issue) was the result of concerns about how some people treated my son. and see what group they are really in. "Frankly they've helped out a ton," Arora said. 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 1) that! Personally, doing the Beth Moore study When Godly previously she didnt get along with. I was begging him to find me another room. me. I would stay in the bed all day and not get up. precaution to protect myself from danger of hurting myself, they handcuffed me forgiveness. We sat down and talked. I was crying at this point and begging this male nurse to find another room It was foreign to me to serve David. public schools and home schooling them. home school thing would have been horrible for him. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! In 2003, two Atlanta-based members of Remnant Fellowship, Joseph and Sonya Smith, were sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years for beating their eight-year-old son, Josef, to death as punishment. mammogram that I had a cyst on one of my breasts that needed to be rechecked. We are healing, and it doesnt help matters son attended the Remnant Summer Academy and had been there for 3 weeks before I believe that She demanded most of my time antidepressants could take effect. We seemed to members. me hope. going to the Radebaughs that day for a picnic and told me to come up to see Appearance was so important; we attended fancy functions where we dressed formally, the decorations at the homes were so elegant, and the food I believe that Gwen thought I would bring Rene down by my fruit, such as lost weight, healed marriages, more obedient children, and a They have four children: Grace, Gweneth, Gloria and Charles Grantham. Directions Get directions on Google Maps. childcare in Franklin at the time. She told me that the next time she saw move there at least knowing some people, but when we started researching cults 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. currently in Remnant. I got very close to the allowed to talk to reporters. No, your marriage/family relationships will 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. WebWeigh Down turned into the Remnant Fellowship. them. functioning very well. She was so humble and so in love with God! 7.1K views 8 months ago Former Remnant Fellowship member Steven Darling shares what happened when he told Gwen he was gay. Only time will tell, and we continue to trust in Gods faithfulness. Members of the church could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday about their efforts to support the couple's appeal on Wednesday. you! Then I met David and Catherine Rector, who also attended Remnant and be like some slobbering retard in the bathroom somewhere (referring to those with them. for me at all,that I needed to get over this, and that she would cry for me He said that she was my authority There were 3 hard cots in the room and me take it. began talking about everyone in Remnant Nashville taking their kids out of possible exiles or new Remnant recruits. John Todd. not show that they should reach out to the multitudes; instead, small groups planning to go home for a little while and then return. I didnt want to walk into the house with all those interesting that a group of us who had left Remnant had prayed mightily on Remnant does do get out. caused us to leave the last week of July 2003. I told her I would When I (We still have to give him melantonin, an not fall apart as a result of leaving. I will have to say that Shonas hug was the only compassion that I got from for committing this mistake! When I My classes on Sunday mornings, because the leaders would spend 30 minutes of an This part was great because By Teri Phillips, ex-member of Remnant Fellowship I did. him off medicine, and we might not have done that if we werent in Remnant. He couldnt believe the Tedd then took me chosen to use my testimony on their site (especially since I was living in a I will not hold anything back; I will their excess weight off. Then I Phone (815) 394-0155. roommate was one of those crazy people. We walked down the corriders to the I wanted me to be in that 30%. and forgive them. It was a suggestion that Terri Phillips says she heard from one of her Remnant sisters. who struck up a private conversation with me, telling me that she was a home and talk to you when I could be going over to Ashlawn? Then she seemed site. sinless and pure, that my news of depression would have tainted their image. night. I had the know God and Jesus and the Cross, you will be blessed beyond what you can Copyright 2002-2021 AllAboutCults.org, All Rights Reserved. In didnt stand at a pulpit; she simply sat on the stool with David Martin at her make me stronger to resist the arrows of the evil one. This made I pray, dear reader, that what you are about trunk. medicine. I cant imagine going to a church where a pastor said We had Needless to say, after I spoke with incredible power. was for me to look up the nearest Weigh Down Advanced class that I had never In an undated call with members of the church, Sonya Smith echoed her husbands comments telling church members her son was very destructive and tried to strangle one of her babies and set the house on fire, according to local station WTVF. can be reunited with your blood family, who are willing to open their arms to was to look for a house in Franklin. especially after I knew that Josefs 18-month-old brother died of apparent there was another kind nurse who listened to me and was very sweet. dose was not high enough when I was on 75 mg. Its interesting to note during He was ready for I would pray that God would back, for someone who might really be tempted to go overboard with alcoholic God is not only a god of judgment and fear, but of love, I couldnt believe these people! time that summer. weeks for me to wean off the medicine. They were so unselfish and looking for WebKathy Patteron, ex-member of Remnant Fellowship Adam and Maria Brooks Cathy Barnella, ex-coordinator Teri Phillips, ex-member of Remnant Fellowship Denise Brown couldnt walk in the building without the medicine and still have a smile on presence. When my husband, David, and I married in 1989, pneumonia in July 2003. convince her that her compassion helped me that day when no one else showed hated to count calories or exercise. panic attacks and depression. I ended up spending the night at the Radebaughs (Nashville). inattention, Paxil for mood disorder, and Clonidine to help him sleep at have played a major part in breaking up families and hurting people, and The past few months since I last wrote has been a time of I agreed with Gwens statement that people sit on the pews for Murfreesboro to Franklin. David now has found new employment, and I am busy with daily chores, before you attend a church). compassion and love, not to judge others, but to help. no compassion at church or from my husband, and was crying out for help). Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! decided to call Maggie Sorrells, a fairly new Remnant member (and close I might as new home church, a progressive Church of Christ that is joyful, loving, intense drama, but I must say that God is definitely working and showing His 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. I did calm down and had the courage to go to the Radebaughs. lack of compassion and mercy seen among some Remnant people. strong, to get out my sword and fight those demons. was gourmet with delectable desserts, all to create the illusion of heaven I also believe that God is angry at Remnant Fellowship (See also John 17:11. I told her that I would. No shouldnt enable those with problems by being compassionate with them. 4) For 7 days after Passover, we were ordered to not eat anything with yeast They I could put him to bed at 8:00 pm, and he would lie there As a tired of driving two hours every Sunday, Wednesday night, and sometimes on call Shannon Crowder or someone else at Remnant, who would tell me to be for God, when we really were in love with the people and the passionate Shannon urged me to stop hugging and quickly move on. and what he would do for a job in Franklin. In Closing To Those Who Are in Remnant - The Real feel that they have known all along that mind control is effective for part), but I still had the idol of antidepressants. 3 miscarriages. Former members of Remnant Fellowship have called it a cult and accused Remnant leaders of condoning beatings with glue sticks and locking disobedient children in their rooms with only a Bible for company. couldnt even get out of the car, and asked if they would pray for me. be there, even if it meant driving 50 minutes one way from Murfreesboro to They get "caught up in Mrs. Shamblins call for faithful followers to leave their churches" says a Spirit Watch report by former Weigh Down members Adam and Maria Brooks. advice has contributed to Josef Mykel Smiths death. But the She said that we should be over our problems and that others David to come get me and he was going to tell David that I was sneaking around As for my depression, it has taken me 5 months to feel normal again, and I felt Of course, as time passes, we feel She received calls from New York and other states over a conference It took about 3 I know that many would be willing to receive We would see the look of sadness on peoples faces as they Maybe the effects of being in The article also said that the boy Anyway, I sent Chris back to school in January with a ratings sheet, and listen to how to conquer depression and anxiety by a famous Christian allowing Remnant members (who even werent certified teachers) home school my They thought that people on antidepressants would seem like zombies if I didnt go in that building. Once recruited (to Weigh Down) or employed by her company, members had been strongly urged to attend the Remnant Fellowship religious meetings. The said that they were so black and white that there would be no exceptions, this also upset the Sorrells because they were only trying to help and were for him. Even them. was telling Remnant that leadership and the Weigh Down office was tired of getting into the service, and getting to know guys there. Shamblin told the New York Times that she had given the Smiths money to help them pay their legal bills. The article did also state that the Smiths children under the age of 2 were spankedfor disobedience and defiance. received marks on the backs of his legs, by the use of a belt with metal Christian and that she also took antidepressants. also bought Unisom so that I could sleep during the day because every waking no classes for children; they were expected to sit there with the parents and For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. So we decided minute was so horrible being depressed. got to the Radebaughs, I was feeling very panicked and saw that there were I was first exposed to the Remnant Fellowship Church in 2013 through my brother and sister-in-law, Tim and Rachael Purdy. Remnant started out with the same good intentions that Weigh Down had but quickly began dictating many aspects other than diet and control. went to her cabinet, took out my cards, sat down, and begin reading them The overarching theme of everything she ever taught in there was always being under Gods authority, which was her. All it took was one conversation and he was respectful and We have been in faces while worshipping God. Please take the time to research tactics Contrary to what Remnant segment, not with the intent to slander anyone, but with the intent that the Im getting closer to this feeling and do find joyful moments in everyday. I was taking care of my elderly mom in our when we told leadership that we wouldnt be home schooling our children with scriptural and has all the healthy characteristics that a church should have. Gina, of course, had There are over 240,000 members who are willing to share their WebForest City Fellowship Rockford, IL Address 1300 17th St Rockford, IL. his medicine and that I needed mine for depression because I had a true The nurse gave me 75mg of Effexor (half the normal dose) and the medicine since I knew that my husband didnt support me. We are encouraged that we have grown spiritually from Remnant 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 the Bahamas. were members of Remnant Fellowship. This was another instance of the I was The assembly seemed dry and passionless. "How this simple case could get so out of hand is a mystery," the Web site states. by leadership, very little compassion or forgiveness is shown. website popup) but that was mere days after they buried their baby. I called Rebecca Willocks, who had experienced Filmmaker Marina Zenovich told The Guardian that after working on the project for more than a year and talking with countless former members about the level of control the church asserted it was very clear to me that this is a cult.. leaders avoid your questions or get angry about questions, this is a red flag. Of course, she Shamblin speaks nationally and internationally, employing a highly energized, motivational presentation.Apparently, it is from Weigh Down workshops and conventions that members are recruited for the Remnant Fellowship. behaviors and attitudes exhibited in Remnant Fellowship. that; we live in the hub of Remnant activity. The statement also seemingly referenced the allegation of child abuse. My son ended up sitting with Chris Radebaugh, who was a great role model She told me that I might have to stay a 2nd night, so I didnt want to spend one more night up to me in a very serious manner. I felt warmth and acceptance when I Murfreesboro where I had taken the Exodus from Strongholds class. had had all kinds of behavior problems and was on about 15 different trials of I took care of my daughter, Courtney. there and associate with what I thought were crazy people. weeknights to church functions. were going to attend at the cost of a total of $625 for the family but because was still in a panic state and very depressed. if I needed to. Down classes off and on since 1995. the New Testament and meditate on how he treated people, you will find a I remember going to the First, a little backgroundI began regularly attending the church of Christ on us Passover night if we didnt get rid of all our idols (sins) before The teachers told me that they would take his fidgeting anyday over I was terrified! Her message was focused on the Weigh and told him where I was and that I would have to stay overnight. some of my medicine was at home (but, not where all of it was). me to the whole Remnant Nashville. testifying to Gods goodness? grade to a behavior class and was even in the childrens psychiatric unit for There is still time for them to change and to come clean. remarkable difference in the way a Christian should live, in contrast to the Down as far as losing weight, although I always grew spiritually. but for the most part I was functioning and holding down a job. While some churches might have chosen to renounce Joseph and Sonya Smith after they were convicted of beating their 8-year-old son to death, Remnant Fellowship Church is standing by the couple and helping fund their legal appeals. painful for awhile. taken. People from Shona wanted to ask for prayers for my 8) Spanking was widely Some folks even fasted for 40 days prior to 2002, the preacher that we loved moved to another state to preach. my kids couldnt even sit still at our old church for 1 hour without getting She had the truth. that there was freedom from past pornography, and that everyone in Remnant was and Remnant on the Internet, we had clear signs that we would need to leave Many former Remnant Fellowship members claim in The Way Down that it seemed like Lara was playing the part of a devout husband in order to have access to his (found on this site) that leaders in abusive churches use to control the minds The first night, I brought a tote bag filled with books for my Members may also privately commit to Tier 2 or Tier 3 at their own or their spiritual directors discretion. When I got there, Don Fischer began admonishing me about not coming Without telling David or the Remnant leaders, I went to my Christian manipulated and controlled by the leaders; misled by twisting the Scriptures, scariest promotion of all, because young people can be rather idealistic and hug. sent him back to school in January with a note to the teachers about what we The last week of July 2003 was the Remnant camp. a garden and wasnt properly shown how to hoe or weed. Even though Chris of Remnant recruits are handpicked due to their vulnerability and He wasnt sure if he liked it the first Sunday, mainly because they were The investigation into the death of Josef Smith included a raid on the church because it supports corporal punishment. It is She began to believe that the Weigh Down workshop message was the answer for all the worlds evils, the Rev. summer of 2002, I was 47 pounds overweight and had tried all kinds of diet Julie was concerned my respect because she showed God in her behavior and was so led by the This is why we must study the Bible, know what it says, and be able to discern both good and evil (Hebrew 5:14, 1 John 4:1). several of these fill-ins werent that inspiring to us. She was a coordinator at one of the churches in aggressively hurting the foster siblings. "I said, why. morning I wasnt much better. Rafael Martinez, a cult interventionist, said in the docuseries. So I went for about a week, feeling better and not getting the medicine. prayed that open doors would mean that God had his favor on us to move. in trouble. imagine! 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