Gwen Shamblin: Skinny for Jesus

[Soulhuntress]

4 hours ago, Hane said:

And I sit here wondering why my little local Unitarian-Universalist church, which is dedicated to making the world a better place, is struggling to survive, while cults like this attract members by the thousands.

Here is a possible answer:  People want  answers.  Weight loss?  (and disclaimer my fat butt gets this) not exercising and taking in less food than one expends or talking to a dietician or doctor.  It is ketogenic diets, it is pink drank and woo and it is shit like Weigh Down.  Not Weight Watchers or Nooma.  Healthy lifestyles do not mean eating three bites of food.  It means making better choices.  And sustainable lifestyle changes.  

And having someone tell you what to do is tempting and yes easy.  Actually doing the work is bloody hard.  Seriously hope you get young families in the church @Hane  <3

[Florita]

4 hours ago, Hane said:

And I sit here wondering why my little local Unitarian-Universalist church, which is dedicated to making the world a better place, is struggling to survive, while cults like this attract members by the thousands.

Yep. Our church has a campus ministry at the local, humongous, flagship state university. Typically 4 to 6 young adults show up for worship. RF has hoards of members in that age range. 

[Iamhispurity]

I just read those stories and sobbed. I struggle with eating issues stemming from CPTSD. I have to try very hard to eat normally. Those women in the church look malnourished and incredibly sad to me. They are basically inducing eating disorders - that meal plan contains less food that I eat on bad days, and that‘s mostly under 1000 calories. Gwen Shamblin makes me mad - her church has nothing to do with Jesus and if she wants to talk about greed: it’s also greedy to wear those pricey dresses and drive those cars. It’s greedy to expect members to buy those Weigh Down things and it’s irresponsible to shame them to the point that they look really unhealthy and malnourished. Shame on you!

[RFsurvivor]

23 minutes ago, Iamhispurity said:

I just read those stories and sobbed. I struggle with eating issues stemming from CPTSD. I have to try very hard to eat normally. Those women in the church look malnourished and incredibly sad to me. They are basically inducing eating disorders - that meal plan contains less food that I eat on bad days, and that‘s mostly under 1000 calories. Gwen Shamblin makes me mad - her church has nothing to do with Jesus and if she wants to talk about greed: it’s also greedy to wear those pricey dresses and drive those cars. It’s greedy to expect members to buy those Weigh Down things and it’s irresponsible to shame them to the point that they look really unhealthy and malnourished. Shame on you!

Can confirm. While I have not been officially diagonised with an eating disorder, I struggle severely with food and not being anorexic on a daily basis. I had no weight issues until I was old enough to be taught to follow the weigh down way. 

[luv2laugh]

I really am surprised that Gwen Shamblin is mostly known for scandal because of her view of the trinity than being a Christian eating disorder cult. I wonder why there isn’t a 20/20 episode on this. 

[3splenty]

18 hours ago, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

Really short like less than 5 ft?  At almost barely 5'2" if I stretch to stand perfectly straight ... I like to think of myself as under tall, but really I'm short.

You're not short, you just reached perfection before most other people.

[Red Hair, Black Dress]

Those of you with inside info, is there ever a point when one has lost enough weight, when one is thin enough?

Is a size 4 small enough, or pushed/guilted to go down to size 2?  And a size 2 is pushed to be a 0, and a 0 is pushed to be a 00? Then 00 is pushed to be small enough for children's sizes?

Similarly, since the Remnant believes in spanking the children, is there an age when they no longer do so?  If a teenage was disobedient, would he/she be walloped with a glue stick or something larger?

I know that Gwen/Remnant doesn't believe in drugs for depression, anxiety, etc, but what about medication for high blood pressure, seizures, heart problems, synthroid for those with no thyroid function, etc.?

Does Gwen preach that cancer, stroke, heart attack, Parkinson's, etc, etc. are the result of sin and if you just lose more weight and obey authority (i.e. her) you will be cured? Is chemo for cancer treatment forbidden?

[Anonymousguest]

1 hour ago, luv2laugh said:

I really am surprised that Gwen Shamblin is mostly known for scandal because of her view of the trinity than being a Christian eating disorder cult. I wonder why there isn’t a 20/20 episode on this. 

I agree! Before she was mentioned on FJ I didn't even know she had her own church, I only knew of her from The Weigh Down and the Trinity controversy. I am on the other side of the country, maybe that's why? 

[RFsurvivor]

3 hours ago, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

Those of you with inside info, is there ever a point when one has lost enough weight, when one is thin enough?

Is a size 4 small enough, or pushed/guilted to go down to size 2?  And a size 2 is pushed to be a 0, and a 0 is pushed to be a 00? Then 00 is pushed to be small enough for children's sizes?

Similarly, since the Remnant believes in spanking the children, is there an age when they no longer do so?  If a teenage was disobedient, would he/she be walloped with a glue stick or something larger?

I know that Gwen/Remnant doesn't believe in drugs for depression, anxiety, etc, but what about medication for high blood pressure, seizures, heart problems, synthroid for those with no thyroid function, etc.?

Does Gwen preach that cancer, stroke, heart attack, Parkinson's, etc, etc. are the result of sin and if you just lose more weight and obey authority (i.e. her) you will be cured? Is chemo for cancer treatment forbidden?

There is always pressure to make sure you didn’t have excess weight. Many people (IMHO) were underweight and even people who were at a healthy weight thought they were overweight. 

Not sure about an age were spanking would end. Depended on the family. There were many in the church who wouldn’t follow the spanking concept. 

Any meds are highly scrutinized. Many people wouldn’t discuss but anything related to mental health (anti depressants, ADHD, etc) were a major no.  There was an expectation that pretty much anything could be cured by following god and dropping extra pounds. Various members have had chemo and have discussed it. 

[SJWaterford]

27 minutes ago, RFsurvivor said:

There is always pressure to make sure you didn’t have excess weight. Many people (IMHO) were underweight and even people who were at a healthy weight thought they were overweight. 

Not sure about an age were spanking would end. Depended on the family. There were many in the church who wouldn’t follow the spanking concept. 

Any meds are highly scrutinized. Many people wouldn’t discuss but anything related to mental health (anti depressants, ADHD, etc) were a major no.  There was an expectation that pretty much anything could be cured by following god and dropping extra pounds. Various members have had chemo and have discussed it. 

And I have a church member on audio lying to me to my face about how they feel about medications for mental health or learning. They'll lie about anything when confronted because they are cowards. My child moved out and left her medications and  then they interrogated her about mine which I also confronted him about. Thank you RFsurvivor for speaking out and I hope helping us understand will help your healing. 

[Briefly]

The more I read/hear about this group, the more worried it makes me.  I also think they remind me of Scien tology in a lot of ways, and also Westboro.

Many years ago, I had a friend who mentioned it to me because she was going to lose weight.  We eventually lost touch but not until after she became Catholic Fundy.  She was Catholic already, but went the fundy route and we eventually just lost touch with each other.  About 4 months ago, she contacted me after finding me on facebook.  We do have some communication, I can't tell if she's still fundy or not but I don't know if I want to ask her or not.  She is very pro-Trump and I don't think she likes my anti-Trump postings.  If I get a chance to actually talk to her, I will try to work into the conversation about Weigh Down but I don't think she stuck with the diet very long.

[RFSurvivor_2]

Hey everyone,

First of all, big thanks to the moderators for getting my account approved and providing excellent communication throughout the process. In case anyone wonders, I am RFSurvivor’s husband, hence the username. If anyone has any additional questions, I’ll be more than happy to share. 

 

[RFsurvivor]

22 minutes ago, RFSurvivor_2 said:

Hey everyone,

First of all, big thanks to the moderators for getting my account approved and providing excellent communication throughout the process. In case anyone wonders, I am RFSurvivor’s husband, hence the username. If anyone has any additional questions, I’ll be more than happy to share. 

 

Hey love! 

[RFSurvivor_2]

25 minutes ago, RFsurvivor said:

Hey love! 

Hiii!

Ready to blow some folks’ minds, haha!

[sajetime]

Welcome, RFSurvivors1&2! I am so appreciative to both of you to finally be able to ask someone questions because you DARE NOT ask members. I never joined the church but got sucked into several classes over the years and did actually visit the church once. I’ve never been so self-conscious around a group of people in my life; I felt like I had to watch every word and couldn’t be myself.

 As for Gwen, do you think she had a true calling from God? What do you think it is that motivates her —  genuine beliefs, money, power, control, something else? Do you think she always intended to run a church/cult, like that was her master plan, or that she believe her own PR and get carried away? What do you think it is about her that causes people to bow to her, uproot their lives, and move across the country to be under her authority? Do you think Remnant can successfully live on when she passes the torch/passes?

What is up with Michael? I get the impression Michael is not around much, if at anymore. He’s been scarce since the end of last year — is it possible his mother’s divorce/dating has alienated him? He’s no longer doing the music regularly, but he might show up for one song and leave. He’s rarely present and he looks heavier. 

Is he as strange as he seems? So serious and introverted and odd. Did he and his wife seem to have a genuine marriage?

 

 

 

[RFSurvivor_2]

9 hours ago, sajetime said:

Welcome, RFSurvivors1&2! I am so appreciative to both of you to finally be able to ask someone questions because you DARE NOT ask members. I never joined the church but got sucked into several classes over the years and did actually visit the church once. I’ve never been so self-conscious around a group of people in my life; I felt like I had to watch every word and couldn’t be myself.

 As for Gwen, do you think she had a true calling from God? What do you think it is that motivates her —  genuine beliefs, money, power, control, something else? Do you think she always intended to run a church/cult, like that was her master plan, or that she believe her own PR and get carried away? What do you think it is about her that causes people to bow to her, uproot their lives, and move across the country to be under her authority? Do you think Remnant can successfully live on when she passes the torch/passes?

What is up with Michael? I get the impression Michael is not around much, if at anymore. He’s been scarce since the end of last year — is it possible his mother’s divorce/dating has alienated him? He’s no longer doing the music regularly, but he might show up for one song and leave. He’s rarely present and he looks heavier. 

Is he as strange as he seems? So serious and introverted and odd. Did he and his wife seem to have a genuine marriage?

 

 

 

Thank you for your reply!

1. "As for Gwen, do you think she had a true calling from God? What do you think it is that motivates her —  genuine beliefs, money, power, control, something else?"

Do you think she always intended to run a church/cult, like that was her master plan, or that she believe her own PR and get carried away?

What do you think it is about her that causes people to bow to her, uproot their lives, and move across the country to be under her authority?

Do you think Remnant can successfully live on when she passes the torch/passes?

- I, even till this day, strongly believe that Gwen sincerely believes that she is doing her God's work. It is easy for an outsider to quickly look at her, her ministry, her past and present reputation and quickly dismiss her as a charlatan. This isn't the full picture, of course. Her devotion to her religion and its history runs deep however therein lies the core issue, the "Achilles Heel" (so to speak) of her ministry. Because of her deep devotion, very high religious intelligence, extreme religious perspective(s) and charismatic southern "charm" she has historically convinced countless individuals over the course of several decades that she possesses the true word of God and IS of God. This unfortunately, and ironically has created a "veil" (as she calls it) that has deeply blinded her from acknowledging the depth of her own selfish desires, greed and sin. Because of said "veil" she has shown countless behaviors and evidence that she is now more devoted to her ministry (or mini-empire, to be blunt) than to her religion and God. The power, the greed, the position she is in has corrupted her more and more over time. What initially was a sincere pursuit to help others has become a tool of manipulation and control.

For decades, she has slowly but surely placed herself on a "higher than thou" pedestal that has, and still is continually being lifted up by her mastery of mental, emotional and spiritual abuse in conjunction with the manipulative nature of her "teachings".  The vast majority of her followers sincerely believe that she is (and has acknowledged this verbally for decades) a prophet sent from God and that she is the, truth, the way and the ONLY path to God. She has tactfully used these elements (or tools) to get what she wants. She wants a new wealthy and powerful husband? Check. She wants unyielding and devoted followers that boosts her confidence and ego? Check. She wants new cars, toys and more money (to pay her husband the 3.4 million dollars owed and to keep one of her RF tied rental properties via the divorce agreement), check. She has countless resources at her fingertips and resides in one of the most wealthiest cities in Tennessee and in America overall.

Due to the evidence and my personal experience(s) with Weighdown and Remnant Fellowship, I strongly believe that she sincerely believes that she is doing God's work, even in her misguided corrupted state. Her heart definitely was more sincere and her mind focused on truly helping people in the 80's and early 90's, however she fell off the wayside when she started the church. Power and position has historically corrupted countless human beings over the course of history, even the most sincere and "pure" appearing ones (i.e Mother Theresa). This is the case with Gwen, and her leaders (or at least the ones that I have interfaced with during my tenure at WD and RF). Human nature is naturally selfish and destructive. She isn't an exclusion to this.

Weighdown and Remnant Fellowship IS Gwen. She is the foundation in which Weigh-down and Remnant Fellowship was built upon. Her face, her voice and her words are PLASTERED everywhere that is associated with Weigh Down and Remnant Fellowship. Because of this, she has (possibly knowingly) created a ticking time-bomb on her ministry. A cult is only as relevant as its leader. Strip away the main influence, I.E the leader and a cult's structure, dynamic and foundation will crumble and fade over time. With the removal / departure and eventual death of Gwen, in conjunction with how our society as a whole (political, social and economic) is rapidly changing, a cult like Remnant Fellowship will die off and fade into obscurity. I no doubt believe that even if she is gone that there will be some devoted followers left, however the vast majority of RF and WD's members, influence and power will rapidly diminish over time. Thus the cycle of life continues.


2. What is up with Michael? I get the impression Michael is not around much, if at anymore. He’s been scarce since the end of last year — is it possible his mother’s divorce/dating has alienated him? He’s no longer doing the music regularly, but he might show up for one song and leave. He’s rarely present and he looks heavier. 

-Michael has gained a lot of weight, therefore isn't "fit" to no longer lead worship or be front and center onstage. Thats just it. If you gain weight, you are rarely shown in "public" or are front and center of anything. 

This isn't out of the norm. There was a period between 2008/9 ish and 2011 that Michael was in a similar situation, although this had to do with the affairs, in conjunction with his weight. I suspect there is more going on in the background and I would not be surprised if his parent's divorce has taken a major toll on him. A lot of people do not know this about Michael and David, but they were rather close, despite his position in the church.

Michael is Michael. The guy is a brilliant, yet tortured soul. A "tortured artist" so to speak, mostly in part due being used as a tool for his mother's agenda(s) for such a long time. He is very quiet and indeed very awkward, but from my personal experience from being close with him and one point in my RF history, he was a seemly nice guy who wanted the best for his people (RF). Unfortunately he has a LOT of undiagnosed mental health issues that have not been properly addressed at all and because of this, his personality and  mental state have taken a toll over the past few decades. This has affected many personal relationships and has practically destroyed lives and burned bridges.

As far as my opinion and experience on his relationship with Erin, I believe at this point it continues out of convenience for the sake of their children and church. I DO believe that they still love each other, however due to his past (cheating, etc) and how the church and Gwen wedges itself between his (and all RF married couples') relationship, I doubt that it is going well, nor do I believe their love runs deep anymore. I talked with my wife the other day and we both agreed that out of all of the people in the church we sympathize with, we sympathize with Erin (now calls herself Elle) the most. She has gone through SO MUCH for the sake of the church, and at one point (and I am sure many points) was threatened by Gwen herself after she considered leaving Michael, the church etc after he hurt her time and time again. She is in a terrible position despite how "happy" she claims to be.

 

[SJWaterford]

11 hours ago, RFsurvivor said:

Hey love! 

I'm so happy that it seems like your marriage made it out of Remnant intact and that you have each other to lean on. Thank you for being so open. 

[sajetime]

4 hours ago, RFSurvivor_2 said:

Thank you for your reply!

1. "As for Gwen, do you think she had a true calling from God? What do you think it is that motivates her —  genuine beliefs, money, power, control, something else?"

Do you think she always intended to run a church/cult, like that was her master plan, or that she believe her own PR and get carried away?

What do you think it is about her that causes people to bow to her, uproot their lives, and move across the country to be under her authority?

Do you think Remnant can successfully live on when she passes the torch/passes?

- I, even till this day, strongly believe that Gwen sincerely believes that she is doing her God's work. It is easy for an outsider to quickly look at her, her ministry, her past and present reputation and quickly dismiss her as a charlatan. This isn't the full picture, of course. Her devotion to her religion and its history runs deep however therein lies the core issue, the "Achilles Heel" (so to speak) of her ministry. Because of her deep devotion, very high religious intelligence, extreme religious perspective(s) and charismatic southern "charm" she has historically convinced countless individuals over the course of several decades that she possesses the true word of God and IS of God. This unfortunately, and ironically has created a "veil" (as she calls it) that has deeply blinded her from acknowledging the depth of her own selfish desires, greed and sin. Because of said "veil" she has shown countless behaviors and evidence that she is now more devoted to her ministry (or mini-empire, to be blunt) than to her religion and God. The power, the greed, the position she is in has corrupted her more and more over time. What initially was a sincere pursuit to help others has become a tool of manipulation and control.

For decades, she has slowly but surely placed herself on a "higher than thou" pedestal that has, and still is continually being lifted up by her mastery of mental, emotional and spiritual abuse in conjunction with the manipulative nature of her "teachings".  The vast majority of her followers sincerely believe that she is (and has acknowledged this verbally for decades) a prophet sent from God and that she is the, truth, the way and the ONLY path to God. She has tactfully used these elements (or tools) to get what she wants. She wants a new wealthy and powerful husband? Check. She wants unyielding and devoted followers that boosts her confidence and ego? Check. She wants new cars, toys and more money (to pay her husband the 3.4 million dollars owed and to keep one of her RF tied rental properties via the divorce agreement), check. She has countless resources at her fingertips and resides in one of the most wealthiest cities in Tennessee and in America overall.

Due to the evidence and my personal experience(s) with Weighdown and Remnant Fellowship, I strongly believe that she sincerely believes that she is doing God's work, even in her misguided corrupted state. Her heart definitely was more sincere and her mind focused on truly helping people in the 80's and early 90's, however she fell off the wayside when she started the church. Power and position has historically corrupted countless human beings over the course of history, even the most sincere and "pure" appearing ones (i.e Mother Theresa). This is the case with Gwen, and her leaders (or at least the ones that I have interfaced with during my tenure at WD and RF). Human nature is naturally selfish and destructive. She isn't an exclusion to this.

Weighdown and Remnant Fellowship IS Gwen. She is the foundation in which Weigh-down and Remnant Fellowship was built upon. Her face, her voice and her words are PLASTERED everywhere that is associated with Weigh Down and Remnant Fellowship. Because of this, she has (possibly knowingly) created a ticking time-bomb on her ministry. A cult is only as relevant as its leader. Strip away the main influence, I.E the leader and a cult's structure, dynamic and foundation will crumble and fade over time. With the removal / departure and eventual death of Gwen, in conjunction with how our society as a whole (political, social and economic) is rapidly changing, a cult like Remnant Fellowship will die off and fade into obscurity. I no doubt believe that even if she is gone that there will be some devoted followers left, however the vast majority of RF and WD's members, influence and power will rapidly diminish over time. Thus the cycle of life continues.


2. What is up with Michael? I get the impression Michael is not around much, if at anymore. He’s been scarce since the end of last year — is it possible his mother’s divorce/dating has alienated him? He’s no longer doing the music regularly, but he might show up for one song and leave. He’s rarely present and he looks heavier. 

-Michael has gained a lot of weight, therefore isn't "fit" to no longer lead worship or be front and center onstage. Thats just it. If you gain weight, you are rarely shown in "public" or are front and center of anything. 

This isn't out of the norm. There was a period between 2008/9 ish and 2011 that Michael was in a similar situation, although this had to do with the affairs, in conjunction with his weight. I suspect there is more going on in the background and I would not be surprised if his parent's divorce has taken a major toll on him. A lot of people do not know this about Michael and David, but they were rather close, despite his position in the church.

Michael is Michael. The guy is a brilliant, yet tortured soul. A "tortured artist" so to speak, mostly in part due being used as a tool for his mother's agenda(s) for such a long time. He is very quiet and indeed very awkward, but from my personal experience from being close with him and one point in my RF history, he was a seemly nice guy who wanted the best for his people (RF). Unfortunately he has a LOT of undiagnosed mental health issues that have not been properly addressed at all and because of this, his personality and  mental state have taken a toll over the past few decades. This has affected many personal relationships and has practically destroyed lives and burned bridges.

As far as my opinion and experience on his relationship with Erin, I believe at this point it continues out of convenience for the sake of their children and church. I DO believe that they still love each other, however due to his past (cheating, etc) and how the church and Gwen wedges itself between his (and all RF married couples') relationship, I doubt that it is going well, nor do I believe their love runs deep anymore. I talked with my wife the other day and we both agreed that out of all of the people in the church we sympathize with, we sympathize with Erin (now calls herself Elle) the most. She has gone through SO MUCH for the sake of the church, and at one point (and I am sure many points) was threatened by Gwen herself after she considered leaving Michael, the church etc after he hurt her time and time again. She is in a terrible position despite how "happy" she claims to be.

 

I cannot thank you enough for your detailed, thoughtful reply. I have had soooo many unanswered questions about this place! You confirmed what I believed about Gwen, in that she started off doing “good” and then began doing “well” and it grew I to something else entirely.

I’d be interested to know: What do you think her flock makes of her divorce/upcoming marriage? For the longest time, her message has been dying to self, embracing your suffering, remaining married ... and now THIS?! Gwen dumping David (though he wasn’t a church member she always painted herself as the dutiful, servant wife and claimed they grew closer every year) for a younger, hot stud?! Will everyone just accept that wholeheartedly without judgment or will some people question that, at least inwardly?

 

 

 

[Mrsquigs]

On 7/21/2018 at 9:27 AM, RFsurvivor said:

Can confirm. While I have not been officially diagonised with an eating disorder, I struggle severely with food and not being anorexic on a daily basis. I had no weight issues until I was old enough to be taught to follow the weigh down way. 

 

I am curious also, regarding her divorce and remarriage. Do you know if they finally divorced because she fell in love with someone else(Joe)? Did she fall in love with him while still married?

[Red Hair, Black Dress]

@RFSurvivor_2 Thank you for being here and answering all our questions .

Do you have any insight into Elizabeth Hannah?  Does it seem she is annointed to take over from Gwen?

From the videos she seems a rabid, all in true believer, but has absolutely none of Gwen's charisma and personality.  I know nothing about her, but I suspect there is a raging inner beyotch there that can flare up in a nano second if she is crossed in any way.

Michael has always looked sad to me even when smiling in photos. I think he's good looking, but appears lost and uncertain, no matter how hard he tries to fake confidence.

I suspect that having been a tool for Gwen's agenda(s) for so long, he's never had a chance to figure out who he is and what he wants.  His life has always been doing what he's been told is the WD /RF way, doing what Gwen/ God wants.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I have a visceral skin crawling reaction to the photos of some of the leaders (Tedd Anger, Rob Day  and David Martin especially). Based on your interactions with the RF leaders over the years, do you have insights into those who have been corrupted by power and position?

[WorseThan1Thinks]

I found this thread and thought I'd chime in.  My spouse got caught up in Remnant and it completely destroyed our marriage.  Sadly, our family has only been one of MANY that has been torn apart from Gwen Shamblin's cult.  There are so many terrible stories out there regarding Remnant which I have seen with my own two eyes.  Some of the text in SJWaterford's screenshots of her daughter's phone and emails was identical in nature to what I personally experienced - but in my case, Remnant members creating a massive wedge between husband and wife (when one is totally on board and the other isn't).  I cannot emphasize the destruction this place has caused across so many lives and families.  It's worse than one thinks. 

[PianoGal]

On 7/21/2018 at 2:37 PM, Anonymousguest said:

I agree! Before she was mentioned on FJ I didn't even know she had her own church, I only knew of her from The Weigh Down and the Trinity controversy. I am on the other side of the country, maybe that's why? 

What are her beliefs on the Trinity? 

[RFSurvivor_2]

4 hours ago, sajetime said:

I cannot thank you enough for your detailed, thoughtful reply. I have had soooo many unanswered questions about this place! You confirmed what I believed about Gwen, in that she started off doing “good” and then began doing “well” and it grew I to something else entirely.

I’d be interested to know: What do you think her flock makes of her divorce/upcoming marriage? For the longest time, her message has been dying to self, embracing your suffering, remaining married ... and now THIS?! Gwen dumping David (though he wasn’t a church member she always painted herself as the dutiful, servant wife and claimed they grew closer every year) for a younger, hot stud?! Will everyone just accept that wholeheartedly without judgment or will some people question that, at least inwardly?

 

 

 

It's absolutely no problem @sajetime. I am grateful for the opportunity to share and even more grateful to now have the strength and resolve to share these experiences and perspectives on this topic. To my wife and I, this isn't about gossip or slandering but rather sharing factual information and perspectives about the true nature of this place and people. We do this with hopes that those who are curious, struggling against or confused about Gwen and her Remnant can read this and understand a lot more. We see it as a sense of a moral obligation, seeing as we know SO much about the inner workings of the church, leadership and Weighdown in the past and (even though so much has changed) in the present. They of course see it as a direct attack on them, their beliefs and livelyhood. If anything, if they are reading this forum, which I highly believe they are (why hello there), they probably are scrambling to figure out who we are.

1. What do you think her flock makes of her divorce/upcoming marriage? Will everyone just accept that wholeheartedly without judgment or will some people question that, at least inwardly?

- Fantastic question. To be blunt, I do not know. Her getting divorced is such a foundation shakeup that I am SURE there are a lot of members who view her differently now and some probably are starting to ask questions.  It wouldn't surprise me if she played the hardcore "victim" card to swoon the congregation (which she has done so historically for decades, and is extremely effective) and downplay the severity of her new "perspective" on  divorce and marriage. This is unfortunate, seeing as this is the Gwen Shamblin that has destroyed many people's lives by forcing them to stay with their abusers (husbands AND wives) as well as forced many marriages that should not have existed in the first place. Her past actions shouldn't be ignored and should be accounted for in conjunction with her recent divorce statement(s). The hypocrisy is real. Unfortunately, her congregation will remain ignorant of her past "deeds" and will take every word of hers as the truth.

From what her divorce decree/original filing says, it states that she and David divorced under the grounds of "irreconcilable differences". I heard rumors of emotional and mental abuse from both parties, however I cannot confirm this, nor do I care for such intricate details at this time. I am more or so focused on how the property division, 3.4m payout to David and he owning the Weighdown building are going to play out in the near future. Should be rather interesting to see how she, WD and the church "recovers" from this. I am not even sure if they know the intricate details of their divorce. I am sure many heads will turn if the members were to read the original divorce filing(s) and the final divorce agreement...
 

[SJWaterford]

10 minutes ago, RFSurvivor_2 said:

It's absolutely no problem @sajetime. I am grateful for the opportunity to share and even more grateful to now have the strength and resolve to share these experiences and perspectives on this topic. To my wife and I, this isn't about gossip or slandering but rather sharing factual information and perspectives about the true nature of this place and people. We do this with hopes that those who are curious, struggling against or confused about Gwen and her Remnant can read this and understand a lot more. We see it as a sense of a moral obligation, seeing as we know SO much about the inner workings of the church, leadership and Weighdown in the past and (even though so much has changed) in the present. They of course see it as a direct attack on them, their beliefs and livelyhood. If anything, if they are reading this forum, which I highly believe they are (why hello there), they probably are scrambling to figure out who we are.

1. What do you think her flock makes of her divorce/upcoming marriage? Will everyone just accept that wholeheartedly without judgment or will some people question that, at least inwardly?

- Fantastic question. To be blunt, I do not know. Her getting divorced is such a foundation shakeup that I am SURE there are a lot of members who view her differently now and some probably are starting to ask questions.  It wouldn't surprise me if she played the hardcore "victim" card to swoon the congregation (which she has done so historically for decades, and is extremely effective) and downplay the severity of her new "perspective" on  divorce and marriage. This is unfortunate, seeing as this is the Gwen Shamblin that has destroyed many people's lives by forcing them to stay with their abusers (husbands AND wives) as well as forced many marriages that should not have existed in the first place. Her past actions shouldn't be ignored and should be accounted for in conjunction with her recent divorce statement(s). The hypocrisy is real. Unfortunately, her congregation will remain ignorant of her past "deeds" and will take every word of hers as the truth.

From what her divorce decree/original filing says, it states that she and David divorced under the grounds of "irreconcilable differences". I heard rumors of emotional and mental abuse from both parties, however I cannot confirm this, nor do I care for such intricate details at this time. I am more or so focused on how the property division, 3.4m payout to David and he owning the Weighdown building are going to play out in the near future. Should be rather interesting to see how she, WD and the church "recovers" from this. I am not even sure if they know the intricate details of their divorce. I am sure many heads will turn if the members were to read the original divorce filing(s) and the final divorce agreement...
 

So to chime in about this.......When I texted my child about knowing about Gwen's engagement, her response was "Yes! I'm so happy! The church is rejoicing!"

A church member told us that her reason for divorcing her husband was "biblical". Curious to what that means but I do believe that Joe started attending around Spring 2017. In my opinion she never would have pulled the plug on her marriage if she didn't have a backup plan. When I asked my child about the divorce end of last year, what she had been told was that they divorced and that it was peaceful. She thought it was apparently a done deal when actually it had just been filed. Heard second hand that the kids(Elizabeth and Michael were taking it hard). 

[RFSurvivor_2]

1 hour ago, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

@RFSurvivor_2 Thank you for being here and answering all our questions .

Do you have any insight into Elizabeth Hannah?  Does it seem she is annointed to take over from Gwen?

From the videos she seems a rabid, all in true believer, but has absolutely none of Gwen's charisma and personality.  I know nothing about her, but I suspect there is a raging inner beyotch there that can flare up in a nano second if she is crossed in any way.

Michael has always looked sad to me even when smiling in photos. I think he's good looking, but appears lost and uncertain, no matter how hard he tries to fake confidence.

I suspect that having been a tool for Gwen's agenda(s) for so long, he's never had a chance to figure out who he is and what he wants.  His life has always been doing what he's been told is the WD /RF way, doing what Gwen/ God wants.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I have a visceral skin crawling reaction to the photos of some of the leaders (Tedd Anger, Rob Day  and David Martin especially). Based on your interactions with the RF leaders over the years, do you have insights into those who have been corrupted by power and position?

@Red Hair, Black Dress

You're totally welcome, I am glad I get to do so!

1. Do you have any insight into Elizabeth Hannah?  Does it seem she is anointed to take over from Gwen?

-Liz is interesting. She is a bit of her own person when it comes to personalities. She is a lot more spunky, firey and more energetic than Gwen in a lot of ways. As far as Charisma is concern, she is almost as charismatic as her mother. To be blunt, because of her fiery and energetic self, she indeed has a strong overzealous side to her that can be flipped on like a switch. Like her mother, she can go from 0 to 100 in 0.001 seconds and you be blindsided by it. They call it "the zeal for God". I call it a borderline personality disorder.

***Note that I said she is only a "bit" of her own person. Ultimately, the goal of Gwen and her leadership is to have a unified church. Like all cults, the congregation/followers strive to be just like their leader and leaderships. Because of this, a complete stranger to the message would be freaked out at the noticeable consistency among the verbiage, mannerisms, tones, clothing and personalities. 

-Michael is, as I said before a tortured soul. When he was happy, he was one of the most sincere and open guys I personally have met, even being in his position. I think because he once was is so open and out there, he was shut down and placed in his "position" many times to the point in which he is almost on autopilot, hence his personality, his facial expressions and demeanor. I highly agree with you; he never had the chance to figure out who he is and what he wants. I remember being a part of deep conversations with him and a few people close with him YEARS ago. He knew he could be doing so much more for the world, and he knew that his potential was being limited at that place, under his mom, and trapped in his mind. He was and still is trapped. He constantly has struggled to convince his-self to keep "moving forward' and keep the "faith". I honestly believe that he still has potential to be a better person, a musician and such. All it would take is for him to leave, find the help he needs and to figure himself out. He may be in his 30's but that doesn't mean his life would be over. It would be EXTREMELY hard to mentally, emotionally and spiritually let go, press the reboot button and move on, however if my wife and I and countless others who have left can do it, he and those still in the cult can do it too.

2. About the Leadership

-Don't even get me started on those men. I have had a number of raw, gut clinching, mind warping interactions, counseling "sessions", secret tasks, missions and such from them over the course of my tenure at RF. They are wolves in sheep's clothing. They definitely, like Gwen believe they are doing their God's work however their mindsets, actions and beliefs are extremely misguided. Its incredibly...scary how powerful they are and how they have, and continued to, use their power. I cannot go into specifics as to what I have been involved with pertaining to them (each of them) due to me wanting to keep a certain degree of anonymity, at least for the time being. But all I can say is this: they are bad news. If anyone who is a visitor, has someone in the church that is close with them or has to interface with them without opting out, be careful. Every interaction, every word, every thought shared, EVERYTHING is noted, recorded (mentally) and shared with other leaders and noted down in their notes, "lists" and archives.

Now, to clarify, I am talking about the original leadership, less two of them (and their families) who left and led somewhat of a schism in 2008 (which I am so happy they did, I am darn proud of how they stepped out and where they are now in their lives). There are new leadership heads that has been appointed over the past few years that I have not interfaced with. Needless to say, I have had confirmation that these new leaders are almost as controlling and warped as the originals. Almost. They will worsen over time.