Celebration Church Founding Pastor Stovall Weems announced his resignation on Monday from his various positions in the said religious organization that is beset with a legal battle.
News4Jax reported that Weems posted the resignation letter on his Instagram account. The resignation, which took effect last April 15, involved Weem's position as CEO, president, chair and member of the board of trustees, senior pastor, and registered agent of Celebration Church Jacksonville.
In the letter, Weems disclosed that the decision took much time in prayer and that it was borne from the need to legally separate himself from the actions of Celebration Church's board of trustees.
"I have spent much time in prayer and received counsel from other pastors here in the city, the region, and around the world. The Trustees' actions leave me and my family with no choice but to legally separate from CCJ and continue our ministry elsewhere, placing ourselves under the proper accountability and oversight of a council of apostolic pastors and elders in our city, nation, and world that understand and model biblical governance," Weems explained.
Weems elaborated that the resignation was absolutely necessary for him to continuously honor God and be truthful to his beliefs. The pastor said he cannot be legally connected to any church whose leadership abandons biblical principles and qualifications for spiritual covering and authority, as well as for ecclesiastical oversight and governance.
In the Instagram post, Weems expressed love for the current staff and congregation of Celebration Church of Jacksonville. He said that he and his wife look forward to seeing them soon since they will remain in Jacksonville to minister, preach, and pastor God's Word. Weems also expressed excitement for an upcoming announcement he will make in the coming days, which alluded to the establishment of a new church.
"We are excited about all that is to come for THE CHURCH (Big C) in our city, region and around the world! Keep watching this space because in the coming days we will begin announcing details about what 'the new' looks like for us. We can't wait to see you and we look forward to continuing the work of the Kingdom alongside you!" Weems declared.
As reported previously, Weems filed a lawsuit against Celebrity Church of Jacksonville Lead Pastor Tim Timberlake regarding the church's leadership. The lawsuit also alleged that Weems was illegally removed by the board of trustees after he questioned the financial abuse of its member Kevin Cormier. Cormier, who Weems endorsed for the post, allegedly covered up his financial abuse and turned the board against him.
The lawsuit surfaced after Weems was suspended as senior pastor of the church out of being accused together with his wife, Kerri, by the board of trustees of financial impropriety. The senior pastor was also banned from the church property. Accordingly, the board of trustees' decisions came after a court filing that investigated the $1.2 million unauthorized transactions of the couple in 2021. This excluded the months of advanced salary payments made to the couple, which violated Florida's statutes and church policies; and investments of $1 million in TurnCoin, which is a digital currency.
The Celebration Church board of trustees alleged that Weems and his wife were not being transparent on the issue and refused to take accountability for it.
On the other hand, Weems attested to his removal as senior pastor from the church. He pointed to the by-laws that indicated his various leadership roles in the church gave him direct access to its finances and freely decide on its usage.
