Judge rules in cases involving Celebration Church and former pastors

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Duval County judge issued two orders on Friday regarding cases involving Celebration Church and its founding pastors, Stovall and Kerri Weems. The court considered two cases: Defamation claims involving a church investigative report that outlined allegations of spiritual and emotional abuse, financial misconduct, narcissism and more against Stovall Weems and a case that involved a home where the Weemses have been living on Black Hammock Island, which is owned by the church.

Regarding the defamation case, Judge Marianne Aho dismissed the Weemses’ third amended complaint on the matter with prejudice — which means the decision is final, though the Weemses have 30 days to file a notice of appeal. The ruling said the court dismisses the complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, agreeing this would require judgement of a “religious quarrel.” However, the judge acknowledged it is “likely possible” for the court to determine whether the pastors personally benefitted from financial transactions without getting into biblical dogma.

Attorneys for the church interviewed more than 20 current and former senior leadership members, staff, former trustees, other advisors and consultants as part of an internal investigation. It released its report in April 2022, saying Stovall Weems’ leadership was “marked by rampant spiritual and emotional abuse, including manipulation, a profound sense of self-importance and selfishness, superiority and entitlement, overbearing and unreasonable demands on employees’ time, a lack of accountability or humility, and demands of absolute loyalty.”

LINK: Full report of investigation to Celebration Church

Stovall Weems sat down with the News4JAX I-TEAM in January 2023 because he said he wanted to clear his name and restore dignity to his family. Weems founded the church more than 20 years ago and it grew to one of the largest churches in Northeast Florida with multiple campuses. Weems vehemently denied the allegations in the church’s report and says his ouster from the church was an orchestrated coup involving the board of trustees. Weems resigned from his positions at the church after he was suspended.

“It took me 23 years to build these things. I think about this. It’s, like, this, how does this happen? Let me ask you a question. How does this happen? How does a man and his wife that have built and founded an organization in a city they have plenary power according to the bylaws—it means basically that I have the authority. I have all authority, and I have two checks and balances. I have the trustees, and I have my overseers,” Weems said.

According to the church, the overseers have authority over the senior pastor for spiritual and disciplinary matters. Weems later explained how the overseers are chosen.

“They’re nominated by me…and approved by the trustees,” Weems said.

News4JAX said, “So the trustees are chosen how?”

“Nominated by me,” Weems responded.

News4JAX said, “So do you see how that might not be a lot of oversight?”

“No, you know, what I see? … Thank God that I did that for 23 years, or maybe this kind of coup would’ve happened earlier,” Weems said.

Eviction Case Involving Black Hammock Island Property

Regarding the case involving the property on Black Hammock Island, there was a split ruling. The judge said the court is able to rule on five various claims related to parsonage and compensation contracts, resolved entirely on neutral principles of secular law without wading into questions of church governance. Judge Aho said the same is true for the church’s initial claims for eviction and back rent. However, the court dismissed with prejudice six other claims on the complaint, saying the claims are premised on the “underlying power struggle between the Pastors and the Church board.” The judge said tort claims should be dismissed for “lack of subject matter jurisdiction because their adjudication would require this Court to inappropriately referee an internal power struggle between the Pastors and the Church board.”

Celebration Church has issued eviction notices to the Weemses. The pastors said they believe they have a right to live in the home and that it was part of a compensation and retirement package. They originally bought the home themselves before the church bought it from them.

Stovall Weems’ Response To Judge’s Orders

Weems released a lengthy statement on Instagram Friday afternoon in response to the judge’s orders:

“After one year and 10 months since Celebration Church was illegally seized by a group of people engaged in criminal activity, including organized fraud and racketeering, the district court Judge rendered jurisdiction judgements today. These judgements were related to which claims would be heard in court and which in legal arbitration. This ruling involved the civil torts as well as the claims related to the laws of property rights and contracts involved in those cases. At the core of these property and contract claims are the key issue: was Celebration and it’s (sic) assets illegally seized to cover up crime and seize power. We are very pleased that on these core issues of property, contracts and the amount of money and assets we allege were illegally seized will go to court, and a trial by jury. All the rest of our claims involving the torts, such as defamation, the judge dismissed them from being heard in a court with trial by jury. This has nothing to do with the merit of the claims, but jurisdiction as to where the claims would be heard. (ecclesiastical abstention) Therefore, those claims will be heard in legal arbitration, as many cases are. ALL of our claims now have a place to be heard. With the most important in a court of law. Finally we can show evidence and bring everything into the light. THE LORD is exposing corruption in His House! We are very grateful, thank you for your prayers! We knew this day would come!”

What’s Next?

Celebration Church filed a motion Friday in the property case to determine the amount of rent the Weemses might owe on the home the church owns. A court hearing has not been set for that yet. Though these orders resolve the cases at the trial court level, the Weemses have 30 days to file a notice of appeal.

A federal case is ongoing between the Weemses and a church planting organization, the Association of Related Churches (ARC). The Weemses filed a complaint accusing ARC and three other pastors of masterminding a conspiracy to take over Celebration Church and oust the founders from their roles.

Celebration Church has been under the leadership of Pastor Tim Timberlake since 2021.