Stovall and Kerri Weems Litigations: Accusations, Dismissals, Appeals

Over 3 years after Weems’ suspension from Celebration, disputes over reputation, parsonage, and business continue

Prolonged legal battles surrounding former Celebration Church pastor Stovall Weems and his wife, Kerri, continue to unfold in the courts, with multiple lawsuits, appeals, and dismissals shaping a complex timeline of events.

Screenshot from Instagram / @stovallweems

The latest in a slew of back-and-forth litigations focuses on an appeal of a suit the couple (along with their affiliated entities) filed against the Association of Related Churches (ARC).

Last December, the Middle District of Florida dismissed its lawsuit against the ARC and two of its executives, Chris Hodges (co-founder) and Dino Rizzo (executive director). The Florida court closed the case on grounds of ecclesiastical abstention, concluding that it lacked subject matter jurisdiction. The Weemses filed an appeal the following month.

The controversy began in January 2022, when Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida, suspended Stovall and Kerri Weems, co-founders of the church since 1998, and launched an investigation into their leadership and decision-making. On February 23, the Weemses filed a lawsuit against Celebration Church, seeking injunctive relief and requesting the restoration of their salaries, benefits, and back pay, as well as a return to the status quo that existed prior to their suspension.

Weems resigned from the church the following April. The week after his resignation, the church released a 22-page report detailing the findings of its investigation. Accusations ranged from Stovall Weems leading the church to the brink of insolvency to his creating a culture of fear and intimidation among church staff.

On May 28, the couple filed a defamation lawsuit, alleging the church’s investigation was intended to “destroy Plaintiffs’ livelihood and reputation, discredit them, publicly humiliate them, punish them, and try to prevent them from continuing their ministry anywhere else.”

Around the same time, First Citizens Bank filed a separate lawsuit against the Weemses, claiming they owed over $700,000 in defaulted bank loans.

On June 1, 2022, Celebration Church also filed a lawsuit against Stovall and Kerri Weems, seeking to evict the couple from the church-owned parsonage. The church alleged the couple purchased the home for over $1.2 million without proper approval from its board of trustees. The Weemses countered, saying the property was a gift designated as part of Stovall Weems’ retirement package.

Developments continued: on September 8, a judge dismissed the defamation case filed by the Weemses, and in December, First Citizens voluntarily dismissed its suit after reaching an amicable settlement with the couple.

In July 2023, the Weemses expanded their legal efforts by filing suit against the Association of Related Churches (ARC), ARC leaders Chris Hodges and Dino Rizzo, and ARC Lead Team member John Seibeling—who, according to court documents, was terminated from the suit later on.

The legal conflict with Celebration continued when, on November 3, 2023, the Weemses filed appeals in two related cases—one on behalf of themselves and the other through Stovall Weems’ missional nonprofit, Celebration Global. In an attempt to halt those appeals, Celebration filed a writ of prohibition on February 26, 2024, which the court later denied without prejudice on October 15. Meanwhile, the lawsuit against ARC et al was dismissed on December 19, 2024, with the court citing the doctrine of ecclesiastical abstention.

Undeterred, the Weemses filed a motion to appeal that dismissal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit on January 17, 2025. Separately, the appeals in the two Celebration-related cases were affirmed (per curiam) without a written opinion on February 11, 2025.

As of July 2025, the legal disputes are ongoing. Videotaped depositions are currently underway in the unresolved parsonage case filed by Celebration Church, and an appellate brief was submitted last week in the federal appeal involving ARC, Hodges, and Rizzo.

Below is a general timeline of events:

2022

• January – Celebration Church suspends Weems
• February 23 – The couple files a lawsuit for temporary injunction relief to restore their status in Celebration Church
• April 15 – Weems resigns from Celebration
• May
  • Celebration releases report detailing investigation findings
  • Weemses sue Celebration for defamation
  • First Citizens sues Weemses for defaulted loans
• June 1 – Celebration sues Weemses for rent
• September 8 – Judge dismisses Weems’ defamation suit against Celebration
• December 15 – First Citizens voluntarily dismisses suit due to amicable settlement

2023

• July 12 – Weemses sue ARC, Hodges, Rizzo, and ARC Lead Team Member John Seibeling (terminated March 29, 2024, court documents show)
• November 3 – Weemses file appeal in two related cases against Celebration Church

2024

• February 26 – Celebration files a Writ of Prohibition to stop the appeal
• October 15 – Court denies Writ of Prohibition without prejudice
• December 19 – Court dismisses Weemses vs. ARC et al. suit, citing ecclesiastical abstention

2025

• January 17 – Weemses file motion to appeal court’s decision in U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in their suit against ARC, Hodges, and Rizzo
• February 11 – per curiam affirmed for both related cases against Celebration.
• July
  • Videotaped depositions taking place in stress for the parsonage case against the Weemses, case currently ongoing.
  • Appellate brief for Weems’ case against ARC filed.

In the latest appellate brief, Stovall and Kerri Weems argue their lawsuit against ARC leaders, including Chris Hodges and Dino Rizzo, centers on alleged interference in their business ventures, not church matters, and should not have been dismissed under the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine.

The brief emphasizes that the case does not involve any active church members, theological disputes, or a request for reinstatement at Celebration Church. The brief claims the district court erred by treating the disagreement as a religious conflict rather than a secular business dispute governed by Florida corporate law. The appeal urges the court to reverse the dismissal and allow the case to proceed, particularly to reassess whether key claims were sufficiently presented or deserve a chance to be amended.

In the same month the Weemses filed their initial suit against the ARC and others, Chris Hodges told the Christian Post he was “saddened by the false and misleading allegations made by Stovall Weems in his lawsuit against the Association of Related Churches and its leadership.”

Earlier in the litigation, Celebration Church said it has continued to grow under the leadership of Pastor Tim Timberlake and expressed hope for a peaceful resolution.

A section titled “Overcoming Betrayal and Loss” under Stovall’s story on the about page of Stovall Weems Ministries’ website says, “After pouring 24 years into building a thriving church, we experienced a coup that saw everything we built stolen and defiled by false apostles and criminals.”

In January 2025, Stovall Weems launched Unspeakable Corruption, a website that “addresses corruption in the church.”

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