Based on the findings of the investigation report, the Churchs attorneys recommended several action steps, all of which were approved by the Board during a meeting on April 24, 2022. The report said Weems filed a financial statement wrongly listing a $1.4 million loan from the church as a debt that was owed to Honey Lake Farms, and that when a bank loan officer talked to the church about it, Weems told church accountants to simply write off the money the church was owed. Pastor Stovall Weems Resigns From Celebration Church Amid Legal Battle . Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. They also confirmed that Kerri Weems was distraught and overwhelmed by her husbands behavior, said the report. The former pastor of Celebration Church in Jacksonville is not commenting on a new lawsuit he is facing. Weems said he spent more than $458,000 to make repairs and improvements. It was approved for $2,153,702 on April 6, 2020. Find more information on upcoming services, workshops, and ministry events. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The senior pastor of Celebration Church, one of the largest churches in Jacksonville, took a moment during Sunday morning service to address a legal dispute between the. "I want to talk to you about the experience I had Friday night where I met and I saw our risen Savior," Weems said in a recording of his church's Sunday service posted on YouTube. Meanwhile, the substantive allegations made in our Complaint about financial improprieties perpetrated by current Board members have gone unanswered. The investigation determined that as the church became more successful, the lavishness of the Weemses lifestyle also increased. It said there were private charter flights to exotic locations, a full house staff to assist in maintaining their mansions, and personal assistants required to attend to the Weemses every demand. Stovall and Kerri were suspended from the church and later Stovall resigned. The property in Glen Kernan Golf and Country Club was purchased in January 2020 for $1,295,000. 2023 Celebration Church. 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 unrelated church ministry in Nevada. Read the full report here. At Celebration Church, we prioritize Jesus mission to spread the gospel.We are a global house comprised of many rooms around the world, with headquarters residing in Jacksonville, Florida. The News4JAX Morning Show team brings you breaking news from overnight -- local, national and international stories, as well as weather and traffic to start your day. The report said that loan money was properly used and documented. 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. In addition, he directed $500,000 of the PPP loan to be invested into TurnCoin. The Right Reverend Stephen Lake the Bishop of Salisbury gave a sermon at Holy Trinity Church in . The churchs attorney said thats incorrect and the Weemses have no right, title or interest in or to the Shellcracker property.. That has not changed. It said its entitled to rent for the period of April 15, when Weems resigned from the church, until the day the Shellcracker property is vacated. They feel most alive when they are pouring back into others, and they seek to glorify God through their lives and family. I heard His voice the cadence of His voice. The report said the churchs cash balance dropped from $9 million in October 2020 to $6 million in December 2020 to $2 million in March/April 2021. The two wings of our class would alternate their flying every two weeks, and class 12A L would start flying in the mornings first. Updated: 4:29 PM EDT March 20, 2022. So for the past few years theyve been helping me Its so normal in the ministry realm.. This action presents the latest chapter in a campaign of deception, manipulation, distraction, and abuse of power by Stovall and Kerri Weems against Celebration, reads Celebration Churchs motion. Weems and his wife, Kerri, have been locked in a court fight with the board of trustees over the trustees decision to suspend him because of suggestions of financial irregularities. An investigative report prepared by Nelson Mullins, a U.S. law firm and lobby group hired by the church, was made public on the church's website days later. From latest messages by our Lead Pastors, Stovall and Kerri Weems, to serving opportunities on our Dream Team; The Celebration App is the perfect way to stay connected and involved in the life of Celebration Church. The Glen Kernan parsonage was sold on June 4, 2021 for $1,475,000. The move resulted in a decrease in the churchs credit card limit and later the churchs credit line was revoked, leaving the church to rely on cash-only. Stovall Weems preaches at . The Weemses said they did this unaware of the festering plot against them., The Weemses are facing a separate lawsuit from First Citizens Bank. talks faith in Jesus, the problem with Black Lives Matter, being a victim of 'cancel culture', New Yorker satire headline mocks those who 'search the Bible' for Gods views, Barry Black: America's first black Senate chaplain says this Bible verse saved him from a life of crime, Heaven will be diverse. Action News Jax facebook feed(Opens a new window), Action News Jax twitter feed(Opens a new window), Action News Jax youtube feed(Opens a new window), he claimed financial misconduct by a member of the churchs board of trustees, Download the Action News Jax app for live updates on breaking stories, Florida Senator proposes bill to cancel Democratic Party in state, Airport Authority discusses bringing new commercial flights to St. Johns County, FHP: Man dies after FDOT Road Ranger rear-ends truck, pushes him over edge of Buckman Bridge, PCSO: No charges in case of mail carrier mauled by 5 dogs, Deadly crash on Buckman Bridge, vehicle into St. Johns River. 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. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The report said the church intends to seek criminal charges. The spokesperson said then that the TurnCoin purchase was part of creating a retirement fund for longtime employees of the church, which opened in 1998. These instructions included specifications on the times of day the items were to be provided, exact requirements for each item, and a description of how the items were to be presented to the Weemses (on real dishes presented on a serving tray). Stovall Weems said he believed Cormiers construction work was part of his $1 million pledge and believed the churchs Chief Financial Officer was accounting for Cormiers donation. The combined costs of salary, travel, expense accounts and staff to tend to Weems and his wife, Kerri, eventually accounted for about a tenth of the revenue for Celebration, said the report that described the church as having five campuses and 3,745 active members. The church released a 22-page investigative report on. I shall continue a righteous path with a new ministry despite these shameful efforts.. Celebration Church has been under new leadership since 2021. We cannot find one thing in that entire report that would be true, Pastor Stovall Weems told Action News Jaxs Robert Grant. Action News Jax facebook feed(Opens a new window), Action News Jax twitter feed(Opens a new window), Action News Jax youtube feed(Opens a new window), Florida Senator proposes bill to cancel Democratic Party in state, Airport Authority discusses bringing new commercial flights to St. Johns County, FHP: Man dies after FDOT Road Ranger rear-ends truck, pushes him over edge of Buckman Bridge, PCSO: No charges in case of mail carrier mauled by 5 dogs, Deadly crash on Buckman Bridge, vehicle into St. Johns River. Read the full report of the investigation of Celebration Church of Jacksonville below: Weems Investigation Report by ActionNewsJax on Scribd, STAY UPDATED:Download the Action News Jax app for live updates on breaking stories. The News4JAX Morning Show team brings you breaking news from overnight -- local, national and international stories, as well as weather and traffic to start your day. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church. 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. STORY: JSO: Man and woman found dead inside home in Oceanway neighborhood. Stovall and Kerri also lived a lavish lifestyle, according to the report. The investigation, conducted by Nelson Mullins, a South Carolina law firm with a Jacksonville office, also alleges the Weems owe the church a total of more than $3.3 million. Keep watching this space because in the coming days we will begin announcing details about what the new looks like for us., RELATED: Celebration Church founder Stovall Weems quits; vows to 'continue our ministry elsewhere', 'I don't want it in my backyard': Oceanway neighbor raises concerns about proposed Chick-fil-A next to her home, Brunswick woman free of debilitating back pain after receiving spinal stimulation device, Local Weather: Storms northwest of us Thursday , mark our next wind event, Viewing Venus under a telescope in our night sky, 'At stake is control of the church': Celebration Church, founder Stovall Weems embroiled in legal dispute, Celebration Church founder Stovall Weems quits; vows to 'continue our ministry elsewhere'. An email sent by the attorney that closed the sale of the Shellcracker Road property indicated that the Weems Group kept the $430,000 profit it made on the sale. He is captivating teaching, educating, edifying, and leading this church. The trustees analyzed the churchs weakening financial position in December 2021 and discovered the Weemses made several large financial transactions earlier in 2021 without notice to or authorization from the board, according to the churchs motion. The report is a public explanation of a situation the church initially avoided publicizing after Weems was suspended. SKINNER PARKWAY JACKSONVILLE, FL 32256 Get Directions WESTSIDE/ORANGE PARK CAMPUS PASTORS ROBERT AND CARMEN BASS SERVICE SUNDAY MORNINGS // 10:00AM PHONE 904.737.1121 EMAIL The first loan was for $2.2 million and used to pay staff salaries. The church board of trustees authorized an investigation into allegations against the Weems in January 2022. In 2020, Weems drafted a document that instructed the Weemses assistants on how they were to keep each of the three residences so the Weemses would not be bothered during their transitions between homes. Hope youll give us another try and check out some other articles. At one point he suggested the Church needed to learn how to function without any buildings, said the report. David & Angela Daniel Lead Pastors JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The founders of the 12,000-member Celebration Church are suing the Jacksonville megachurch's hand-picked trustees to avoid being . Back in February, the Stovall Weems filed a lawsuit against the church, claiming that when he tried to expose financial misappropriations by church trustee, Kevin Cormier, that Cormier began feeding the other trustees and senior church members lies and misinformation.. The church said the Weemses do not have any authority to live at the Shellcracker Road property anymore because Stovall Weems resigned his positions with the church on April 15 amid a legal battle that includes allegations of financial misconduct, spiritual abuse and defamation. Tim Timberlake was named Weems successor to lead the nearly 12,000-member church. The investigation said the purchase was not disclosed to or approved by the board of trustees. Were so glad youre here! The report said the meeting went well initially but ultimately had no lasting impact and Weems continued to spiral.. STORY: Scooter driver killed in crash on Atlantic Boulevard. The investigation said Weems sold it four months later to Celebration for more than $1.2 million an increase of $431,000. The churchs debt was increased by more than $1 million as a result. PREVIOUS STORY: Pastor resigns amid lawsuit with Celebration Church. Celebration Church is hiring a part-time Children's Minister at two of our campuses. Pastor Tim Timberlake was installed to succeed Weems so that Weems could focus on missions and other initiatives, prior to Weems suspension and eventual resignation. If you need help with WJXTs or WCWJ's FCC public inspection file, call (904) 393-9801. Download The Celebration App to stay informed with the latest news on everything happening at Celebration Church on a global scale. Read: Bank sues former pastor of Celebration Church in Jacksonville for over $700,000 Weems said in April he has nothing to hide. He was fully God but many times we forget the man Christ Jesus. The Shellcracker property was addressed in the suit. As thatinvestigation remains ongoing, the church does not intend to make any further comments about it at this time. So thank God I have a wife who has a great command of human language," he said to cheers from the congregation. It said there is no evidence any improvements have been made to the property and the building departments records do not show any permit applications have been filed for that property. The ideal candidate for the position would have experience in working with children, have a desire to see children reach their full potential in life for Christ, organizational skills, the ability to multi-task, and strong communication skills. Supporters and Misabiko said since Dr.Martin LutherKingJr. stood up for social injustice they will continue to do the same. Despite repeated requests by many, the Weemses refused to take any meaningful time off after the Encounter to process the event.. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. 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. The church hired an attorney to do an internal investigation and the findings were released in April 2022. The churchs purchase of the Shellcracker property was not disclosed to or approved by the board, according to the investigation. 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