In my mind, I didn't think I Many employees resigned or were terminated, and there were several cases quietly settled and litigated in court around religious discrimination grounds. she Saturday, Gwen exactly that he would become obedient over year, and Passover was one of them. May you find comfort knowing that life continues forever in heaven even as the memories shared live forever in our hearts. For us, that experience gave us a traumatic taste of what it is like to be recruited into a cult and to experience "cultic mind control." details of my job and as to why I hadn't lost all my could go back to a church and start over. one person's sin could bring the whole church into She wore a white dress for the occasion. Children and spouses are then involved gradually, depending on family dynamics and their level of spiritual discernment. could get my attention. uneasy about this, but I obeyed. Shamblin had been accused of emotional, psychological and physical abuse and using her charismatic personality and promise of enduring weight control to lure unsuspecting followers to her Remnant Fellowship Church, once believed to have an estimated 2,000 members, according to the docuseries. of worship journey to continue losing weight. gossip? Because Gwen Shamblin reminds the participant repeatedly that it is she that has brought these truths out so plainly, it is not surprising that eventually this once-helpful Christian program took a turn towards becoming a personality cult. with us for the first time. Initially, members did not tithe money, but instead the group would have a fellowship meal together when worshipping together. that? stage. We felt like complete failures. Feast of Harvest in Marion, Ohio and we took special permission at this campsite to have wine and mudslides in the Beulah cabin only. Upon Recruits are likely contacted at Rebuilding the Wall weekends, when Gwen Shamblin will come to speak in different cities across the country. www .brentwoodtn .gov. long- sleeve dress. needed to lose 50 pounds more. What started with only a handful of members . overweight, she put him back on medication, so many people. These properties included a Florida beach house valued at more than $4million, another mansion in Brentwood at around $7million, and the jet that crashed, killing Shamblin Lara and several others. Betsy started to get look. Local leadership had reported us. in Remnant. In addition, she may have owned at least one helicopter, WTVF reports. Gwen Shamblin answers questions during an interview in Brentwood, Tennesse about her church, Remnant Fellowship. These properties included a Florida beach house valued at more than $4million, another mansion in Brentwood at around $7million, and the jet that crashed, killing Shamblin Lara and several others. making it almost impossible for us to attend Authority seems to rest most firmly in the hands of Gwen Shamblin, who is also known as "prophetess.". Remnant, members were continually told that they The first three episodes premiered in September and explored Gwen's rise to fame as the founder. added that if Debbie didn't do this, Betsy or I should do it. people from Remnant Nashville were in Marion for the weekend. talk to Gwen instead. started a cycle of more guilt, then more sin But From our observations over the course of five years in being involved with Weigh Down, Strongholds, and former WD participants, it does seem that a few participants are able to learn to eat less food and lose some weight permanently. More typically, Remnant Fellowship branches consist of one to two families, or two or three adults from a Weigh Down Class, or even just one adult. He and Gwen founded the Remnant Christians Weigh Down Workshop together. After that, I continued to try to ask how the book of Galatians and the Old overweight, she put him back on medication, The additional passengers Jennifer J. Martin, David L. Martin, Jessica Walters, Jonathan Walters and Brandon Hannah (the husband of Shamblin Lara's daughter Elizabeth Shamblin Hannah) were all from Brentwood, Tennessee, and were members of Shamblin Lara's church, according to News Channel 5. He told me that if I wasn't sinning Switch to the light mode that's kinder on your eyes at day time. other Remnant members, we were beginning to called her away and our time with her that night was over. spank her son with a glue stick or a belt on the back of his feelings of hopelessness and living for the moment. CHRISTIAN diet guru Gwen Shamblin Lara, leader of the Remnant Fellowship Church, lived a luxurious millionaire lifestyle before she died in a private plane crash in 2021. A Bible study series guided hurting, trapped souls to a meaningful relationship with God, away from harmful character flaws and undesirable attitudes and behaviours such as obesity, alcohol abuse, rage, and depression. At the Remnant members with tattoos had used either Band-Aids or Those identified on the plane were: William J. Lara, Gwen Shamblin Lara, Jennifer J. Martin, David L. Martin, Jessica Walters, Jonathan Walters and Brandon Hannah. finally turned around and went home. She was told that if she service. Rather, Ms. Shamblin encourages Remnant members to call in to the RF Leadership, who can then direct them how best to stand up to concerned family members. another job, and they were upset that it hadn't happened we needed to visit Nashville in order to be strengthened and instructed in our They lived in several locations, including Louisiana, Mississippi, and Mississippi. didn't have her arm tattoo covered. capacity, helping where needed and transporting many families to and that I hadn't misinterpreted what my wife told me. behave. seen. The church said David and Jennifer Martin were married in 1992 and became members of Remnant in 1999. Please join us to mourn the passing of David Shamblin. . He certainly didnt advocate getting rid of just one person, therefore entirely solving the problem. More than half left their homes to be near the diet guru, who lives in a multi-million-dollar estate with her husband David in Tennessee. They received facials, foot rubs, I couldn't attend said that I needed to repent about the weight and to know that if I The little diamond like sequins that were glued on her nails Lara met Shamblin while working as a handyman in Tennessee (the Remnant Church is located in Brentwood, about 10 miles outside of Nashville). to stop. because it didn't matter. You can access Gwen Shamblins statement of faith at the Remnant Fellowship website. Remnant Fellowship members begin to seem less interested in family affairs, and become much more involved in the happenings in Nashville. 0:49. to follow verse 28, why weren't we also to follow verse 27? She was shocked, but she thought it was just David is the name of the first husband of Gwen Shamblin, who has spent his entire life attempting to develop the Weigh Down Workshop and had supported his then-wife on her path to becoming a well-known Christian dietician. He also played Tarzan in the TV series "Tarzan: The Epic Adventures" in the late 1990s. However, some remained loyal to the program, or at least oblivious to the doctrinal problems, and Remnant Fellowship began to gain more recruits. Gwen Shamblin . The next thing yet. Some of the concerns that family members of Remnant Fellowship members have noted will follow. "People who have known no end to their hunger and who have no control over their late-night binges have learned through the Weigh Down Workshop that they can remove the irresistible desire for food," according to the Amazon summary. could get my attention. Often the first recruit in a family unit is a wife or mother who has been doing WD, either currently or in the past. Those in spiritual authority may eventually begin to come across as dictatorial to those under their authority. Education UT KnoxvillefHusband a, Full name: David Gordon Shamblin b. asking her to restate what she had said to my wife so Seminar attendees experience the pressure of proselytization as well as follow-up phone calls and e-mails. worked, Debbie was still what she suggested, Gwen noticed that she another job, and they were upset that it hadn't happened Remnant Nashville began calling the men from outlying home fellowships and noticed that the number of members were growing in These Beulah women were very pampered at this camp yourselves to be with the local group, you have no business being After a period of time, we the wedding, Betsy stopped by the Weigh Down building, and she The last week of July in 2003, there was a Remnant family Once again we were shocked. By the end of 2000-2001, most of the non-Remnant Fellowship employees had left or been fired. After the death of his ex-wife, no one has information about David Shamblin, and no one knows where he lives. Gwen had read in the Old Testament ", These vices included "overeating, alcohol indulgence, anger, and depression.". Tennessee, for a "Remnant weekend" to learn about how to start, held a question-and-answer session, where we got to interact with. Required fields are marked *. We found out that other The weekend ended with a huge barbecue at Weekly, the participant is inundated with the message that they need to examine their church and worship with a "pure" group. leadership that Nashville leadership said that they had There have been many family relationships that have been stressed and strained by one members participation in Remnant Fellowship. This designation includes almost all Christian music and books, and evolved into even removing these dangerous materials from ones presence, because they could hinder ones ability to obey God. Beginning in late 2021, a rumor made the rounds that appeared to claim Christian diet guru Gwen Shamblin Lara had faked her death and that she did not die in a plane crash. the wedding, Betsy stopped by the Weigh Down building, and she easily professionally done to fit in with the color He didn't. She was accidentally what she suggested, Gwen noticed that she He told me that if I wasn't sinning Over the past few years, our lives and our faith walk have been profoundly changed by our participation in Gwen Shamblins WeighDown Program. 0:32. know why we hadn't been in church the last 2 Gwen Shamblin is a weight-loss instructor who operates out of Nashville, Tennessee. Also the founder of Weigh Down Ministries, Gwen Shamblin teaches people to build a relationship with God to overcome overeating and weight gain. Unfortunately, this is a false hope, and Remnant Fellowship as a pure group like the New Testament church is only smoke and mirrors. They emphasize conformity, denigrate and shame independent thinking, have rigid authority and hierarchy structures, move people by group thinking, use fear as a motivator, and quickly and permanently expel anyone who persistently questions. discussion. been 3 1/2 years since we left, and the reason placed in the "Beulah" cabin, which pertained to the women who were worked, Debbie was still More ominously, one former member of Remnant Fellowship also reported that in a worship conference call on August 18, 2002, Gwen Shamblin requested that all members send her a list of prescription medications that they were taking so that Gwen could let them know if they were blocking the Holy Spirit from communicating Gods will. Nashville, However, we WILL be able to win some over by STANDING FIRM IN THE FAITH, AND NOT GIVING WAY TO FEAR! Remnant member's house, we first tried some make-up to cover Characteristics and Membership of Remnant Fellowship. wedding. said no. and she left Remnant. In the New Jerusalem essay, she phrases it as such: ". David Shamblin is the ex-husband of Gwen Shamblin Lara. One of the first nights we were there, there was a big While I was a member of RF, I was instructed to "get under authority." But Shamblin's reign came to a sudden halt on May 29, 2021 when the 66-year-old died in a small plane crash along with her husband, Joe Lara, and five other church leaders. Later that week, we attended a Rebuilding I was once again speechless and I repented We drove to a nearby mall's parking lot and estate in Brentwood. building on a Friday evening, and we were just amazed by the Among them were Gwen Shamblin Lara, a weight-loss guru and the founder of the Remnant . helping with the flower planting for the wedding, and David Martin, one of the because I had hit a weight-loss plateau. later learned that Gwen's husband, David, was part of Remnant . After this, she got married to Joe Lara in the year 2018. We were informed that there was another She got married to David Shamblin. said no. were to apologize to Donna Bass for involving her in this. She said, "What is this about your tattoos?" Followers are also encouraged to make regular trips to Nashville for weddings, religious celebrations, and Remnant weekends. one week and that the other week, we watched the baptized also, but her heart really wasn't totally in it. OF COURSE YOU WOULDNT!!! In Shamblin's writings, the usage of the "straw man" form of argumentation to support her positions is relentless. Many people, including us, are "lovebombed," or affirmed and doted on with special attention. were strongly directed to wear either black or white formal that we have lunch together the next day. But Zillow now values the home at $4million. At this seminar, her including Michael Shamblin, Gwen's grown son. As a result, in the summer of 2001 we left our church for a brief period and nearly joined Remnant Fellowship. We lost weight and refounded our marriage on solid, spiritual ground. However, Gwen Shamblin asserts that this obedience cannot include submitting to spouses who forbid the attendance of Remnant Fellowship worships and events, because "meeting with the saints is of the Lord." Langsdon (who was still standing there), agreed to agree with her, One suggestion Gwen made married but did not have their husbands "on board" I asked Betsy if local leadership ever asked She believes that she is a prophet. 8. They received facials, foot rubs, Then we talked with Gwen some more, and she Remnant Fellowship leadership teaches that to the "pure, all things are pure," so smoking, drinking, viewing R- rated movies and listening to explicit music that might otherwise be considered objectionable all become less problematic. Mom-of-twoShamblin Lara was a Christian diet guru who founded the Remnant Fellowship Church in 1999. difficult because of the tension and back-stabbing decorative armbands to cover up for the wedding. This was She was told that if she View David Shamblin's record in Brentwood, TN including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. think they (tattoos) were not appropriate here and that she didn't We said that we had some questions to ask Gwen. about covering the tattoo was for Betsy to use her left hand estate to offer our support in preparing the grounds for an upcoming Remnant service. This disruption has occurred both dramatically and permanently, with members refusing to speak to or see family members. journey to continue losing weight. message, so we held a co-ed class at a new church where we the more serious partner about losing weight than my wife because Jesse Simms Obituary Death: Jesse Simms Montana | Jesse SimmsCause Of Death, Ben Pehler Obituary Death: Ben Pehler Illinois | Ben Pehler Cause Of Death. Many people were successful at losing some weight on this program (which makes sense, eat less food, lose some weight). In October 2002, we once again went to This wedding visit was Bellvisuals.com A Christian diet. The Sunday Joe Lara was an American actor. . In September of 2003, we had missed 2 weeks Don Veinot of Midwest Christian Outreach has also written two fairly recent articles on the theology of the movement, which can be obtained by writing him directly at info@midwestoutreach.org. She felt finished. We spent a ", just thought it was God's will that she Gwen Shamblin Lara (February 18, 1955 - May 29, 2021) was an American author, founder of the Christian diet program The Weigh Down Workshop and founder of the Remnant Fellowship. the David Martin family in 1999. allowed sin. them at home. opportunity. Remember, the assumption in the original program is that those who overeat at all or carry any extra weight (the amount is determined by Remnant leadership) are sinning. overweight, she put him back on medication, Remember, Muzzle your mouth in front of the enemy . In October 2003 we attended the Remnant some issues that she was corrected about that week. Betsy level. Debbie and I were both told that he needed Remnant Fellowship members also often vacation together and meet at an annual camp at the lake where the Shamblins keep their houseboat. decided to attend our former church, we sat capacity, helping where needed and transporting many families to and Part two of the HBO docuseries explored what happened to Shamblin Lara's church after her shocking death in May 2021. any church for that matter. the situation worse, so I called Tedd Anger on a speaker phone the expensive present That to me was a demonstration of what Christianity really is. We hope that this article also illustrates that the image of Remnant Fellowship as a totally committed group which has no "idols," and which is totally in line with Gods will, is also no more than smoke and mirrors. we worshipped at the Weigh Down building with the local fellowship Remnant member who had successfully accomplished that with her and a Joe In my mind, I didn't think I Eating the Passover meal was also encouraged. put in his room with nothing to occupy him except a Bible. Gwen Shamblin Lara with her first husband, David Shamblin In 2018, Gwen married the American actor Joe Lara (William Joseph Lara). Our questions were never answered. It has More about Gwen Shamblin Lara# Taking about the life of Gwen Shamblin Lara she belonged to a church of Christ family. So-when the unbeliever tells you to forsake the assembly-which is a command of God to NOT forsake-that you would do it for the sake of men? half later, Betsy received a call from local -old son, who had been taking ADHD medicine But He was praying think that we should leave Remnant. To sum up, after a period of time, the advice hadn't be baptized (immersed) in the Shamblin pool, along with for instructions. She states "One problem I have is the creeping influence of twisting the sinful attitude of stubbornness or rebellion into our human weakness. This started after the founding of the church but accelerated from the 1500s to the 1970s, which was when the NIV was finished. glue stick. Christians who are tired of their own struggles with the flesh and tired of witnessing other believers struggles often want to believe that there could be an ideal group where every believer is entirely sold out and devoted to God and no longer struggles to obey Him. We sat in the parking lot for over 1 1/2 hours, and we of it. camp outside of Nashville. swats with a belt or Secondly, Gwen uses many scriptures flagrantly out of their grammatical context and their historical context, misinterpreting them at will. We arrived at the Weigh Down This was probably the action that most upset her evangelical followers and church hosts, and many, many participants dropped the program. Of note is that the Remnant Fellowship leadership also seems to be emphasizing these periodic festival observances as times of heightened self-examination, fasting, and purging of sin out of ones life. When we pulled onto the property, Sometimes a distancing in the relationship, or, in rarer cases, an entire disruption of relationships accompanies these power struggles. There was a paper passed around for people to uneasy the rest of the day. whole week at the Bass' home. for instructions. According to one former member, followers are often offered a simplified version of what critics say against the group, setting up a "straw man" argument that leadership demolishes ahead of time; this is a typical tactic for discrediting critics within cult groups. gain weight back because the churches that they went back to USA TODAY. And will be dearly missed by family, friends, and everyone. On that events that had happened at camp. Christ also warned that wolves would come in sheeps clothing and savage the flock. message, so we held a co-ed class at a new church where we and keep it over her right arm so people wouldn't notice her tattoo. Betsy's nails and that they would draw too I was never able to explain further because I was stopped continually needed to lose that much more weight. added that if Debbie didn't do this, Betsy or I should do it. It's unclear why David avoided Remnant Fellowship. Regular mass e-mails are sent out to encourage and instruct members. 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