Timberlake spoke at a service in March, assuring the congregation that the church is OK. No criminal charges have been filed in this case. Connection and life change may take time and can be found in open, honest conversations. The Weemses are accused of spiritually abusing church staff members, Wedekind said. [2] The first services in the new "Celebration Arena" was held November 11, 2012.[3]. It was a blessing when visiting pastors came because at least the Word preached at church that week. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? READ: Stovall and Kerri Weems injunction. Another recounted that an employee was instructed to purchase a car for Stovall Weems and deliver it to his home. As thatinvestigation remains ongoing, the church does not intend to make any further comments about it at this time. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Its office and Celebration College are at 10302 Deerwood Park Blvd. I think this is wrong. Four months later, in June 2021, property records show Celebration Church purchased the home from Weems Group, LLC for $1,286,900. According to news4jax.com, the report includes allegations of financial misconduct and fraud, among others. Example video title will go here for this video, In the News: National headlines for March 1, 2023. But Wedekind estimated more than 50 people worked at Celebrations multiple Jacksonville locations. 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Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. To find the best group for you, simply click the advanced search tab under the group search bar and complete the filtered search. $400,000) was used for the updating, repairs, and ordinary housing-related expenses such as furniture and landscaping. Celebration Church responded to Weemses lawsuit by asking the court to dismiss it, partly on religious liberty grounds. And in September 2021, the Weemses officially transitioned from their position as lead pastors at Celebration to founding pastors. They appear to be nothing but a footnote written in sand and long forgotten. Renee Beninate is a Florida native and award-winning reporter who joined the News4Jax team in June 2021. A hearing in the case is set for May 20, court records show. The infamous denial of the mega church pastor continues, We reject the utterly baseless and false allegations made against us, Complete lack of leadership accountability once again. But according to a court filing by Celebration Church, the Weemses are spiritually and financially abusive predators who acted like they owned the church and could do with it what they wanted.. As contemplated all along by all parties involved, the home required various updating and repairs. News4JAX reached out to a spokesperson for the Weemses who said they would not comment on these allegations. Too many are yes men and by the time they see something, they realize it shouldve been nipped a while back. We are confident in Gods plan for Celebration and that ultimately truth will prevail.. Improper use of more than $1 million in federal Paycheck Protection Program loan monies. There are certain allegations regarding what I can best characterize as spiritual abuse.. However, in 2020, the Weemses launched AWKNG TV, a Christian not-for-profit streaming network. 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. Their initial lawsuit in March forced into the public what was intended to be an internal investigation by the Board of Trustees. Currently, that investment is worth more than $1.5 million. No One Knows. In addition to financial compensation, the complaint asks for court action "prohibiting the publication or republication of the defamatory narrative and statements.". Like many ARC churches, Celebration Churchs bylaws require overseers, who must be ordained pastors at other churches. The Weemses, who have been ARC leaders for more than a decade, are no longer listed as ARC Lead Team members. that this dispute is fundamentally a religious one over how the church should be run and how its leadership should be held accountable, the churchs motion argues. . They feel most alive when they are pouring back into others, and they seek to glorify God through their lives and . 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. Stovall Weems dismissed the trustee in January over the alleged misconduct, according to the Weemses lawsuit. Celebration is praying for a resolution for all parties involved, the statement said. 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. It also operates in Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Paris, the Netherlands and Zimbabwe, according to the website. To sign up for a group, please follow these instructions: 3. The new complaint seeks damages from the church andtrustees Kevin Cormier, Marcus Rowe, Angela Cannon and Jacob William as well as attorney Lee Wedekind III, who represented the church in answering the Weemses original lawsuit and seeking to have the court case dismissed. Read the rest of this story at WJCT News partner News4Jax. They also said the crypto investment was for a retirement fund for church employees, and wasnt made with PPP funds. 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 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. King said the church will feature a 1,000-seat sanctuary, a preschool and childrens wing for kindergarten through fifth grade, a large youth space and classrooms. The motion outlines four areas of concern: READ: Celebration Churchs motion to dismiss. 3:1-8. In 2021, Stovall Weems transitioned out of the Senior Pastor role and into a Founding Pastor role. Celebration Church on the Southside of Jacksonville. Sherman, I went there for about a 2 years because I wanted to see what my grandchildren were being taught. I pray under Timberlake, maybe they can return to preaching the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 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. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. The filing lists the Weemses, Honey Lake Farms Inc., Weems Group LLC and Northstream Management LLC as defendants. The leadership as a whole sucks and the unsaved world lives better. The spokeswoman for Weems said the church's audited financial reports certified that the PPP money was used for purposes the law allowed. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a15bd6698fd9b5e In her spare time, she enjoys reading, gardening, and coaching high school extemporaneous speaking and debate. What is Celebration Church? This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. She has home schooled her three children and is happily married to her husband of 25 years. Scandals have lately surrounded ARC-affiliated churches and even the ARC itself, arguably North America's biggest church planting organization. No more needs to be said for a House of Hell reserved for. This isnt Apple, Coca-Cola, General Motors, etc.! And people wonder why the nones continue to grow while those affiliated with evangelicalism and Christianity decline. 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.. No PPP funds went to Honey Lake Farms, LLC. Neither allegation is true. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. Thanks Mark, I feel bad for all the other people who got hurt by the church leaders. Tim and Jen Timberlake serve as the Senior Pastors of Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida. 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. 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