Gwen Shamblin: Skinny for Jesus

[JesusPony]

Didn’t she post a Father’s Day or anniversary post on IG earlier this year? So they haven’t been divorced for that long.

I definitely remember that Instagram post. It was from 2017 or 2016. Someone may have linked to it earlier in this thread. The grandkids called him some cutesy name like Daddy B or T or G or something. Anyway, I just scrolled through her insta and I don't see that post or any trace of him. Daddy B has been deleted. Tarzan is your daddy now.  

ETA: "Daddy D"

 

ETA2: Found him!

[Florita]

2 hours ago, ViolaSebastian said:

Every single story in the "upcoming weddings" section smacks of arranged marriage. 

 

I read through a bunch of them last night and noticed they are all written in the same "voice." I think they are all written by the same person. Always thank/credit Gwen, always say life is better because Remnant, always say fiancee brings them closer to God. Do any other cults use elaborate weddings as a promotional tool?

As of last night, Gwen & Tarzan's wedding wasn't on the August events calendar (a/k/a 20th of Repentance thru 20th Days of Awe).

[Pecansforeveryone]

7 minutes ago, Florita said:

I read through a bunch of them last night and noticed they are all written in the same "voice." I think they are all written by the same person. Always thank/credit Gwen, always say life is better because Remnant, always say fiancee brings them closer to God. Do any other cults use elaborate weddings as a promotional tool?

As of last night, Gwen & Tarzan's wedding wasn't on the August events calendar (a/k/a 20th of Repentance thru 20th Days of Awe).

I have heard the Moonies use mass weddings, sometimes to total strangers. 

[Anonymousguest]

4 hours ago, katilac said:

Poor baby died alone and afraid. 

In case anyone is interested, there are several other articles about both abuse due to faith and withholding medical treatment at the link (all on the same page). Autism is mentioned a disturbing number of times. 

that story is horrific. Obviously the boy needed medical or mental attention, not beating and locking in a box. It's sickening that they had the teen brother participating. 

They thought he was possessed, which made me wonder, can you beat a demon out of a child's body? I don't understand how demon possession works, but it seems like "spanking" or  locking them in a closet would be ineffective. I had similar thoughts about how psychiatric medication could work on demon possession as well. But what do I know. So incredibly sad. And they had a younger child die also? 

[nastyhobbitses]

I'm in the Ideas section of the wedding website and...this bitch.

She and her 5-shades-too-light foundation and Dolly Parton's tumbleweaves are front and center of most of the goddamn bridesmaid group photos. Does she spoon the corpse at Remnant funerals too? 

[JermajestyDuggar]

19 hours ago, SJWaterford said:

Divorced couple is Langsdon- married 9/17/2016   via court records their divorce was final March 15, 2018 and she remarried supposedly according to a previous post this past weekend. 

 

http://remnantfellowshipweddings.com/langsdon-collins-wedding/

What I believe to be the wedding. 

If you read their love story she mentions nothing of her first marriage. She talks about joining the church a few years ago at the age of 20 and then skips to February of 2018 when their “paths crossed.” Lol! Yeah fucking right. The church shoved you together because they wanted to marry you off quickly. The divorce was final in March and they marry in July. So they had 5 months from meeting until marriage. Nice.

[JMarie]

13 hours ago, Pandora Spocks said:

So I clicked through to their Amazon registry. There was a freaking deep fat fryer on it! It had two baskets -- is this so they can fry one onion ring in each basket for supper? I really don't understand.

Maybe the second basket is for homemade potato chips (for dinner)??

[Red Hair, Black Dress]

Interesting that the Langsdon girl (she looks really young to be 25) who just remarried is the ex-wife of the Langsdon son.  The Langsdons being the Remnant Royalty. The recent wedding story lists her as First Name Middle Name Langsdon as if she is the family's daughter.   Lord, what did the son do that the family embraces the ex as a daughter and disses the him?

And wow, if the divorce was final March 15, and the wedding was July 15 that was a meet, greet, date, engaged June 15, married in record double quick time. 

The Langsdons are listed, with a photo of the family/extended family, on the Remnant website and identifies the Langsdon son and the then-wife. The son is readily easily found on FB. There are pics on FB of him and the ex, but their wedding story has been scrubbed from the Remnant wedding website.

I periodically read the wedding announcements , sort of an OTT OMG hate read and seem to remember the original version of this new marriage story was longer, with more details about the guy and hints that he's older. like in his mid-30s. 

Unless I'm conflating it with something else, it would seem the cult-church married the older guy, who obvs needed a wife because it looked odd if he was older and single, and the newly divorced, (shhh sweep it under the rug) woman.  

It would look ever so bad if it got out that a wonderful, godly, Gwen God-ordained Remnant Royalty marriage broke up after a year and there were divorced people in the church (clutch pearls here).

Totes agree that every wedding story reads like an arranged marriage.

[Curious]

11 hours ago, JesusPony said:

I definitely remember that Instagram post. It was from 2017 or 2016. Someone may have linked to it earlier in this thread. The grandkids called him some cutesy name like Daddy B or T or G or something. Anyway, I just scrolled through her insta and I don't see that post or any trace of him. Daddy B has been deleted. Tarzan is your daddy now.  

ETA: "Daddy D"

 

 

ETA2: Found him!

Can you imagine being the one overweight person not only in that family, but probably in damn near the whole community?   The stress on this guy must have been overwhelming.  It would be funny (not haha) if now that he's away from Gwen he stops stress/depression/whatever eating and slims down.

I'm not fat shaming, lord knows I have no room to talk, but I know if I was living in that kind of situation I would balloon up even more because all I would do is stress eat.

I hope the divorce is good for him and he is still allowed to see his children and grandchildren, but somehow I have a feeling he will be persona non grata and totally cut out of their lives

[Curious]

21 minutes ago, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

Lord, what did the son do that the family embraces the ex as a daughter and disses the him?

Speaking from personal experience (my ex-husband was the executor of my parent's will) maybe nothing in reality.  Maybe he stopped drinking so much kool-aid or some other perceived slight or maybe he was a total monster and they are right to be throwing him under the bus and sticking by the wife.

It's true I was estranged from my parents at the time of their death(s), but they knew basically a WORLD of friends and relatives that wouldn't stab me in the heart and twist the knife like using my ex would for executor.

[Red Hair, Black Dress]

@Curious I agree the son probably did nothing we would find terrible.  Maybe gave up the kool-aid, or realized he didn't want to be arranged married to begin with and certainly not any more, or came out as a normal non-Remnant Christian, or came out or ???

But what ever it was, it was serious enough to end a marriage after a little over a year. And serious enough to the parents that they're pretending the ex-wife is their daughter.

I find it odd his FB still has his wedding pictures, but he doesn't seem to update it often. I hope he's off living his happiest best non-Remnant life.

The Remnant websites/You Tube channels are twisty turn-y rabbit holes and I nearly lose myself every time I venture in.

[nastyhobbitses]

Oh my god I've been sucked into the wedding website. 

I don't know how much right I have to get mad about cultural appropriation as a secular white Jew, but FUCK YOU YOU DO NOT GET THE FUCKING CHAIR DANCE. THAT IS NOT FOR YOUR BASIC CULTY ASSES. 

[RFsurvivor]

I happened upon this thread. I actually used to attend this crazy place. I basically grew up there and couldn’t see the cult for what it was until college when I left after over 10 years of being a member. It was a crazy house but when you grow up there it is hard to see it for what it really is—a cult. 

[Hane]

25 minutes ago, RFsurvivor said:

I happened upon this thread. I actually used to attend this crazy place. I basically grew up there and couldn’t see the cult for what it was until college when I left after over 10 years of being a member. It was a crazy house but when you grow up there it is hard to see it for what it really is—a cult. 

I hope you emerged completely unscathed!

[RFsurvivor]

More or less. As many speculated here, I lost all my friendships with RF members when I left, I have an awful relationship with food and struggle with not falling back into the Gwen induced anorexia, therapy was and is a must. I’m in a much better place now, but my experience there changed my outlook on life dramatically. They get rid of you so fast when you leave. I got married there and my husband and I both left. There is no mention of us anywhere on RF wedding (thank goodness) and only a few photos that are mostly decor from our wedding. And let me tell ya, the wedding industry in remnant is a shitshow. There’s a reason all the stories sound the same. They get reviewed by Gwen and you are given comments back. Even vows you write for the wedding get comments back that you have to listen to. I was told off for NOT thanking Gwen and Remnant for helping me meet my husband. At one point they threatened to cancel our wedding (about 2 months before) because I was being a selfish bride. Yes. Seriously. They may have taken away the joy of my wedding day, but atleast the experience opened my eyes and was the start of my de-conversion...

[JesusPony]

@RFSurvivor Question about the weddings: Is the whole ceremony, decor, catering and everything done by members of the church? I get the sense that there is a lot of humble serving (forced labor) to keep up appearances. Some of the YouTube videos mention food and decorating ministries. The work is extraordinary and looks like it would cost a lot. Are they doing this for free?

[Florita]

@RFsurvivor Welcome to FJ! I'm glad to hear you escaped the Remnant Cult and hope you are able to put it behind you and live your best life.

May I ask a couple of questions about the weddings?

Who pays for the weddings? Do you pick your wedding party or are bridesmaids/groomsmen assigned? Does anyone actually eat at the reception?  Are guests from outside RF allowed to attend?

Weigh Down and the RF cult are very new to me, any info you are willing to share is welcome. But don't feel obligated to share anything that you are uncomfortable discussing.

[JermajestyDuggar]

@RFsurvivor does this divorce surprise you or did you see their marriage falling apart for awhile? What about this Tarzan guy? Has he always been close with Gwen? Have people suspected an affair? 

[RFsurvivor]

I don’t mind answering questions. It helps me come to terms that my past experience was not normal in any manner. As for weddings, normally the brides family pays for the wedding. If they can’t pay I think the church would front the money and you could pay them back. You had to get your wedding party approved and of course it was only RF members. If you wanted someone who was “struggling” in your wedding party, you were told to pick someone else. 

 

Guests outside of RF are allowed, but also must be approved. You had to provided reasoning and short background of each non-RF member. 

 

It is mostly done by volunteers. There are committees (food committee, fireworks, decorating, etc) that are volunteers that run each. You are guilted into taking part of these with emails from the church leadership about how else would you want to spend your time?!?! 

 

People do actually eat at the reception surprisingly. But eat sparingly. 

1 minute ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

@RFsurvivor does this divorce surprise you or did you see their marriage falling apart for awhile? What about this Tarzan guy? Has he always been close with Gwen? Have people suspected an affair? 

I left many years ago so I was unaware of the tarazan thing until recently. I’m not surprised that Gwen and David eventually got divorced. I’m honestly was surprised it took this long. It’s difficult to imagine how she managed convincing the members that divorce is now ok. It was a MAJOR taboo when I was a member. Members in abusive relationships were told to not get divorces but to be the “better person and turn the other cheek like Jesus”...

[JermajestyDuggar]

Has anyone else left that you know? How high is the turnover in your opinion? Are you urged to recruit new members? 

[RFsurvivor]

6 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

Has anyone else left that you know? How high is the turnover in your opinion? Are you urged to recruit new members? 

Yes. I know of many people who have left. When in the church, people who have left are highly discussed so it is well known when someone leaves. I have no idea what the turnover rate is because some people quietly left and others left loudly. Talking to non-members was for the sole purpose to recruit them into the “Truth” so yes, you are expected to recruit new members. 

[themothership]

Do the flower girl and ring bearer have to be Gwen’s grandkids?

[RFsurvivor]

Just now, themothership said:

Do the flower girl and ring bearer have to be Gwen’s grandkids?

Not required but very very common.

[Florita]

Do they monitor the members' weight? And does Gwen require tithing?

[Mrsquigs]

Did you interact with Gwen’s children at all? What was that like? Are the rumors about Michael Shamblin true?