"And the faster you do it, the holier you are," added former member Terassee Morris. The weight-loss guru turned church leader grew to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s by encouraging people to "transfer over their love of . 'The families are awaiting details from the authorities. In October 2022, he released a song named Down, to share his experiences of loss. Although Michael appears to have both an Instagram page and a Twitter account, neither have been regularly active since 2017 save one September 2021 tweet of a photo of his baby son wearing a Johnny Cash shirt with the caption This Christian is following in his daddy's footsteps., This article was originally published on Sep. 30, 2021, Alex Murdaugh Faces Life In Prison For Allegedly Killing His Wife & Son, Buster Murdaugh Testified For The Defense At His Fathers Double Murder Trial, Morgan Doughty Filed A Lawsuit Against The Murdaugh Family, Curtis Cousin Eddie Smith Claims Alex Murdaugh Made Him A Fall Guy, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. He soon visited a few assemblies at Remnant Fellowship Church and was drawn to the God first teaching and the sincere kindness and dedication to God that he witnessed in all the members at the church. Gwen Shamblin Lara was a dietician who founded Weigh Down a faith-based diet program geared toward those who suffer from obesity and eating disorders. Documentary fans won't want to miss The Way Down: God, Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin on HBO Max. At that time, Elizabeth wasn't aware of the gravity of the situation and said that the plane "had to go down for a controlled, quick landing," per Fox News. 'We have just gotten word that Gwen and Joe Lara's plane had to go down for a controlled, quick landing,' she wrote. According to a CNN report, the radar's last contact with the Cessna showed that it was traveling at a height of 700 feet and plunging down at a speed of 31,000 feet per minute. 1. And lake property along Center Hill Lake is listed as the Highway 56 Farm Trust. In May of 2021, Brandon passed away suddenly in a plane crash, alongside his honored in-laws, Gwen and Joe Lara, and his beloved lifelong friends, David and Jennifer Martin and Jonathan and Jessica Walters. NewsChannel 5 Investigates discovered that Shamblin suddenly agreed to that settlement after David Shamblin's attorneys filed a subpoena to require Remnant Fellowship to reveal all payments and fringe benefits provided to her and to Joe Lara, as well as any non-disclosure agreements that the church has signed with current or former members. Its 'assemblies' take place on Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings and usually run between 90 minutes and two hours long with music provided by a chamber orchestra, choirs and a praise band. Yet God is a god of justice, and he will not be mocked.". Through the years, the couple was blessed with five children: Grace, Gweneth, Gloria, Henley, and Charles Grantham. Believe me, that house is Gods.. This is what Shamblin told us in 2001 about her luxurious home and fancy cars: If it was needed, I would sell that car, I would sell that house., NewsChannel 5 Investigates noted, But you havent., We pressed, Theres no one who could use the money?, No, Im talking about this ministry and it may happen. ", A post shared by Michael Shamblin (@michael_shamblin). Shamblin Lara's hypocrisy didn't go unnoticed, and some church members were even confused as to how the guru could go on to marry someone overweight like Lara, who didn't reflect the physical standards she preached. Newsweek has everything you need to know about her remaining family. Another former member summarized the program by saying,"it's simply portion control." In high school, Brandon met Michael Shamblin and they quickly became close friends. He excelled in his career in as an award-winning Realtor as well, due to his honest nature and Christian commitment to treat every person with respect and honor. She tied the knot with Brandon Hannah in 2003, eventually having four children: Grace, Gweneth, Gloria, and Charles Grantham. In 2002, Lara bought 40 acres of land in Brentwood, Tennessee, and donated the entire property for the building of the Remnant Fellowship Church. "It suggests to me perhaps I'm cynical it suggests to me that the accumulation was not for God, it was for Gwen," said veteran Nashville lawyer Gary Blackburn, who sued Shamblin over allegations that her company fired people who would not join her church. Jessica Walters wrote in her biography. Ironically, in 2018, less than two months before Shamblin married Tarzan actor Joe Lara in an elaborate Remnant Fellowship wedding, she entered into a divorce agreement with her first husband. Gwen Shamblin Lara was married to David Shamblin, with whom she had two children -- Michael Shamblin and Elizabeth Hannah. It is the greed in our hearts that leads to overeating and overdrinking,' she wrote. In 1999, Shamblin Lara founded the Remnant Fellowship Church, located in Brentwood, Tennessee. Since its establishment in 1992, Weigh Down has helped thousands of individuals shed excess weight safely. She leads the fellowship alongside her brother, Michael Shamblin. Gwen's daughter Elizabeth reportedly sent out a text message to Remnant church members asking for prayers following the crash. Hannah said the rest of her step-father's family were on the plane with other church leaders including her own husband, Brandon. Following Gwen's death, Michael took over a leadership role at the Remnant Fellowship. 04:43 GMT 31 May 2021 David Shamblin adopted a secretive life after Gwen founded her ministry, Remnant Fellowship. She has since written a number of other books including:Rise Above, The Legend to the Treasure, The Tablet, The History of the One True God, The History of the Love of God, Weigh Down Works, and God-Fearing Families. Now, if you wish to know more about them and their current status, heres what we found. The death of Gwen Shamblin Lara inevitably altered the path the documentary was taking. All about the workings of this global humanitarian organization, Was Don Shane sick? As he entered adulthood, Brandons admiration for Elizabeth grew as he fell in love with her heart, her kindness, her beauty, and above all, her love for God and for the Church. Though the HBO Max docuseries The Way Down largely focuses on the life and death of Remnant Fellowship Church founder Gwen Shamblin, it also mentions her children Elizabeth and Michael, who she shared with her first husband David Shamblin. Jeopardy! She was born and raised in Memphis, and received her master's degree in food and nutrition from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. 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. In a statement released at the time, Michael and Elizabeth said they "intend to continue the dream that Gwen Shamblin Lara had of helping people find a relationship with God. Elizabeth Hannah, Lara's daughter, sent out an internal text to families of the church telling them the plane 'had to go down for a controlled, quick landing,' WTVF reported. The retailers demise explained, Is UNICEF a good charity? pic.twitter.com/AgrXHZSuns, In her video about greed, the Remnant Fellowship leader warned: "Most of the world has abandoned true religion and are now converts to building up their own pocket books. Michael Shamblin lives in Brentwood, Tennessee, where his mother's church is located; with his wife Erin and the rest of the family. He truly lived out the message from Remnant Fellowship to take care of God first and others above yourself.. Michael Shamblin, Gwen's other offspring, has four children with his wife Erin. Their role with the church is not immediately clear. The upcoming movie details the life ofGwen Shamblin, who was widely seen as controversial the controversial religious leader of Remnant Fellowship Church who founded the Weigh Down Workshop. Worthy of much respect. Disturbing Details Found At Gwen Shamblin Lara's Death Scene. ', 'Gwen Shamblin Lara was one of the worlds most kind, gentle, and selfless mother and wife, and a loyal, caring, supportive best friend to all,' the church said. From that time on, Brandon ran after this message of loving God with all of his heart, in the example of Jesus Christ. Shamblin Hannah is still listed as one of the church leaders on its website. Some church members suspected Lara of being a gold digger, interested in using Shamblin Lara's money to further his country music aspirations. Gwen then married. When does Gwen Shamblin: Starving for Salvation premier? Four decades after marrying in 1978, David and Gwen divorced, angering a congregation conditioned to believe divorce was a cardinal sin. Joe Lara and Gwen Shamblin Lara among 7 presumed dead in Tennessee plane crash | CNN Search crews have recovered human remains, two engines and part of a plane that crashed into a Tennessee. Remnant Fellowship Church founder Gwen Shamblin, Elizabeths bio page on the Remnant Fellowship website. It's not clear why the church needed to sign a mortgage for $2,341,225 in July 2014. However, Gwens will left no money to the church. Brandon was a successful realtor who died in the tragic plane crash on May 29, 2021, which also claimed Gwen and Joe Laras lives. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Eleven months after weight-loss cult leader Gwen Shamblin died in a plane crash, survivors of her Tennessee church are coming forward to share horrifying details of the stringent starvation diets. Shortly after that, Brandon also became friends with Michael's sister, Elizabeth, his mother, Gwen Shamblin Lara, and many of their close friends his age. The reason why David was absent is unknown, but several people speculate in The Way Down that he stayed in the background as with a man with a Masters in Divinity, he felt uneasy about his wife's teachings on religion and dieting, Bustle reported. In addition, the debris field was estimated to be half a mile wide, which made the recovery efforts more difficult. a woman named Sherri Johnson wrote in a Facebook review. Rescue workers have found wreckage and human remains after the crash of a small plane which was carrying 'Tarzan' star Joe Lara, his diet guru wife Gwen Shamblin Lara, and five other members of the Remnant Fellowship Church inTennessee. People who support the church have praised it for helping them through the 'hopelessness' in their lives. David published his ex-wife's obituary when Gwen and her husband Joe, were "presumed dead" after their plane hit Percy Priest Lake in Smyrna, Tennessee. GOD IS IN CONTROL, and we will not stop moving forward with WHAT GOD WANTS with this church.'. Grace, Gweneth, Gloria, and Charles Grantham have been raised beautifully in the example of their parents, shining with a humble love for others before themselves and a love of God above all. Michael primarily dabbles in Christian and rock genres and often composed the background score for his mothers live events for her church, the Remnant Fellowship. David obtained a $3.2 million settlement following his divorce from Gwen. 2021 Remnant Fellowship Church. Less is known about where Michael is, and his present involvement with the Remnant Fellowship Church is difficult to ascertain. As seen in The Way Down, Elizabeth Shamblin Hannah took over as the leader of The Remnant Fellowship Church following her mother's death and she remains in the post today. The plane was seen plunging into Percy Priest Lake located near Nashville at around 11 a.m. A witness who was fishing at the time of the incident said that he saw the plane crash into the lake "straight down," per CNN. David and Jennifer Martin; and Jonathan and Jessica Walters. Elizabeth's husband, Brandon, also died in the crash. Remnant Fellowship provided the following statement to NewsChannel 5: "In regards to Gwens estate, Gwen, Michael, and Elizabeth decided almost two decades ago to give approximately $10 million of what would have been Michael and Elizabeths inheritance to the building and grounds of Remnant Fellowship Church. That crash also killed her husband and five leaders of her Brentwood church, the Remnant Fellowship. "Our precious children consist of Grace, Gweneth, Gloria and Charles Grantham," she wrote in her online bio. Email: investigate@newschannel5.com, Shamblin: Money 'never intended to be accumulated'. Gwen was the face of the business; her first husband, David Shambin, worked behind the scenes as the CEO. Gwen Shamblin's role, which was played by veteran actressJennifer Grey, details how she positioned herself as God's prophet who preached the virtues of being thin. As adults, both Elizabeth and Michael have held leadership roles within their mothers church, with Elizabeth leading the Remnant Fellowship youth group and Michael helping to lead worship services and music performances for the church. Debbie and her son came to Nashville with us for the first time. The small plane carrying the seven people was reportedly bound for Palm Beach International Airport in Florida. Hannah also said that the Laras were on the plane with other church leaders including her own husband, Brandon. With her program's success, Lara was dubbed the "Pioneer of Faith-Based Weight Loss." But an exclusive 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. "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. She also had to pay David another $3 million out of her own pockets. David Shamblin is the ex-husband of Gwen Shamblin Lara. She started a Christian diet program. 'More information to come, but be in prayer and be at peace. Text near the end of episode 3 read: "The [docuseries] producers initially made contact with Remnant Fellowship, its leaders, and ex-leaders in January 2021, inviting them numerous times over the course of eight months to respond directly to the various allegations made by interviewees during the course of filming. During a lecture in 1998, Lara quoted from the Bible while offering inspiring stories to spread her message that 'food can't love you back,' the outlet reported at the time. 'As has been reported by the media, some family members may have been involved in a plane accident this morning. At this time in my life, I find myself with the wonderful opportunity to follow in my mothers footsteps in serving our beautiful church, and I am grateful for her example of decades of laying down her life for others, she writes. Shamblin continues to remain out of the spotlight today and has spoken very little about The Remnant Fellowship Church. During this horrible tragedy, our church would greatly appreciate prayers,' the statement read. The gripping docuseries delves deep into the story of Gwen Shamblin Lara, an American author and founder of the Christian diet program The Weigh Down Workshop. However, from the looks of Remnants website, Elizabeth appears to be just one of many leaders within the church moving forward, and she does not have a particular role or title listed. According to The Way Down documentary, on the day of the crash, she sent a text message to Remnant Church members telling them to, be in prayer and be at peace. "All of those years you have told people to suffer through their marriage, but then whenever the spirit hits you, you done had a whole change of heart, now it's okay to get divorced," remarked former member Helen Byrd. Followers of the Remnant Fellowship said that Gwen Shamblin Lara was a selfless and caring individual who touched the hearts of millions of people. 'The seven Remnant Fellowship leaders lost May 29, 2021 were some of the finest and most loving people that you would ever come across. We just want to make sure that we can allow enough time for the story to progress and the investigation to pursue some answers and give us time to interview all the subjects. The plane, built in 1982, is a fixed-wing plane with two engines and eight seats, according to the website Flight Aware. The church bases its ministry on the Bible-based teachings of Gwen Shamblin through Weigh Down Ministries, according to the church's website. Half and half leaves nothing for Gwen Shamblin. Correction 10/2/21, 3:17 PM ET: The headline has been corrected to indicate that the name of Gwen Shamblin Lara's daughter is 'Elizabeth Hannah,' not 'Hannah Shamblin. Peter Belfiore For Dailymail.Com As a result, we may never get certain answers about how much wealth she really accumulated, about why her will fails to even mention her beloved Remnant Fellowship. In other words, a false god,' Lara said. The pair were marriedfrom 1978 until 2018. Now known as Michael S. Black, he is in his 40s and resides in Brentwood, Tennessee, preferring to stay away from the public eye. Our efforts have transitioned from a rescue effort to that of a recovery effort. The comments below have not been moderated, By This includes three daughters named Gabriele, Garland, and Gates, and a son, Christian. Shamblin left behind her ex-husband, David Shamblin, once a member of the Remnant Fellowship Church and their two children, Hannah and Michael, who remain part of the Church today. Lara's death devastated many, but she left a legacy in the form of the Remnant Fellowship Church and Weigh Down Ministries. ", Part of The Remnant Fellowship's response read, "Remnant Fellowship categorically denies the absurd defamatory statements and accusations made in this documentary. While Elizabeth remains in a leadership role at Remnant Fellowship, Michael appears to have left the church in the wake of their mothers passing. However, the crew had a difficult time locating parts of the plane in the cloudy lake water. 'As a result, in the summer of 2001 we left our church for a brief period and nearly joined Remnant Fellowship,' the couple wrote. 'Any decisions made on behalf of the church are made through the leadership team with much prayer and discussion. In the early 1990s, Joe Lara was cast to play Tarzan in TV series Tarzan: The Epic Adventures. For most of her career, Shamblin Lara was married to her first husband, David Shamblin. The show ran for one season. The pair divorced in 2018 after almost 40 years together. She also has seven grandchildren. According to former members, the musician had left the Remnant Fellowship on more than one instance to pursue an independent music career and allegedly felt trapped under his familial responsibilities to the church. David and Jennifer Martin, two of the passengers believed to have been on the plane, have been members of theRemnant Fellowship Church since Lara founded it in 1999. Thats not completely true, is it?, Yes," she insisted, "its completely true.. Unlike David, Elizabeth and Michael are involved in Remnant Fellowship. 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