and a distraction from the churchs ministry. 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. The 71-page filing said Stovall and Kerri Weems and . The Weemses are accused of spiritually abusing church staff members, Wedekind said. 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. We offer a wide variety of mens, womens, bible/book study, dinner parties, activity-based groups, and more! A spokeswoman for Weems said the pastor wouldnt have any comment and that the court filing speaks for itself., said a scurrilous narrative and false and defamatory statements, represented former Alaska Gov. This is serious 2nd degree and 3rd degrees [sic] criminal felony behavior, added the email, which said the message was notice to Cormier of me dismissing you immediately from the trustees. Four months later, in June 2021, property records show Celebration Church purchased the home from Weems Group, LLC for $1,286,900. Please send all questions about groups to info@celebration.org. Stovall and Kerri Weems founded Celebration Church in 1998 in Jacksonville, Florida, and grew it to some 12,000 members across several campuses. The News4JAX I-TEAM looked into what Celebration Church received in PPP money, which was distributed to help businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. There are certain allegations regarding what I can best characterize as spiritual abuse.. ECFA Standard Four relates to a ministrys use of resources and compliance with laws. Oddly enough, I can certify that Celebration was listed as an ARC-affiliated church as little as one week before this was published. The investigation found that many witnesses described intense personal anguish and pain caused by working for the Weemses., The investigative report said there were Office Hospitality sheets that were similar to over-the-top green room riders required by celebrities and that they reflected the Weemses immense entitlement and self-importance., Stovall Weems resigned from his positions in April. Nichols says cases like these usually are resolved before they end up going to trial. The 2021 PPP funds were completely used up by the Churchs payroll. Stovall Weems dismissed the trustee in January over the alleged misconduct, according to the Weemses lawsuit. To make a donation,click here. And in September 2021, the Weemses officially transitioned from their position as lead pastors at Celebration to founding pastors. By clicking "Accept", you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 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. Wells without water clouds without rain, they are the foam of the ocean washed up upon the shores ! Toll free: (866) 364-9980, Gospel for Asia Files for Creditor Protection, MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT: Way Media Inc. (WayFM). 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. Sometime early this year, AWKNG TV shut down. We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. The church included emails between Stovall Weems and trustees that it said backed up its version of events. Our desire was forthis internal conflictto remainaprivate matter, and we are saddened for the pain this situation has caused for so many, the statement said. It's big, with about 12,000 members who attend nondenominational services at around 10 far-flung locations or join in online. 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. The Church is based in Jacksonville, Florida with other regional and international locations. The motion to dismissalso asserted that more than $1 million the church received as a loan through the federal Paycheck Protection Program was used to fund a Weems-managed entity and to invest in a digital currency system. The suit and a response from a church attorney trade dueling claims of improprieties, including: Weems and his wife are asking Circuit Judge Marianne Aho for a court order that, among other things, would restore Weems to his lead role at the church the couple founded in 1998; restart his salary with back pay since January; and discard changes to church bylaws the trustees approved then that created a route to suspend him. I have first hand knowledge of the spiritual abuse within this organization. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? 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., Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), God is Queer, Duke Divinity Students Proclaim. In addition to financial compensation, the complaint asks for court action "prohibiting the publication or republication of the defamatory narrative and statements.". We know that some of this money was used to buy property, potentially as an investment and or something for the church, and you can expect the bank to try to foreclose on that property, he said. The restricted usage of these funds is documented with the Churchs Human Resources department. Sara Brady, spokesperson for Stovall and Kerri Weems. The Roys Report reached out to Stovall Weems for comment, but did not hear back. Search by Location or Filter by Keyword. We remain focused on advancing the kingdom of God.. "Celebration Church has been mine and my familys church home for close to ten years. Their initial lawsuit in March forced into the public what was intended to be an internal investigation by the Board of Trustees. 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. 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. Celebration Church is preparing to open an Arlington campus at the Regency Park Shopping Center in the former Hobby Lobby space. Copyright 2022 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved. Scandals have lately surrounded ARC-affiliated churches and even the ARC itself, arguably North America's biggest church planting organization. Apostolic oversight of the senior pastor is entrusted to church overseers, the suit arguesnot the trustees. King said Full Source owns the building next door. 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. During that same four-month period, the median sales price for a Jacksonville-area single-family home rose 17 percent, to $330,000, according to the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors. The disputes effect on church operations has been limited because the lead pastor role switched last year to Senior Pastor Tim Timberlake, who conducts services and is the face of the church for many. We have many groups that meet virtually as well as hybrid groups that meet in-person and virtually. In the days following that action, Stovall Weems removed one of the trustees and tried to remove two others, court filings show. Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. 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. It said Honey Lake Farms LLC is different than the nonprofit Honey Lake Farms, Inc. and never had a bank account. 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