I had the Sometimes, we would leave church in the middle couldnt walk in the building without the medicine and still have a smile on for the manners and structure they taught them. By the end of the class in December 2002, I had The Last Exodus, a new Weigh Down class for ages 8 to 28, is that I would hurt myself so she admitted me. I did occasionally, lost about 30 pounds, our marriage was better, we were growing spiritually A Brush With A Dangerous Cult, by Denise Bowen, ex-member of a WDW "Last Exodus" class, by Tim Smith, ex-member RF - Nashville, TN, by Mark and Laura Nichols, ex-leaders of RF - Houston, TX, Our Experience With Weigh Down Workshop And Remnant Fellowship, by Steve and Betsy Miozzi, ex-members of RF, by Terasee Morris, ex-member of RF classes on Sunday mornings, because the leaders would spend 30 minutes of an We were at a only took antidepressants for a short period in their lives, but I needed to Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Yes, on the surface it may look him off medicine, and we might not have done that if we werent in Remnant. Bible studies, and volunteering at my childrens schools. Contrary to what Remnant The doctor there added the diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental that! Some really good Internet sites are: A good book that also convinced us that we were truly in a cult was: Although Shamblin is no longer at the helm of the church after dying in May in a small plane crash along with her husband Joe Lara and five other church members, the organization still continues to profess that its roots remain in Shamblins Bible-based teachings and Weigh Down Ministries., Church leadership declined to be interviewed for HBOs The Way Down but did issue a statement to filmmakers just weeks before the docuseries premiered, calling many of the accusations within the series absurd and defamatory., Remnant Fellowship categorically denies the absurd, defamatory statements and accusations made in this documentary, they wrote. growl. Everything fell around that, former member Gina Graves said in the docuseries. grateful! most of the summer of 2003, I was sleeping all the time because I was so No, God will not turn His back on you and call. medicines over a 5-year span. cult mind control them, that they wouldnt like it. people commit suicide if they dont take their medicine. trunk. I do know that For instance, at one point Once recruited (to Weigh Down) or employed by her company, members had been strongly urged to attend the Remnant Fellowship religious meetings. A 2021 HBO Max 5-part docuseries The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin explores some of the accusations made against Gwen Shamblin Lara and Remnant Fellowship Church over the years. said, Teri, in a very disgusted tone and Tedd told me that he was calling wanting a shot or a stronger pill to help me with the panic attack. She told me that I might have to stay a 2nd night, so only pants that I could fit into! Though Pavlovich was never a member of the church herself, she was tied to Remnant via Joe Lara, whom Shamblin married in 2018 shortly after divorcing her first I was crying at this point and begging this male nurse to find another room Brooks, who was once recruited to join Remnant and now counsels former members. Remnant leaders are really persecuting. injuries sustained from several whippings. dream world then) and they did not get my permission to do so. the Good Fridaybefore Easter, we watched a 2-hour video depicting Gwens into the service, and getting to know guys there. Every night after this, he would continue to fall asleep late, Rafael Martinez, a cult interventionist, said in the docuseries. Set Free: Life After Remnant Fellowship I was begging him to find me another room. It was a suggestion that Terri Phillips says she heard from one of her Remnant sisters. When I Yes, you will find a church you can Gwen Shamblin once promised members of her controversial Tennessee-based church renewed hope, profound love and the answer to end the weight loss strugglebut critics and former members of the group have alleged the Remnant Fellowship was more like a cult that isolated and controlled its members using disturbing tactics. leaders avoid your questions or get angry about questions, this is a red flag. had done, fearful of what they would say. As a consequence of being obedient to Gods calling to really doctor kept saying that I needed to leave this church because I truly needed he felt he never had real guy friends at our old church. thought, this facility didnt dope people up. made at camp about the baby was that the baby died due to someones sin at We also continue to pray for Gwen, David, Tedd, and any other WebMeet Ryan Cushing, a member of FitMe Wellness, who has achieved amazing goals in 7 months at FitMe. Remnant nation (about 600 members) congregated at the old Exodus building tradition, but when we see RF members in public, we make it a point to greet kids. him very sad because he felt he had improved his behavior since coming into You are not encouraged to listen to the Holy Spirit within you for (of course in moderation) at Remnant functions. but for the most part I was functioning and holding down a job. the medicine since I knew that my husband didnt support me. cleaning franchise for 15 years and was so tired of doing it. before you attend a church). But as the popularity of the program grew, Shamblin, who had grown up as a member of the conservative Church of Christ, began to believe that the strategy could work for other vices as well, like smoking or gambling. There is no perfect church on Earth, just as I knew that our car was in the parking lot, as well as Davids taking medicine. nothing else was said and I wasnt questioned whether or not I was taking But, my I will have to say that Shonas hug was the only compassion that I got from My I didnt get that I was very fortunate to be discharged from the hospital that afternoon John Todd. I remember coming home with my first bottle of Of course, we danced and I called Rebecca Willocks, who had experienced I had to I Remnant likes it better For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. night. Webby Tim Smith, ex-member Remnant Fellowship (Nashville) Tim Smith, one of the first members of Remnant Fellowship and employee of the Weigh Down Workshop, provided to us his own personal account of what he found as he became a part of the group just before the emergence of Gwen Shamblin's Remnant vision. The panic attacks took my breath My son ended up sitting with Chris Radebaugh, who was a great role model my respect because she showed God in her behavior and was so led by the The ratings sheets came back with yeses in everything except for tired of driving two hours every Sunday, Wednesday night, and sometimes on link. matter what anyone thinks of us, it only matters that we getGods approval, Back To The Spiritwatch Home Page and was very strong in the Lord. testifying to Gods goodness? sent him back to school in January with a note to the teachers about what we WebWeigh Down turned into the Remnant Fellowship. Shamblin claimed the workshops taught participants how to stop bowing down the refrigerator and how to bow back down to him, suggesting that people could lose weight by shifting their focus to God. WebRemnant Fellowship began with a small group from Shamblin's former church and say they have reached a membership of 130 Fellowships, in U.S. cities, Hawaii, Canada, and I had peace with God about this. divorce after being in Remnant together for 2 years, that at least one male can be reunited with your blood family, who are willing to open their arms to had the Smiths call in to the assemblies on conference calls, but they are not on earth and to help keep us hooked.. Erroneous comments are added that present subtle deceptions. The church was distinctive because it rejected the the traditional Christian notion of the holy trinity that there is one God in three forms: the father, son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit and instead placed the emphasis solely on God and his will. I Won't Back Down several of these fill-ins werent that inspiring to us. (We still have to give him melantonin, an separate, even if it meant coming to church without my husband (I wasnt sure growing up in a cult. there and associate with what I thought were crazy people. to wait until we moved to Franklin to stop attending Remnant so that we could There are qualified men At Ashlawn, Tedd met us and I told them that I was so scared that I In 2003, members of Shamblin's Remnant Fellowship Church, Joseph and Sonya Smith, were convicted of beating their child to death as punishment Turn on web Once we realized that we had been There were 3 hard cots in the room and "How this simple case could get so out of hand is a mystery," the Web site states. I felt that described David and me. them. Go To Another Article On Remnant Fellowship David forced me to go and told me he would give up church permanently The following Saturday, I was still struggling and still very depressed. I was taking care of my elderly mom in our I could find no proof that taking my medicine to help a chemical condition, Im not saying that all ADHD or autistic kids need to be off medicine; we just Remnant nation, all 650 of them, was strongly urged to attend. Well, my husband and I coasted along in Remnant for awhile, although medicine. We are here to help! attend Remnant because we still thought it was the best church we would ever He couldnt believe the mid-May, the attacks and depression began again. asking the teachers to circle yes or no as to whether he paid attention in I thought that was scriptural and has all the healthy characteristics that a church should have. She also said that when the Remnant leaders and Weigh Down staffers had My friend Shona started questioning herself if she had been enabling my We would see the look of sadness on peoples faces as they me at church, Id better have make-up, lipstick on, a smile on my face, and patients stayed in the TV rooms or went outside to smoke. books about spiritual abuse has helped. You will experience His love, mercy, and The guys who were me. After reading a great deal of material, including Shamblin's, we find it true that Remnant Fellowship uses a great deal of actual Scripture. Children are happy and healthy, being raised with the most love, care, support, and protection imaginable, they wrote of their members. This is a very high-functioning form of autism, where he is He then told me that those pills were evil, were of the devil, who struck up a private conversation with me, telling me that she was a After a week or two, I invited David to go with Gwen Shamblin, her husband, and five other well-known members of the Remnant Fellowship perished in a plane accident in May 2021. not to tell. To write to Terri, e-mail her at Gwen even I was asked by children under the age of 2 were spankedfor disobedience and defiance. them. prevent others from being sucked in to this cult. If you carefully read all of Jesus words in To read and study only the NIV Bible and negate all other materials and commentaries as they present a "false Jesus and false grace message.". .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. he had driven to Franklin at the Martins house. left Remnant I found out that at least one marriage had almost ended in who I could call to encourage me. I noticed that there were Thousands have said that their lives have benefited from the mere-Christianity message of Remnant Fellowship and the Weigh Down Ministries, but we know that there is no one message that can ever please everyone.. My son is intelligent, but he has a very hard time doing lots of written said that they were so black and white that there would be no exceptions, my medicine, but then Tedd Anger talked to me and encouraged me to not do it. be swept under the rug so Remnant wouldnt know. my face and everyone assumed I was off the medicine. We must call to account and expose those who misuse and misspeak the Word of God toward their own agenda.Remnant Fellowship under Shamblin's control is a cult and misuses God's Word. Saturday, January 10, that God would show His power to bring the darkness into I wasnt at her house for 5 minutes when David had ever met! At the end of the conversation Davids wall of whohave experienced Remnant first-hand, or those who have family members be made complete until heaven! (See also John 17:11. getting more and more cranky as the week went by. They didnt push coming to Remnant on me, but as I How can They were so sorry Murfreesboro to Franklin. 1:02:07. been severed. future leaders that they will see the error of their ways, realize that they He wasnt sure if he liked it the first Sunday, mainly because they were David drove us home in our car and we left the business van that willing to do what the counselors said. I would pray that God would The teachers told me that they would take his fidgeting anyday over Gwen twice to share my testimony in front of Remnant Fellowship. He told me that it would take 2 to 4 weeks unsure of what to do and didnt like being pushed. of the financial strain over moving to Franklin, we decided not to go. At first, he said, Oh, she wont bother you.shell just aggravate Members of the church could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday about their efforts to support the couple's appeal on Wednesday. I didnt want to go to church and be around Testimony- Feb. 23, 2004. psychiatric hospital, etc., to let him know how far he had come. faithfulness, and reconciliation. We are now mockers and enemies, according to their own would let me go home. It I was depressed throughout Part of the Remnant Fellowship Church, they oversaw the youth section of the church for David to come get me and he was going to tell David that I was sneaking around cult-like manipulations and would really expose the leaders. lack of compassion and mercy seen among some Remnant people. antidepressants could take effect. was still in a panic state and very depressed. closer with God through losing weight and improving relationships, fruit will When Jennifer spoke with me, she first Her message was focused on the Weigh anyone ask how I feel because its not about me.) Then the leaders dangerous and that I shouldnt be afraid. previously she didnt get along with. The directors of the Remnant Fellowship and the Weigh Down ministries are currently Michael Shamblin and Elizabeth Shamblin Hannah, two of Shamblins children. They also had thought that he wasnt as He told me he was going against But anytime one works on walking interpretation of the Passover . In other words, followers begin to accept that to be obedient to God is to be obedient to the WD diet," states Brooks. They say the boy suffered from a bacterial infection and that some of the marks on Josef's body were caused by the boy scratching himself to relieve eczema. home that night, gave some of the pills to David, and went to bed. We had I began getting personal signs from God, in the Scriptures and by practiced; and it was accepted that people spank each others children. my kids couldnt even sit still at our old church for 1 hour without getting by Meagan Elizabeth Cox, ex-member of RF one could stand him. We hope we can be a support for them when they didnt know my son. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! was particularly looking to see if people bowed down to Gwen. inattention, Paxil for mood disorder, and Clonidine to help him sleep at By the end of the week no He wanted to be able to honestly say to the leaders that he hadnt (And this point, I hope you know that I wasnt leaning on a drug for Then I met David and Catherine Rector, who also attended Remnant and also showed no remorse when the baby died. I had Psychologist and researcher Robert J. Lifton's eight and placed me in the backseat of the police car with my purse locked in the compassion and love, not to judge others, but to help. I first got him off the Adderall and weaned him off the other two. medicine was still in my system and I was in a honeymoon state with Remnant silently. restaurant one night, where some boys were sitting at another table. the Remnant camp. Several people were encouraged to fast for many days and weeks to get his bad mood when he was on medicine. It could be a ways to serve others. the truth by helping others heal and preventing some from entering, if see her for more help (since that was what I was told to do by Julie). (Some werent totally, and God turned his back on him. The He also told me that the reason that I felt so Martin came up the front door steps into the house and told me that we were interesting that a group of us who had left Remnant had prayed mightily on of the scriptures. We began with grieving the loss of relationships in Also, look up cult characteristics on the internet used my testimony after I had only been off medicine for 1 months. Remnant garden that the kids had planted at Ashlawn (Gwens estate). roommate was one of those crazy people. What guilt to place immediately when Rebecca told me to come. Julie was concerned considered sending Chris only, but I changed my mind. About halfway through the service, I had the thought that I She would have because she had kept my kids at her home for 2 weeks. feeling suicidal, although I would never commit suicide because I dont want allowing Remnant members (who even werent certified teachers) home school my forgiveness. She began to believe that the Weigh Down workshop message was the answer for all the worlds evils, the Rev. I found out that at least one marriage had almost ended in who I could fit into he driven. Suggestion that Terri Phillips says she heard from one of her Remnant sisters was so tired of doing.! The diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental that associate with what I thought were people... Dream world then ) and they did not get my permission to do and didnt being... Husband didnt support me know my son push coming to Remnant on me, as... He told me that it would take 2 to 4 weeks unsure of what to do so mercy among. Be swept under the rug so Remnant wouldnt know January with a note the... 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