Gwen Shamblin 7: I am the Potato Chip of Life

[OperationSunshine]

54 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

RF events must be a total mindfuck when it comes to food. Gwen usually serves unhealthy yet tasty food. So you want to eat, but how much? Are other RF people watching how much food you put on your plate? Did I just serve myself too much pasta salad? Or was it too little? Should I get a piece of cake? Or just take a quick bite of my toddler’s piece? Is Gwen looking? Did she see me lick that potato chip? 

In my experience it was weird as heck. They only provide dessert sized plates, and the majority of people don't eat. I believe we were told that the food was mainly for the couple's family and closest friends, but I don't recall anyone being told "Hey, you can't eat." In the end there was a HUGE amount of food leftover, which was crazy when you consider the large number of people who didn't eat a thing. Then there's the weird stuff going on with the alcohol... the whole thing was surreal. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

1 hour ago, OperationSunshine said:

In my experience it was weird as heck. They only provide dessert sized plates, and the majority of people don't eat. I believe we were told that the food was mainly for the couple's family and closest friends, but I don't recall anyone being told "Hey, you can't eat." In the end there was a HUGE amount of food leftover, which was crazy when you consider the large number of people who didn't eat a thing. Then there's the weird stuff going on with the alcohol... the whole thing was surreal. 

I’ve always said the pets of RF must all be completely obese. Because they likely get the massive amounts of leftovers that result in a cult of food obsessive people who don’t eat.

[formergothardite]

No devotional yet. Is Gwod in a sulk over us finding the weird RF video? 

[throwaway9988]

12 hours ago, RFsurvivor said:

Leaders have left in the past, but it is not easy. There is always hope for someone to leave but the probability might be low. 

I wish we could get the Nissens or the Maxwell/Hecks to come answer questions for a day on this forum

[fransalley]

22 hours ago, CTRLZero said:

More from the "our leaders" link on the RF website:

My family pulled out with the Martin Family in 1999 to start the Remnant Fellowship Church... We all felt God's lead and calling to found a church based on purity and "God's Will Be Done on this earth as it is done in Heaven"... a place where God would get to rule, Leaders are PURE, and where Husbands are kind like Christ, women are submissive, and children obey their parents and find HAPPINESS in doing...

<snip>

And I wonder when Elizabeth says "my family pulled out," since her dad was a non-covenant sort of guy, does she really mean Gwod alone felt called to a thinner, more color-coordinated, way of life and left whatever church they were involved in?  I assume non-covenant guy was there to handle the financial empire, and Gwen for 20 years laughed all the way to the bank, until recently, when Gwod's purity was restored by a quick marriage to Botox Joe.

The family dynamics and hypocrisy just fascinate me.  If you look at the leaders' portrait page, Gwen and Elizabeth are thinner by far than the rest.  Thus endeth my morning coffee musings. 

As I understand the story, and an RFer can correct me if I'm wrong, Gwen, her husband, and the Martin family left the church they were involved in to form Remnant Fellowship.  I have also read that Weigh Down was her way to first get the message of "total obedience" into the churches.  

Gwen's background is in the Churches of Christ.  I am part of a Church of Christ that used to host Weigh Down, and I remember hearing/seeing Gwen speak back in 1996.  There were a few people that got up and talked about how good Weigh Down had been to them, and I remember thinking, "Of course, they're going to have success stories talking.  No one who tried and failed is going to be asked to speak!"

[quiversR4hunting]

20 hours ago, Tuesday’s Child said:

Also, former RF’ers, how was Elizabeth? Any scandal surrounding her like there was/is with Michael? I think she’s the most interesting of them all. She’s a mini Gwen but a tad bit different. 

I find it very interesting that Elizabeth's husband is still in a lot of the pictures yet Elizabeth is absent. I am guessing she is in attendance....

20 hours ago, CTRLZero said:

Again, from the "Our Leaders" portion of the RF website, Elizabeth describes her mom:

My mother, Gwen Shamblin, founded the Weigh Down Ministries and continues to live and speak for God alone. I love her dearly... She is the Genuine Article that truly puts GOD first in every aspect of her life.

I'm sure this is a heartfelt sentiment, but it has the feel of a Jill Rodrigues child's posting, that wasn't written by mom.  Right. 

to the bold - that says it all. Gwen and Elizabeth really believe that Gwen speaks for God. They really believe she is a prophet*. Wow. 

*Profit would be a more appropriate spelling for Gwen. 

[Christian Clueless]

16 hours ago, formergothardite said:

So she tells people in her books that God provided the Frito recipe and people outside the cult still buy them?! 

Yes she does, and also that God created blue cheese dressing and chocolate cheesecake!

[formergothardite]

Still no devotional. This is twice in about a week she had to take a day off. What do the non-FJ people who get her devotionals think when a day is skipped? 

[OperationSunshine]

1 hour ago, Christian Clueless said:

Yes she does, and also that God created blue cheese dressing and chocolate cheesecake!

What's bad is that, at the core, I don't think that's a horrible teaching. We teach our kids to be thankful for what God has given them... that He cares enough about us to give us delicious foods and so many flavors... (though I'm sure many people on here would think WE were nuts to teach that ?)
 

What we don't do is teach that somehow chips are related to what they're reading in the Bible... or that God created processed food as equal to vegetables so they can eat potato chips instead of their broccoli... or that their childhood cravings of cupcakes and Hot Pockets mean that their bodies somehow need the "nutrition" in those more than the nutrition in a banana. It's nuts.

2 hours ago, quiversR4hunting said:

I find it very interesting that Elizabeth's husband is still in a lot of the pictures yet Elizabeth is absent. I am guessing she is in attendance....

to the bold - that says it all. Gwen and Elizabeth really believe that Gwen speaks for God. They really believe she is a prophet*. Wow. 

*Profit would be a more appropriate spelling for Gwen. 

What gets me is that we've talked to multiple members who say that RF doesn't teach that Gwen is a prophet... or that maybe she is, maybe she isn't, and that it doesn't matter... and when we point out things like this from the website, they say that others believe she's a prophet, but they don't, and they don't see why it matters... 

I cannot fathom how people who believe the Bible genuinely think that this isn't something to take very seriously. 

[formergothardite]

So RF has all this money that they spend on sashes and food that no one can eat lest they be judged, they believe in baptism, yet they couldn't spring for a baptismal pool? They dunk folks in Gwen's pool? 

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

Is this like a regular Sabbath thing? 

Edited May 22, 2019 by formergothardite

[Truth sets you free]

http://spiritwatch.org/rftest7/

http://spiritwatch.org/rftest8/

Very interesting reads.

[SuperNova]

1 hour ago, formergothardite said:

So RF has all this money that they spend on sashes and food that no one can eat lest they be judged, they believe in baptism, yet they couldn't spring for a baptismal pool? They dunk folks in Gwen's pool? 

  Hide contents

 

  Hide contents

 

Is this like a regular Sabbath thing? 

That video didn't look insane and cultlike. Nope. Not at all. No crazy going on there.

 

Start the countdown to total lockdown of RF members social media accounts...

Edited May 22, 2019 by SuperNova

[formergothardite]

19 minutes ago, Truth sets you free said:

http://spiritwatch.org/rftest7/

http://spiritwatch.org/rftest8/

Very interesting reads.

From the first story:

Quote

his “encouragement” was offered unrequested by Gwen to me in April 2016 just before we were leaving Ashlawn, Shamblin’s home, on a visit there: 
 
“Terasee, you have to get this weight off.  It’s a choice, it’s just a choice. You know you can’t keep coming if you don’t get the weight off.  If you don’t lose, cut what you ate in half. If you don’t lose the next day, cut that in half and you keep cutting the food until you start losing weight.  You shouldn’t even be eating… you have so much weight on your body you … no more eating.” (I had lost 130 pounds by this time.)

I noticed when scrolling through pictures RF is tagged in there is a RF homeschool co-op. These poor kids get no escape from Gwen's grasp.

Quote

The children at RF are, for the most part, homeschooled. They are at home, with family or go to the homes of other RF families during the week. Their studies are monitored by leadership, and they are given all they need to be the best students they can be. While we lived with this 3rd family, the RF children gathered on Tuesdays for “RF doctrine/Bible Study” and academic electives.  This provided for more co-dependence and Remnant’s controlling socialization. 
 
This sweet child that I lived with was an outcast among her local RF peers. She was lonely, depressed, and overweight.  She is also, about a foot taller than her other petite, super-thin counterparts. They left her out of their “sleep-overs” and treated her as an afterthought on most occasions. Her only friends in her peer group were children of RF members that lived out of town and only came for the festivals and special events. 
 

Quote

Every member of RF has their social media accounts on places like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest monitored 24/7. If anything non-Remnant approved is posted to your personal Facebook pages or other social media, you are called immediately and “asked” to delete it. For example, I crochet as a pastime and a niece asked if I could crochet her a swimsuit and was sending pictures so that I could see what she was talking about. Now my niece is not a church goer so you can imagine the pics were a little less modest than I would like, so I would respond with more modest designs that were similar to what she wanted. Within 15 minutes of this discussion I received a phone call from Jennifer Martin at the WD office telling me that I was to delete the photos.  They were not RF appropriate. I tried to explain the situation but I was told it didn’t matter… I was to remove the photos. 

I bet people are getting called up and told to make sure they don't put videos showing what RF is really like on social media. 

Dear RF members reading here, this response to someone leaving the church is very cult like. 

Quote

Dear Saints,

We wanted to update you that Richard and Terasee Morris have left the Church.  Because they have been very active on Social Media with the Church and Weigh Down we felt led to update you right away.  There has been much help and counsel provided to them over the last couple of years but we have had  issues with divisive behavior with Terasee.  When we attempted to meet again regarding   the need for repentance, they opted to leave the Church and disassociate with the Weigh Down Facebook page, discontinue in classes and have begun posting various other Ministries on Terasee’s FB account.  It would be right to unfriend on Facebook and pray for their repentance but not to fellowship until after they meet with Leadership and show True Repentance. Thank you for your help with this.  We are so grateful for this Church and the unity in the body. We are looking forward to celebrating the Festival with everyone !

With Deep Love and Respect,
On behalf of Leadership,
Chris and Helen Boerman

Reading the parts about brain fog from hunger, the excessive drinking, Gwen's books being pushed before the Bible shows how cult like this is. Sober people who have eaten and are reading non-Gwen books will revolt. 

[quiversR4hunting]

15 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

From the first story:

Quote

his “encouragement” was offered unrequested by Gwen to me in April 2016 just before we were leaving Ashlawn, Shamblin’s home, on a visit there: 
 
“Terasee, you have to get this weight off.  It’s a choice, it’s just a choice. You know you can’t keep coming if you don’t get the weight off.  If you don’t lose, cut what you ate in half. If you don’t lose the next day, cut that in half and you keep cutting the food until you start losing weight.  You shouldn’t even be eating… you have so much weight on your body you … no more eating.” (I had lost 130 pounds by this time.)

 

What struck me about Gwen saying this to Terasee is that Terasee started her story with the fact that she was diabetic and was going to have to start dialysis. She is diabetic!  She needs to be a on a diabetic/renal diet! And Gwen tells her not to eat and cut her food in half and then in half again, etc. That can trigger diabetic hypoglycemia - which can lead to seizures & loss of consciousness. (source - mayoclinic) And if Terasee was swinging wildly with her food (very little food to binge eating) she could spike her blood sugar and then be at risk for ketoacidosis (which can be deadly).

How many people has Gwen hurt medically with her BS? 

1 hour ago, Truth sets you free said:

http://spiritwatch.org/rftest7/

http://spiritwatch.org/rftest8/

Very interesting reads.

Thank you for the links. I quickly read the husband's account, I am glad they went out together and got counseling. I hope they can continue to do well and move out of the RF neighborhood! 

[SuperNova]

26 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

Dear Saints,

We wanted to update you that Richard and Terasee Morris have left the Church.  Because they have been very active on Social Media with the Church and Weigh Down we felt led to update you right away.  There has been much help and counsel provided to them over the last couple of years but we have had  issues with divisive behavior with Terasee.

Are RF members are referred to as saints?

The subtext of the highlighted is that Remnant "felt led" to let everyone know that Richard and Terasee are too visible and are no longer able to be controlled. 

There's so many laughable aspects to Gwen and RF but reading these types of accounts from past members are a sobering reminder that RF is a dangerous cult that hurts people and divides families.

[Truth sets you free]

20 minutes ago, SuperNova said:

There's so many laughable aspects to Gwen and RF but reading these types of accounts from past members are a sobering reminder that RF is a dangerous cult that hurts people and divides families.

Agreed.  It extends beyond the church as well to members of Weigh Down.  What seems like an innocent weight loss program has proven to be very dangerous for my mental health.  After reading these two testimonies, I need to, have to, leave this program for good.  

I sincerely feel scared for those in the church.  They seem like such nice people and it is such a shame...

Edited May 22, 2019 by Truth sets you free

[Satan'sFortress]

Sooooo.  I'm new here.  I have been trying to expand my fundie horizons beyond Bates/Duggar and have been reading a bit about Gwen---looked on her blog and gone back through some old threads.  I can tell it is going to be good.

I used to work for a nutrition program, and while I am not a dietitian, I do have a passing knowledge of dietary principals.  After reading here, I was absolutely stunned to see in the bio on her blog that she has a Masters degree and is a member of the ADA.  I really am shocked.

I am sorry to ask, because I feel like I came in halfway through the movie and am expecting everyone to catch me up, but . . .  can someone please explain the hair to me?  Even a link back to where it most assuredly has come up in an earlier thread?  I am trying to work my way back through them.  And if this is too BEC, someone let me know.

[formergothardite]

3 minutes ago, Satan'sFortress said:

can someone please explain the hair to me?

There is none. People suspect it is a wig because she lost so much hair from starvation. Apparently she won't let anyone see her style her hair. Her hair was not always like this. 
If you wonder about the clothing, she claims God picks out her clothes each day. Everyone at the church has to dress how she demands and she has control over wedding colors and clothing. 

[Tuesday’s Child]

7 hours ago, Christian Clueless said:

Yes she does, and also that God created blue cheese dressing and chocolate cheesecake!

And my all-time favorite is when she asks God, “God, can you do better than a pan of brownies?” 

(Ok, if there are chocolate chunks in those brownies, God doesn’t stand a chance.)

[Insightful]

3 hours ago, Truth sets you free said:

http://spiritwatch.org/rftest7/

http://spiritwatch.org/rftest8/

Very interesting reads.

"Needless to say the Methodist Church discontinued the study."...yeah, I think that one was kinda my fault!  LOL!  A family member wanted to get me into RF and gave me the tapes.  It was in my church to so I skeptically popped the first one into the VHS and started watching.  Yeah....NOPE!  OMG, right there I realized what she was doing!  She had people showing these videos in churches and she was talking about how our preachers were sinners!  She was actively fleecing the flocks!!!  No trinity?!?!  What???  I took the videos to my preacher and told him my concern.  He was floored!  He called me back up a week later and told me he was going to have to tell a bunch of skinny women this was not a program that supported our doctrine AT ALL!  He met with other preachers at the local and state level.  The program disappeared!

[OperationSunshine]

7 hours ago, formergothardite said:

So RF has all this money that they spend on sashes and food that no one can eat lest they be judged, they believe in baptism, yet they couldn't spring for a baptismal pool? They dunk folks in Gwen's pool? 

  Hide contents

 

  Hide contents

 

Is this like a regular Sabbath thing? 

It reminds me of the purity dance... I couldn't believe when some of our relatives were SO EXCITED to learn it... if that didn't scream "cult" to them, I don't think anything will, lol!

Also, I love seeing how the people in those comments mention the kid getting "confirmed"... it's like she combined Jewish holidays, with Catholic confirmation and atonement, Mormon views on the trinity, and a Jehovah's Witness beginning with an author who didn't like the status quo theology.

5 hours ago, SuperNova said:

Are RF members are referred to as saints?

The subtext of the highlighted is that Remnant "felt led" to let everyone know that Richard and Terasee are too visible and are no longer able to be controlled. 

There's so many laughable aspects to Gwen and RF but reading these types of accounts from past members are a sobering reminder that RF is a dangerous cult that hurts people and divides families.

Yes, on a very regular basis.

Edited May 23, 2019 by OperationSunshine

[CTRLZero]

19 minutes ago, OperationSunshine said:

It reminds me of the purity dance...

Me, too.  Here's my version:

#festerandgomezdiditbetter #didntgetthecolorschemememo

 

[Red Hair, Black Dress]

Sorry to ask, but what's the purity dance?

[OperationSunshine]

1 hour ago, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

Sorry to ask, but what's the purity dance?

I feel bad because I've looked all over and can't find a video of it online. Maybe a former member might have one they could share? It's a dance that the young men and women do along to a song about being a "holy zion girl" or "holy zion man." It's very cultish.

[formergothardite]

I really need someone to produce a purity dance video! Gwen still doesn't have a devotional today. Maybe she will produce one or maybe she will just give up because we won't ever stop talking about them. 

At the 3:20 mark some of the RF dancing is shown.

Spoiler