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Gwen Shamblin Lara

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Gwen Shamblin
Lara in 2018
Born(1955-02-18)February 18, 1955
Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
DiedMay 29, 2021(2021-05-29) (aged 66)
Percy Priest Lake, Tennessee, U.S.
Occupations
  • Author
  • Dietitian
Spouses
David Shamblin
​
​
(m. 1978; div. 2018)​
​
​
(m. 2018; died 2021)​
Children2[1][2]
Writing career
EducationUniversity of Tennessee
Genre
Website
www.gwenshamblinlara.com

Gwendolyn Henley Shamblin Lara (February 18, 1955 – May 29, 2021) was an American church leader known for The Weigh Down Workshop, her Christian weight-loss program and associated diet book. She founded Remnant Fellowship Church in 1999 and oversaw its ministry until her 2021 death in a helicopter crash. The church is located in Brentwood, Tennessee and has been accused of being a cult.

Shamblin founded a Christian dieting program called the Weigh Down Workshop in 1986 as a registered dietitian in Memphis. The program grew to 30,000 participating churches in fifteen years and expanded into product sales and Shamblin's 1997 book by the same name. Shamblin was criticized for her lifestyle spending with profits from the ministry. After founding Remnant Fellowship Church, she drew controversy from faith communities for denying the doctrine of the Trinity.

Remnant Fellowship has been compared to a cult. It has been accused of encouraging corporal punishment and was raided by authorities investigating the death of eight-year-old Josef Smith, whose parents Joseph and Sonya Smith were convicted in 2007 of child abuse and murder. Shamblin and church members publicly supported and paid for the legal defense of the Smiths, who attended Remnant Fellowship. Gwen Shamblin married her second husband in 2018, actor Joe Lara, who was piloting the helicopter that crashed in 2021, killing Shamblin and six other occupants. A docuseries on Shamblin, The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin, was released on Max in 2021.

Early life

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Shamblin was raised in a Church of Christ family.[3][4] She earned an undergraduate degree in dietetics and a master's degree in food and nutrition with an emphasis in biochemistry from University of Tennessee, in Knoxville.[5][6] In college, Shamblin says she struggled with her weight.[7] She worked as a registered dietitian, consultant and a faculty member at Memphis State University for five years, and began a weight control consulting practice in 1980.[8][9][8] She also worked in the city's Tennessee Department of Health.[6]

Weigh Down Workshop

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Shamblin developed a faith-oriented weight-loss program while earning her master's degree at Memphis State University, and founded the Weigh Down Workshop in 1986.[10] Shamblin counseled that genetics and behavior modification were not enough explanation for why some people were overweight, and hosted the first class in a mall in Memphis with a strong focus on faith and prayer.[11][12][13][14][15] The program did not require exercise, calorie-counting, weigh-ins, or food restrictions.[16][17][18][19] It developed into a 12-week seminar guided by video and audio tapes featuring Shamblin.[20][21] Some experts raised concern over its deviations from American Dietetic Association guidance.[22]

The Weigh Down Workshop expanded rapidly in the 1990s, with Shamblin hosting a Memphis-area program at Bellevue Baptist Church and many other churches and homes[16] hosting programs simultaneously.[16][17][23] By 1994, it was offered in about 600 churches in 35 US states,[11] and by January 1995 it reached more than 1,000 churches in 49 states plus Canada and the UK.[18] By July 1996, the Weigh Down Workshop was in about 5,000 churches, 10 percent of them in Tennessee.[24]

Weigh Down Workshop had a staff of 40 in 1996. The company built a headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, and Shamblin began hosting an annual summer convention in the Nashville area called Desert Oasis.[17][25] By August 1998, it had more than 250,000 participants in more than 21,000 classes across Europe, Canada, and every US state.[26][17][27]

Writing

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Shamblin published the 1997 book The Weigh Down Diet, which advised readers to cut food portions in half, eat only when hungry, and transfer the desire to food into love of God.[28] The book sold more than 1.2 million copies and led to further publishing deals.[29][30][31]

Finances

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Shamblin was criticized for branding the Weigh Down Workshop as a Christian ministry despite profiting significantly living a lavish lifestyle, driving multiple BMWs and a Mercedes and purchasing a $2.3 million mansion.[32][33] When a WTVF reporter asked in 2001 how much money Shamblin was making, she said the amount was "between me and God".[33] On Larry King Live, she said the Weigh Down Workshop devoted half its proceeds to taxes and put the other half back into the program.[33]

Remnant Fellowship Church

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Shamblin founded the Remnant Fellowship Church in Franklin, Tennessee in 1999,[34] and in 2004 church moved into a new building that had been constructed on 40 acres of land purchased by Shamblin in Brentwood, Tennessee.[34][35][36]

Shamblin sent an email to her followers saying that she believed that the doctrine of the Trinity was not Biblical on August 10, 2000. In response, some evangelical churches dropped her program, Thomas Nelson Publishers canceled the publication of her next book, she was removed from the Women of Faith website, and some employees left her staff.[3]

Shamblin had preached that members should give their money to the Remnant Fellowship church, the only true church, and that all other churches were fraudulent. Remnant Fellowship was compared to a cult.[33]

Associations with corporal punishment

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Main article: Georgia v. Smith

Shamblin has been accused of promoting corporal punishment.[37] She and other Remnant Fellowship members paid for the legal defense of adherents Joseph and Sonya Smith, who were ultimately convicted of child abuse and murder of their eight-year-old son Josef.

On October 8, 2003, the Smiths punished Josef by placing him in a small wicker box with electrical cords wrapped around the outside holding the lid closed.[38] They then watched an online service from Remnant Fellowship, after which they opened the box and found Josef braindead.[38] County medical examiners concluded that the child died as a result of "acute and chronic" abuse. The Smiths routinely beat Josef with foot-long glue sticks,[38] belts, and heated coat hangers. Police reported that the couple locked Josef in his room for days or weeks, providing a bucket for bodily waste and a picture of Jesus on the ceiling for him to pray to. Another child in the family, Milek Smith, died 11 weeks before Josef's death, with the cause of death reported variously as pneumonia or SIDS.[37]

During the investigation of the death, authorities conducted a raid of Remnant Fellowship due to its teachings on child discipline. Church members created a website to advocate the Smith's innocence, suggesting Josef died of a bacterial infection and that his own skin markings came from scratching his own eczema.[39] Georgia v. Smith resulted in the Smiths' conviction in February 2007, and they were sentenced to life plus 30 years in prison on March 27, 2007, the maximum punishment.[40] A member of the church expressed a desire to "support the Smiths in any way possible". The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld the convictions in 2010,[41] and the Supreme Court of the United States denied the case in 2011.[42]

Personal life

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Gwen and David Shamblin were married in 1978 and had two children and seven grandchildren.[43][34] In 2018, she filed for divorce from David and married actor Joe Lara.[44] Around 1995, Shamblin bought Ashlawn, a historic mansion that was built in Brentwood, Tennessee in 1838.[45][46] Shamblin's son Michael is not involved in Remnant Fellowship's operations and said in 2024, "It is a church, but it's a cult".[47]

Death and legacy

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Main article: 2021 Percy Priest Lake Cessna Citation crash

Gwen Shamblin Lara was killed together with her husband Joe, her son-in-law Brandon Hannah, and two other couples from the Remnant Fellowship Church when the Laras' 1982 Cessna Citation 501 private jet crashed into Percy Priest Lake near Smyrna, Tennessee, shortly after takeoff on May 29, 2021.[48][49] The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the crash was a result of pilot Joe Lara's "loss of airplane control during climb due to spatial disorientation."[50]

According to her will, Shamblin did not leave any of her money to the church.[51]

Television portrayals

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A five-part docuseries, The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin, was released on Max in 2021.

In 2023, Shamblin was portrayed by Jennifer Grey in the Lifetime TV film Gwen Shamblin: Starving for Salvation, which was directed by John L'Ecuyer.[52]

Selected works

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Books

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  • The Weigh Down Diet. Doubleday. 1997. ISBN 9780385487627.
  • Exodus: Daily Devotional. Weigh Down Workshop. 1998. ISBN 9781892729002.
  • Rise Above: God Can Set You Free from Your Weight Problems Forever. Thomas Nelson. 2000. ISBN 9780785268765.
  • Out of Egypt: Inspiration for Conquering Life's Strongholds. Thomas Nelson. 2000. ISBN 9780785268499.
  • The Legend to the Treasure. Weigh Down Workshop. 2007. ISBN 9781892729804.
  • Weigh Down Basics: Workbook. Weigh Down Workshop. 2012. ISBN 9781892729132.
  • History of the One True God Workbook: Volume 1: the Origin of Good and Evil. Weigh Down Workshop. 2013. ISBN 9781892729170.
  • History of the Love of God: Volume II: A Love More Ancient Than Time. Weigh Down Ministries. 2015. ISBN 9781892729262.

Other media

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  • Exodus out of Egypt: weigh down workshop, Weigh Down Workshop, 1992, OCLC 42869110
  • Rising above: the magnetic pull of the refrigerator, Weigh Down Workshop, Inc., 1992, OCLC 42414509
  • Exodus from strongholds, Weigh Down Workshop, 1998, ISBN 1892729075, OCLC 51290468

References

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  1. ^ "michaelshamblin.com". michaelshamblin.com. Archived from the original on June 25, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  2. ^ "gwenshamblinbooks.com". gwenshamblinbooks.com.
  3. ^ a b Kennedy, John W. (September 11, 2000). "Thomas Nelson pulls plug on Gwen Shamblin's book". Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  4. ^ White, Gaule (March 31, 1997). "Dieting religiously". Democrat and Chronicle. p. 3C. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  5. ^ "Williamson County Local Authors". Williamson County Library. Archived from the original on January 31, 2006. Retrieved April 25, 2007.
  6. ^ a b Thorp, Lori Frazer (January 8, 1998). "Frazee woman shares personal weight loss story". Frazee Forum.
  7. ^ Hull, Dana (May 17, 1997). "Dieters putting their faith in sustenance of the spirit". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Heart & Soul: An interview with Gwen Shamblin, founder of the Weigh Down Workshop". Murfreesboro Matters. Vol. 1, no. 3. February 1999. p. 3.
  9. ^ Gang, Christine Arpe (April 13, 1988). "Unorthodox diet plan targeted at teens". Longview News-Journal. p. 4C. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  10. ^ Kleczynski, Jennifer Coleridge (April 21, 1995). "Program helps dieters succeed". Strictly Hunterdon. The Courier-News. p. 5. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  11. ^ a b Spencer, Paula (November 22, 1994). "Divine Intervention". Woman's Day. pp. 76, 78.
  12. ^ "Dieters seek help in religion". The News Journal. April 13, 1997. pp. J1, J7. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  13. ^ Bell, Bill (June 17, 1998). "The wages of thin: By putting grace before meals, Christian diet programs are reshaping lives". Daily News. New York. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  14. ^ Graham, Jennifer (December 7, 1994). "Weight-loss disciples are shedding the extra pounds through prayer". Democrat and Chronicle. pp. 1C, 6C. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  15. ^ Wells, Valerie (May 6, 1995). "Weighty matters". Herald and Review. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  16. ^ a b c Waddle, Ray (February 27, 1994). "Churchgoers leaning on God to shed their unwanted pounds". The Tennessean. p. 2A. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  17. ^ a b c d Waddle, Ray (July 3, 1996). "Weigh Down transfers love for food into love for God". The Tennessean. pp. 1B – 2B. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  18. ^ a b Associated Press (January 3, 1995). "God is focus of weight-loss program". Battle Creek Enquirer. p. 4A. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  19. ^ Whyche, Stephanie (October 9, 1995). "The Weigh to the Lite". The News Journal. pp. C1, C4. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  20. ^ Johnson II, Lucas L. (July 18, 1996). "Faith helps some people lower weight way down". Greensboro News & Record. Associated Press. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  21. ^ Rosenfeld, Megan (January 23, 1995). "Dieting with Jesus". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  22. ^ Quigley, Linda (March 1, 1997). "Praying away the pounds". The Tennessean. pp. 1D, 4D. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  23. ^ Hill, Laura (February 10, 1998). "In God's own image". The Tennessean. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  24. ^ Associated Press (July 26, 1996). "Program urges people to turn to God to shed pounds". The Daily Spectrum. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  25. ^ De La Cruz, Jessi (March 19, 1999). "Heavenly help". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  26. ^ Lauerman, Connie (August 20, 1998). "Christian Diet Programs: Nourishing The Spirit Is The Key To Slimming Down The Body". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  27. ^ "Random House". Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  28. ^ Mulrine, Anna (April 27, 1997). "A Godly Approach to Weight Loss". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2007.
  29. ^ Booth, Claire (March 14, 1997). "Dietitian says God, not food fills void". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. p. 2D. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  30. ^ Stein, Joel (October 24, 1999). "The Low-Carb Diet Craze". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Archived from the original on January 23, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  31. ^ Shamblin, Gwen (1997). The Weigh down Diet : The Inspirational Way to Lose Weight, Stay Slim and Find a New You. The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group (published February 1997). ISBN 9780385487627. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  32. ^ Griffith, R. Marie (October 4, 2004). Born Again Bodies: Flesh and Spirit in American Christianity. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520938113.
  33. ^ a b c d "Part 1: Is it a ministry or just big business?". NewsChannel5.com. July 1, 2001. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012.
  34. ^ a b c "remnantfellowship.org". remnantfellowship.org. September 17, 2020.
  35. ^ "Gwen Shamblin on the Remnant Fellowship Church Construction". August 14, 2009 – via YouTube.
  36. ^ "Gwen Shamblin on the Remnant Fellowship Church Construction". August 14, 2009 – via YouTube.
  37. ^ a b Ferrarin, Elena. "Why Gwen Shamblin's Remnant Fellowship Church Was Investigated in a Child's Murder". A&E. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  38. ^ a b c Pordum, Matt (February 9, 2007). "Prosecutor says religious parents punished their 8-year-old son to death". Court TV News. Court TV. Archived from the original on February 19, 2007. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  39. ^ "Church stands by parents convicted of death". NBC News. March 29, 2007. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  40. ^ "Smith v. State, 703 S.E.2d 629 – CourtListener.com". CourtListener. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  41. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 16, 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  42. ^ "Search - Supreme Court of the United States". www.supremecourt.gov. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  43. ^ Ieron, Julie-Allyson (January 2000). "Women of the Year: Gwen Shamblin". Clarity Magazine.
  44. ^ "About". Gwen Shamblin. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  45. ^ McCampbell, Candy (March 11, 1996). "You could've had it, for $2.3 million". The Tennessean. p. 1E. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  46. ^ "Ashlawn". City of Brentwood. Archived from the original on June 21, 2010. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
  47. ^ "'What were we doing?' Gwen Shamblin's son breaks silence about life inside her Brentwood 'cult'". Nashville News Channel 5. February 12, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
  48. ^ "Plane crashes into Percy Priest Lake; Christian diet guru Gwen Shamblin Lara, 6 others on board, church says". WTVF-TV. May 29, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  49. ^ Romero, Dennis (May 30, 2021). "Diet guru Gwen Lara, husband actor Joe Lara among seven killed in plane crash". NBC News.
  50. ^ Aviation Investigation Final Report. www.ntsb.gov (Report). National Transportation Safety Board. March 22, 2023. ERA21FA234. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  51. ^ "Gwen Shamblin's will, potentially worth millions, leaves nothing to her Remnant Fellowship church". October 28, 2021.
  52. ^ "Gwen Shamblin: Starving for Salvation - IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
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