>> FROM THE LOCAL STATION NEWSFOURJAX. >> A NEWS 4 JAX. I TEAM
INVESTIGATION INVOLVING ONE OF
JACKSONVILLE’S BIGGEST
CHURCHES CELEBRATION. CHURCH
IS IN A LEGAL DISPUTE WITH ITS
FOUNDING PASTORS, STOW BALL
AND KERRY WEEMS. THERE ARE
ALLEGATIONS OF FINANCIAL
MISCONDUCT AND FRAUD. THE
PASTORS SAY THEY HAVE BEEN
THREATENED WITH ARREST IF THEY
GO ON CHURCH PROPERTY. THE
CHURCH SAYS THIS IS THE LATEST
CHAPTER OF A CAMPAIGN OF
DECEPTION BY THE WEEMS IS.
>> NEWS 4 JAX. I TEAM
INVESTIGATOR CORLEY PEEL WENT
THROUGH MORE THAN 100 PAGES OF
COURT DOCUMENTS AND SHE JOINS
US LIVE OUTSIDE THE CHURCH ON
THE SOUTH SIDE WITH WHAT BOTH
SIDES ARE SAYING. CORLEY.
>> THAT SAY THIS STARTED WHEN
A TRUSTEE HERE AT THE CHURCH
STARTED IMPROPERLY BILLING
THEM FOR CONSTRUCTION WORK.
THEY ALSO SAY THEY HAVE NOT
BEEN PAID IN ARE NOT ALLOWED
HERE ON CHURCH PROPERTY, BUT
THE CHURCH SAYS THE WEEKND’S
ARE THE ONES THAT ARE MISUSING
THE FUNDS, INCLUDING PPP
MONEY. THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE
CHURCH FOR COVID-19 RELIEF.
>> PASTORS, STOVALL AND KERRY
WEEMS NOW LOCKED IN A LEGAL
BATTLE WITH THE CHURCH THEY
FOUNDED IN 1998. CELEBRATION.
CHURCH WHICH HAS GROWN TO
NEARLY 12,000 MEMBERS. THEY
FILED THIS LAWSUIT FOR
INJUNCTIVE RELIEF AGAINST THE
CHURCH. ACCORDING TO THE
LAWSUIT, A MAN WHO BECAME A
CHURCH TRUSTEE OFFERED TO
DONATE 1 MILLION DOLLARS IN
CONSTRUCTION SERVICES TO THE
CHURCH’S MISSION HONEY LAKE
FARMS IN MADISON COUNTY THAT
SAY THE CHURCH BEGAN RECEIVING
BILLING INVOICES FROM HIM
WORTH A $700,000.
>> THEY SAY THE MAN WENT BACK
ON HIS PLEDGE AND BEGAN
FEEDING OTHER TRUSTEES BUY-IN
MISINFORMATION AND SET THE
SCENE TO OUST PASTOR SO BALL
IN JANUARY. RECORDS SHOW
STOVALL WEEMS TRIED TO REMOVE
THE TRUSTEE FROM HIS POSITION.
>> ACCUSING HIM OF FRAUDULENT
AND FINANCIAL MISCONDUCT.
INSTEAD, THE LAWSUIT SAYS
RECEIVED A LETTER SAYING HE
WAS SUSPENDED.
>> FOR POSSIBLE IMPROPER
FINANCIAL PRACTICES. THE
COUPLE SPOKESPERSON SENT NEWS
4 JAX, A STATEMENT SAYING IN
PART WE HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE.
WE’RE BEING RETALIATED AGAINST
AND HAVE BEEN DENIED A PROPER
INVESTIGATION.
>> WE REJECT THE BASELESS AND
FALSE ALLEGATIONS MADE AGAINST
S THE CHURCH FILED A MOTION TO
DISMISS THE LAWSUIT. THE
EXECUTIVE PASTOR OF
CELEBRATION, CHURCH WHALEN
WISEMAN ALSO SENT NEWS 4 JAX,
A STATEMENT SAYING IN PART
CELEBRATIONS BOARD OF TRUSTEES
RECENTLY SUSPENDED PASTOR
STOVALL WIENS PENDING AN
INVESTIGATION AND DISCERN
DECISIONS MADE BY HIM IN EARLY
2021. THAT WE’RE NOT IN THE
BEST INTEREST OF THE CHURCH
AND WE’RE NOT APPROVED BY THE
BOARD. THE MOTION SAYS THE
WEEMS INAPPROPRIATELY USE PPP
FUNDS THAT WERE GIVEN FOR
COVID-19 RELIEF. THE NEWS 4
JAX. I TEAM FOUND RECORDS THAT
SHOW THE CHURCH WAS APPROVED
TO RECEIVE MORE THAN 2 MILLION
DOLLARS OF PPP MONEY AND APRIL
TWENTY-TWENTY CELEBRATION
PLANNED TO USE THE MAJORITY
FOR PAYROLL AND THE REST FOR
RENT AND UTILITIES. INSTEAD,
CELEBRATION SAYS THE WEEMS USE
1 MILLION OF THOSE PPP FUNDS
TOWARDS THE HONEY LAKE FARMS.
PROPERTY. ANDREW COYNE HAS
SPECULATED DIGITAL CURRENCY.
THE WEEMS ALSO BOUGHT A
WATERFRONT HOME FOR $155,000.
ACCORDING TO THE MOTION, THE
CHURCH SAYS THE WILLIAMS HAVE
THE CHURCH BY IT FOR OVER A
MILLION DOLLARS TO BE
DESIGNATED AS A CHURCH.
PARSONAGE WHERE THEY WOULD
LIVE RENT FREE. CELEBRATION
ALSO SAYS THE WEEKND’S ADVANCE
THEIR SALARIES BY SEVERAL
MONTHS WITHOUT THE BOARD OF
TRUSTEES. KNOWING.
>> BESIDES ACKNOWLEDGING
PASTOR WIENS SUSPENSION, THE
CHURCH SAYS THAT THEY DO NOT
PLAN TO COMMENT ANY FURTHER ON
THIS CASE. NOW, THE LAWSUIT IS
A CIVIL MATTER. SO NO CRIMINAL
CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED. I
HAVE ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE
BOARD TRUSTEE THAT IS ACCUSED
OF MISUSING FUNDS BY PASTOR
WIENS. BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD
BACK TO READ ALL OF THESE
DOCUMENTS FILED BY BOTH SIDES.
YOU CAN FIND THOSE ON OUR
WEBSITE AT NEWS. 4 JAX DOT COM