JACKSONVILLE, Florida – Former pastors of Celebration Church owe more than $ 716,000, according to a lawsuit filed by First Citizens Bank.
The 71-page document states that Stoval and Kerry Weims and their companies are in arrears.
The documents list Weemses, Honey Lake Farms Inc., Weems Group LLC and Northstream Management LLC as defendants.
COURT DOCUMENT: Read the complaint filed by First Citizens Bank
First Citizens Bank said the defendants owed a total of $ 716,123 as of May 5:
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$ 645,281 – due from Honey Lake Farms Inc. and guarantor Stovall Weems (loan and credit card accounts, plus interest, overdue fees and attorneys’ fees)
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$ 50,867 – owed by Weems Group LLC (credit card № 1)
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$ 984 – owed by Weems Group LLC (credit card № 2)
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$ 18,989 – owed by Northstream Management Group LLC (credit card)
“The defendants failed, neglected and refused to pay the plaintiff,” the Bank’s documentation for first citizens said.
The Weemses family must submit a written response to the court by June 12. News4JAX contacted a Weemses spokesman who said he would not comment on the allegations.
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The Weemses are currently in litigation with the church they founded in 1998. They have filed a lawsuit against Celebration Church, alleging that a church trustee improperly charged the church for construction services on her Honey Lake Farms property in Madison County and set other trustees. against him, which led to the removal of Stoval Weims. Stoval Weims was seeking a refund of his salary and pay.
Celebration Church filed for dismissal and accused Stoval Weims of financial misconduct, fraud and spiritual misconduct.
The church said trustees called for an investigation into the founding pastors when they found Wimzes “engaged in a series of dubious financial transactions without the knowledge or permission of the board” in early 2021. The proposal outlines four areas of concern:
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Many large transfers to new for-profit companies that Weemses intended to manage in the future
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Church’s purchase of a pastor (in which Stoval and Kerry Weims had to live without rent) for $ 1,286,863.30, which a company owned solely by Stoval Weims had bought four months earlier for $ 855,000.
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Raising Kerry Weims ‘nine-month salary and Stoval Weims’ seven-month salary in violation of Florida’s statutes and church internal policies, although neither Stoval nor Kerry Weims are fulfilling the duties of the services that justify these salaries
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Improper use of over $ 1,000,000 in the payroll program (PPP) proceeds from a loan to finance Weems-managed Honey Lake Farms LLC and to purchase TurnCoin, an illiquid, speculative digital currency
A Weemses spokesman told News4JAX I-TEAM that the PPP funds did not go to Honey Lake Farms LLC. It states that Honey Lake Farms LLC is different from the non-profit organization Honey Lake Farms, Inc. and never had a bank account. The spokesman also said that the PPP funds were not used in the TurnCoin investment.
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Celebration Church hired a law firm to conduct an internal investigation, and it released the findings in late April.
“The only word most commonly used to describe Stoval Weims is ‘narcissist.’ “Almost every witness we interviewed uses this particular word,” the report said.
The report says that one witness described in detail, often through tears, cases where Stoval Weims personally belittled and humiliated them for minor mistakes or misunderstandings of “Stoval Weims’ inconsistent and confusing directives.”
Another said Stoval Weims instructed an employee to drive to a liquor store late at night and deliver a bottle of bourbon to his house because “he didn’t want to be seen buying alcohol.”
Another said an employee had been instructed to buy a car for Stoval Weims and deliver it to his home. “After the employee delivered the car, as requested, Stoval Weims told him to find his own transport home,” the report said.
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The investigation found that many witnesses described “severe personal pain and pain caused by working for Wimses.”
The investigation report says there are “Hospitality Office” sheets that are “similar to the superb green room riders demanded by celebrities” and that “reflect Wimzes’ enormous rights and self-importance.”
Stoval Weims resigned in April. He said he resigned because “he cannot be legally affiliated with any church in which the leadership abandons clear biblical principles and spiritual qualifications for spiritual coverage, spiritual authority, and church governance and oversight.”
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Tim Timberlake has led the Celebration Church since last year. He was appointed to succeed Stoval Weims months before the court battle was made public. Timberlake spoke at a service in March, assuring the congregation that the church was in order.
No charges have been filed in this case. A civil hearing in the Weemses and Celebration Church case is scheduled for May 31.
A lawyer who is not involved in the case weighs
I-TEAM spoke with a local lawyer about what the latest lawsuit could mean for the Weemses family and their business.
The former pastors of Celebration Church owe more than $ 716,000, according to a lawsuit filed by First Citizens Bank.
Attorney Jean Nichols, who is not involved in the case, reviewed the document. He says that if Weemses does not pay what is due, their personal or business assets could be confiscated.
“So you can expect the bank to try to recover the collateral that may have been provided. We know that some of this money has been used to buy property, potentially as an investment or something for the church, and you can expect the bank to try to seize this property, “he said.
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Nichols says Wimzes has also personally pledged to repay the loans.
“Their personal accounts and their personal money and any assets they personally own can become a problem and be something the bank can look for,” he said.
Nichols says cases like these are usually resolved before they go to court.
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