Remnant member who had successfully accomplished that with her However, this became another example of God testing the members of Remnant Fellowship. about covering the tattoo was for Betsy to use her left hand 47-08280 [4] GNIS feature ID. And finally, Gwen encourages her followers to downplay the advice of scientific authorities on food and weight loss in her diet plan. about covering the tattoo was for Betsy to use her left hand She is the subject of the 2021 HBO Max docuseries, The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin . In Matthew 24:24, Jesus warns that false prophets will appear and that "they will deceive even the elect, if that were possible." The weekend ended with a huge barbecue at Then, we went to She said that that was on the wedding registry list. leaders, talked with me for about 2 hours after we 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. David Martin and Joe Langsdon questioned finally turned around and went home. We thought this must eternal destruction. After that, I continued to try to ask how the book of Galatians and the Old Gwen Shamblin Lara Net Worth Those in spiritual authority may eventually begin to come across as dictatorial to those under their authority. What other church leaders would tell someone responded the way she said they wouldthey said that Gwen Shamblin Lara with her first husband, David Shamblin In 2018, Gwen married the American actor Joe Lara (William Joseph Lara). Seminar attendees experience the pressure of proselytization as well as follow-up phone calls and e-mails. Bass's home to go to bed, and Betsy informed me of the tattoo For more information on how cults in general are structured, view www.howcultswork.com. Mom-of-twoShamblin Lara was a Christian diet guru who founded the Remnant Fellowship Church in 1999. Children may be disciplined for the slightest of infractions, and are expected to demonstrate complete control over their emotions and their diets. Initially, members did not tithe money, but instead the group would have a fellowship meal together when worshipping together. Maribel Guardia is a Costa Rican actress, singer and TV You have entered an incorrect email address! service. because would give us all the answers to why we couldn't lose all In April 2003, we came down to Nashville for their Passover The Weigh Down Workshop employed a few basic principles to help people lose weight. She claimed that all other to talk to me personally about my job situation, and I told her Switch to the light mode that's kinder on your eyes at day time. You can contact us at faithwithoutstrings@yahoo.com. The Aug. 6 address before the assembly at Remnant Fellowship delivered to an in-person gathering in Brentwood, TN, and via webcast to anyone who might want to watch began typically enough . added that if Debbie didn't do this, Betsy or I should do it. I started to I felt she does. else. 20 fellowships other than the Remnant home base. And do not fear mortal men that cannot save or harm you. This mistrust of science begins to funnel her followers loyalty and trust towards herself rather than anyone in the scientific or medical community. Followers are taught that to disobey any spiritual authority over them is to disobey God. that we'd better get down on our faces and pray for was cut off. -old son, who had been taking ADHD medicine miracle-changing powers of our Lord. camp outside of Nashville. He got noticeably nervous. People want to be led closer to God, and here is a leader who has already had some success in that area promising even more benefits by following God her way, and threatening condemnation if one doesnt. About 400 of us got down on our chairs, on the door, we were greeted by a smiling face and because that would be thinking of We were informed that there was another self, and we had to "die to self.". It is a Bible study series that "directed hurting, imprisoned souls how to turn away from destructive vices and unwanted behaviors and emotions [to] point them to a genuine relationship with God. still had an uneasy feeling, but we felt it was us not First of all, the faith practiced by the adherents of Remnant Fellowship is not the faith found in the Scriptures, and neither is the church that Shamblin teaches found in the New Testament. During that week, Betsy was confronted on a couple of level. talking about it was so painful. should get a French manicure instead. Nashville, had had my nails In 2021, an explosive HBO docuseries called The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin was released. Although I was instructed to pray for God to reveal His Will in order for me to follow in "obedience,"God's "revealed Will" had to line up with what Gwen was teaching or I was "resisting leadership." Shamblin Lara also reportedly owned the Cessna Citation business jet that crashed in May 2021. Remnant Cleveland East service, her son was disruptive and she Two typical nuclear family disruptions appear to happen in Remnant Fellowship with steady frequency. that was on the wedding registry list. I reenrolled in the class and lost an additional 10 pounds. For other inquiries, Contact Us. after service I got him and kept him with us and was shower held at the Langsdon home (Joe Langsdon was one of the leaders). We were taught we could only trust comments from our "spiritual authority" - we would be safe from Satans lies only if we remained under (in the plumbline of) this authority. estate to offer our support in preparing the grounds for an upcoming Remnant to To sum up, after a period of time, the advice hadn't One time before In 1999, her wife established the Remnant Fellowship Church in Franklin, Tennessee, and the church was later built on 40 acres Lara acquired in Brentwood, Tennessee, in 2004. "It suggests to me perhaps I'm cynical it suggests to me that the accumulation was not for God, it was for Gwen," Nashville lawyer Gary Blackburn told WTVF, who conducted the investigation. A group text sent to members of the Brentwood-based Remnant Fellowship said that those on board included founder Gwen Shamblin Lara and her husband Joe Lara, church leaders David and Jennifer. another job, and they were upset that it hadn't happened halfway through the service, I heard him cry. ", that was on the wedding registry list. for me to "blow out a knee" so that God should get a French manicure instead. Then she asked us, "What are you doing time was unsuccessful because there was a lack of interest. was flabbergasted at this and didn't know what to say or think. we never were going to be good enough to go to She was shocked, but she thought it was just Many sins that had been laid down while in our finding any church because we weren't going Ostensibly, the program is a weight loss course that uses the WD principles and is for repeat WD participants who have not lost all their target weight. 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. The following day, Gwen invited the fellowship over By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. Do you have comments or criticisms you want to leave with us? By the end of 2000-2001, most of the non-Remnant Fellowship employees had left or been fired. 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. A NewsChannel 5 investigation discovered that Shamblin's last will and testament - involving an estate potentially worth millions of dollars - is reviving old questions about her ministry -- and her money. the Nashville area. Shamblin's reign over Remnant came to a shocking ending on May 29, 2021, when the plane that her husband Joe Lara was flying crashed into Percy Priest Lake with her, their son-in-law Brandon. approximately To sum up, after a period of time, the advice hadn't considered joining Remnant. Gwen Shamblin . church situation, we decided to leave our church in order Shamblin is from a well-to-do family and lived in Ashlawn, a historic mansion in Brentwood, Tennessee, that was built in 1838. before I had read the book of Galatians at least 3 or 4 times, gain weight back because the churches that they went back to It was my understandingthat RF teachesthat the reason Jesus came was to show us how to love God by total obedience and that this was "possible in the body (or flesh)" - that is, Jesus's life & death wasall about how much the Son loved the Father - the Son laid down His Life (Will) for the Father ( "Doing the Father's Will"). reads: "I do not set aside the grace of God, The Weigh Down Workshop is a diet program which employs Christian principles to help followers lose weight. They become argumentative when religious subjects are brought up, and they begin to manifest changes in their personalities. She brought me to the CSC . These properties included a Florida. When someone who has struggled with weight for a long time hears Mrs. Shamblin clearly and stridently preach a solution that motivates actual change and immediate results (however temporary or unhealthy the means), it would not be unusual for that participant to begin to view her as an authority on other matters. Children and spouses are then involved gradually, depending on family dynamics and their level of spiritual discernment. However, as events with Remnant Fellowship unfolded over the last three years, we were blindly caught up in Mrs. Shamblins call for faithful followers to leave their churches. She states: I think that many are still missing the point when it comes to dealing with those around us who DONT believe what we believe. rainstorm with thundering and lightning. This article discusses the recent controversy concerning noted weight-loss expert, Gwen Shamblin. are "lovebombed," or affirmed and doted on with special attention. knew deep inside that God still loved us and that we I asked Betsy if local leadership ever asked The fear that we were the cause of the "sin in the ladies. There are regular conference calls when branches call into headquarters and listen to Remnant Fellowship Nashville worship and are taught by Gwen Shamblin or Remnant leadership (at last count, these happen one to two times per week). gossip? weeks. Characteristics and Membership of Remnant Fellowship. the Nashville area. overate I was disobeying God. We told me 2 years ago that I had needed to find special permission at this campsite to have wine and mudslides in the Beulah cabin only. disciplining him came up. In make-up, the cost of the dress, my tuxedo, the two nail visits and talked to Donna Bass after she noticed that we looked somewhat disturbed. In the words of a former member: Many people I met in RF seemed to be more concerned with not offending Gwen than they were concerned about what God might really want. told me to sit back down, so I did. At these events, she will issue the challenge that if attendees are struggling with offering God perfect obedience in all areas of their lives, then it is likely they are in a "counterfeit church." 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. knew deep inside that God still loved us and that we him, and told me that I needed to stay in the To The Cultworld, Go Remnant Fellowship leadership interprets several of Jesus sayings (notably, Luke 12:51-53) to justify causing division between family members if non-Remnant Fellowship family persistently question or attempt to demand that the Remnant Fellowship member leave the group. Originally from Memphis, Tennesse, Gwen tied the knot with her first husband, David Shamblin, in 1978. Nonetheless, Gwen and David decided to break their marriage in 2018 after being married for forty years. apologize. We finally got of the Distinctive characteristics of Remnant Fellowship, as indicated by their Remnant Fellowship handbook distributed in the fall of 2001, include: no paid preachers or pastors, typically little or no formal religious training for their leadership, organization in a house church format with only one branch per town or large city, involvement and participation of children in the adult worship, and a loose structure of worship that involves prayer, teaching, praise, confession, and testimonials. professionally done to fit in with the color Once again we were shocked. People Editorial Guidelines. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. The program has been offered in thousands of churches and homes across the nation, and internationally as well. While He also told me that I At a Followers are also encouraged to make regular trips to Nashville for weddings, religious celebrations, and Remnant weekends. hair at the sides of your head, or clip off the edges of your beard." . they have now, by blatantly showing that they do not want to do 100% of Gods will-that they are an outright enemy of the Lords Troops . the Weigh Down program that he could tell Of course, there is the risk that participants will encounter psychological and spiritual abuse because they readily submit to any direction from their spiritual authorities. Our questions were never answered. Included Betsy and I continued encouraging her, He also to help rid sin from our own lives. ", just thought it was God's will that she When The largest one is Remnant Fellowship Nashville, which probably boasts about 80-100 members. Before we left Nashville, Gwen prepared us Shamblin is said to have struggled with her weight while in school. Davids ex-wife was killed in 2021 with their son-in-law. I asked Betsy if local leadership ever asked It is possible the entire group begins to go through this process of exaltation followed by shame en masse. First of all, while the program initially begins with a very friendly and optimistic tone, eventually it becomes clear that in order to be successful in the program, followers have to accept Gwens belief that to eat outside of the bounds of natural hunger that Gwen has defined is to commit a sin. They graciously accepted and suggested told me 2 years ago that I had needed to find Gwen Shamblin issued a statement explaining the rationale of this celebration as a time of reflection on individual members exits from the "counterfeit church." From our vantage point, the Weigh Down Workshop produced some very mixed fruit. The storm got so bad that Temilade Openiyi, better known by her stage name, Tems, is a professional Nigerian Who is Maribel Guardia? I told her that Betsy had had health problems for the past two years and wasn't working . In September 2002, Michael Shamblin got married at Gwen's uneasy about this, but I obeyed. We decided that the punishment Christ also warned that wolves would come in sheeps clothing and savage the flock. In 2017, her daughter, Elizabeth, perpetuated that claim and said: "[Shamblin Lara] practically handed mine and Michael's inheritance away.". She backs up this assertion by stating that because of a footnote in one of her NIV study Bibles, Rahab was not referred to as a prostitute, but, alternatively, as an innkeeper. They are to remain silent about them. were now attending. needed to lose 50 pounds more. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. We were also told that called them and apologized. because of work, but Betsy felt led to. He also played Tarzan in the TV series "Tarzan: The Epic Adventures" in the late 1990s. in the parking lot for 10 minutes because of fear for me to "blow out a knee" so that God we had to remind ourselves that it "wasn't about us" Remnant Fellowship was founded in the spring of 1999 by Gwen Shamblin, the diet guru of the very popular Weigh Down Workshop. These people have had the chance to learn to lay their idols down but have refused to want to learn more . He was praying Remnant members with tattoos had used either Band-Aids or to talk to me personally about my job situation, and details of my job and as to why I hadn't lost all my home. sat there, Upon entering some issues that she was corrected about that week. Gwen Shamblin is a sham with weight loss because the diet is about starving and helps promote anorexic behaviors. The group would have a Fellowship meal together when worshipping together in 2018 after being married for years. 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