Gwen Shamblin Lara 15: [29 May 2021] Gwen, Joe & 5 Others Presumed Dead in Plane Crash

[luv2laugh]

10 minutes ago, Giraffe said:

Some people will dig their heels in further but I bet this is the very thing that wakes up some members and is the beginning of them getting out. 

This story seems to be getting a lot of media attention. I wonder if members will start speaking out about it being a cult.

[cookingbutterchicken]

10 minutes ago, luv2laugh said:

This story seems to be getting a lot of media attention. I wonder if members will start speaking out about it being a cult.

One can only hope. 
 

The amount of pain that I know my family members are in who have completed cut me out of their lives is hard. Word is they are almost hysterical. I don’t wish this on anyone, but kinda hard to be sad because of the amount of damage and tearing apart of my family from her teachings or misteachings!  I am still in shock. 

[SuperNova]

I've followed Gwen since she first came on the FJ radar. Her message was particularly unusual even among fundies. She's contributed so much negativity to this world with her hateful message, her threats to dissenters, the arranged marriages, shunning her son, and her support of a child murderer. Gwen was terrible but no one deserves to die so horrifically. It must have been terrifying for all of them. 

I genuinely feel sad for the families of those who've passed away, especially Joe's daughter and Elizabeth. Elizabeth has always seemed so fragile and losing two loved ones at once is unimaginable. However, it's messed up that she thought it was appropriate to immediately send the message that the church will carry on. Cults are a helluva drug.

I hope that this is the beginning of the end for RF. 

[Tenyari]

I haven't been following the Laras for a while now because the situation with Joe's young daughter and her mom's despair really upset me, but can somebody inform me what the custodial situation was now? Any chances of the mom getting full custody? She is her last living parent, after all. I sound horrible to myself for even going there so soon after the accident and without full confirmation the father has died, but I want that baby girl as far away from RF as possible.

[hoipolloi]

1 minute ago, Tenyari said:

I sound horrible to myself for even going there so soon after the accident and without full confirmation the father has died, but I want that baby girl as far away from RF as possible.

Local authorities have announced that all seven aboard the plane are presumed dead. 

Quote

The names are William J. Lara, Gwen S. Lara, Jennifer J. Martin, David L. Martin, Jessica Walters, Jonathan Walters, and Brandon Hannah all of Brentwood, Tennessee.

 

[AmazonGrace]

Oh wow, that's not how I imagined this saga to end.  Very tragic for all the families involved, especially the children as all the adults have to be reeling with so much loss at once.     

I wondered if somebody helped write that message on Elizabeth's behalf. It seemed a bit inconsistent that it referred to "Gwen and Joe", " my brother" familiarly, and then in a distant way, "Brandon Hannah". 

if they made some plans  for Gwen's eventual death and the continuation of her legacy the bit about church going on might  be from some such draft. 

 Ideally a church going forward shouldn't be about just one person and not in question after the death of a leader  so seeing they too thought of that gives a strong personality cult vibe indeed. 

 I think that the only surviving parent would get full custody pretty much by default most of the time, unless there is some question about their own ability to be a functional parent, and then it's a matter between them and the child protection services . A surviving long term stepparent might occasionally be considered for custody but that is not relevant here, and none of the remaining relatives on Gwen's side seem likely to have any claim on Joe's child.   

ETA:Are any of the relatives on Joe's side  involved with RF?

Edited May 30, 2021 by AmazonGrace

[AnnaSofia]

I've been surprised at how many of the articles either don't mention, or barely mention, that Joe was an actor. I thought there would be a lot more "ex-Tarzan killed in plane crash" type headlines.

The NBC News article is one of the few I've read that writes about it in any detail.

Quote

Diet guru Gwen Lara, husband actor Joe Lara among seven killed in plane crash

She founded the Remnant Fellowship Church in 1999 after establishing the Weigh Down Workshop spiritual diet.

May 30, 2021, 4:26 AM UTC

By Dennis Romero

Church diet guru Gwen Lara and her husband, actor Joe Lara, were among seven people killed when a private jet crashed Saturday near Nashville, authorities said.

Everyone aboard the plane was presumed dead, Rutherford County Fire Rescue said in a statement. In addition to the Laras, the victims were identified as Jennifer J. Martin, David L. Martin, Jessica Walters, Jonathan Walters and Brandon Hannah, all from Brentwood, Tennessee.

The Cessna Citation 501 crashed into Percy Priest Lake east of Nashville on Saturday morning shortly after departing Smyrna Airport for Palm Beach, Florida, the agency said. The National Transportation Safety Board was investigating the cause of the crash.

Gwen Lara founded the Remnant Fellowship Church in Brentwood in 1999 after finding success with her Weigh Down Workshop, described by the church as a Bible study series that helped people lose weight and quit drinking.

In 2018, she married Joe, a workaday actor born in San Diego and raised in Newport Beach, California. In a career that spanned the 1980s to the 2010s, the highlight was portraying Tarzan on television's "Tarzan: The Epic Adventures."

Jennifer and David Martin and Jonathan and Jessica Walters were church leaders; Brandon Hannah was Gwen Lara's son-in-law.

Before the identities of the presumed deceased were announced, the church issued a statement that read, in part: "The Shamblins, Hannahs and Laras appreciate your concern, support and prayers."

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/diet-guru-gwen-lara-husband-actor-joe-lara-among-seven-n1269111

[WeirdHarold]

6 hours ago, Giraffe said:

My guess is since she was their leader - their god in a sense - they'll make it the most elaborate, over the top event ever. 

I wonder if her biological family will play much of a role in a funeral.

[Gothard is a perv]

8 hours ago, Don'tlikekoolaid said:

These people have more money than is good for them.

  Hide contents

  Reveal hidden contents

 

That is the modern Cessna that for a while was the fastest business jet available and cost 23 million. This plane of teeth & hair's  was an antiquated piece of crap, manufactored in 1983. A 38 year old c501 will sell for $290,000 to $600,000 to an idiot that shouldn't be buying a jet, much less flying it. I hate to say it but this woman was pure evil, a diabolical narcissist that took pleasure in belittling other women over their weight. The world is a better place with this dangerous cult leader on a slab. I always figured she would have them drinking cyanide laced Diet Coke and go out like Jim Jones. 

So much for the blessed Remanent. 

[Jrodseyeliner]

Any religion or church that has a private jet tells me all I need to know about that religion/cult..  

[CoveredInBees]

Just now, Jrodseyeliner said:

Any religion or church that has a private jet tells me all I need to know about that religion/cult..  

I was just writing the same thing, any church that has a private jet (however old) whilst there are people on this planet living in poverty is going wrong somewhere. I suspect those that died will be raised into martyrdom so that their 'church' will continue.

[formergothardite]

I can see RF continuing on much like IBLP. Gwen, like Gothard, didn’t come up with new material, so members are used to hearing the same message and even attending church to watch old videos of Gwen. But I think, without Gwens personality it will slowly fade away. At least I hope it does. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

I believe the Martins have grown children but the Walters still have 3 young kids. How horrible to be orphaned so suddenly and unexpectedly. I feel so bad for those kids. And of course I feel for the 4 hannah kids and Joe’s daughter. There are so many children involved. My heart breaks for them. 

[freethemall]

Oh my goodness, this is quite a shock. We may snark on these people for their awful beliefs, but I'd never wish this on anyone and have had a particular fear of plane crashes for many years. How very, very sad.

[WiseGirl]

7 hours ago, luv2laugh said:

wonder if members will start speaking out about it being a cult.

I doubt it because they probably don't see it as a cult. 

Who will take over? Who will be their right hand person? I'm not so sure it will end as both @Bluebirdbluebell and @formergotharditepointed out other cults have gone on after their leaders left or passed away. 

So sorry for the families losses but very glad Joe's ex-wife can get her daughter out of that cult now.

 

[JermajestyDuggar]

Like I said earlier in the thread, they will be able to go on without Gwen for awhile. But the long term is unknown. I think they can go on long term but they might lose a decent amount of members over time. It may become a smaller cult. It really depends on how they handle it. If they make huge changes that Gwen would never do, they could lose some people. If they keep it up similarly to when Gwen was here, I believe it could last long term. Gwen wasn’t the only ruler. She had tons of help from the “church elders.” Many of them are still alive and capable of keeping things going. 

[nelliebelle1197]

6 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

Oh wow, that's not how I imagined this saga to end.  Very tragic for all the families involved, especially the children as all the adults have to be reeling with so much loss at once.     

I wondered if somebody helped write that message on Elizabeth's behalf. It seemed a bit inconsistent that it referred to "Gwen and Joe", " my brother" familiarly, and then in a distant way, "Brandon Hannah". 

if they made some plans  for Gwen's eventual death and the continuation of her legacy the bit about church going on might  be from some such draft. 

 Ideally a church going forward shouldn't be about just one person and not in question after the death of a leader  so seeing they too thought of that gives a strong personality cult vibe indeed. 

 I think that the only surviving parent would get full custody pretty much by default most of the time, unless there is some question about their own ability to be a functional parent, and then it's a matter between them and the child protection services . A surviving long term stepparent might occasionally be considered for custody but that is not relevant here, and none of the remaining relatives on Gwen's side seem likely to have any claim on Joe's child.   

ETA:Are any of the relatives on Joe's side  involved with RF?

I was about to tag you. I wondered where you were!

[RFsurvivor]

2 hours ago, CoveredInBees said:

I was just writing the same thing, any church that has a private jet (however old) whilst there are people on this planet living in poverty is going wrong somewhere. I suspect those that died will be raised into martyrdom so that their 'church' will continue.

What’s worse is there are plenty of people in remnant struggling to get by and would be pretty close to poverty line and yet they still had a jet. Granted this could have changed in the years since I left, but that’s what I remember. 

[nelliebelle1197]

3 hours ago, Gothard is a perv said:

That is the modern Cessna that for a while was the fastest business jet available and cost 23 million. This plane of teeth & hair's  was an antiquated piece of crap, manufactored in 1983. A 38 year old c501 will sell for $290,000 to $600,000 to an idiot that shouldn't be buying a jet, much less flying it. I hate to say it but this woman was pure evil, a diabolical narcissist that took pleasure in belittling other women over their weight. The world is a better place with this dangerous cult leader on a slab. I always figured she would have them drinking cyanide laced Diet Coke and go out like Jim Jones. 

So much for the blessed Remanent. 

Honestly, Joe was an experienced pilot. He was a licensed pilot in the 80s, before he was even an actor.  I think he was a terrible, vapid  man but he certainly is more experienced a pilot than most anyone and could have owned that plane since it was nearly new. It does appear from reports he always had a plane so I am not sure where you are going with his being an idiot who should not own a jet. I am all for calling about bad people but I also believe in facts.

1 minute ago, RFsurvivor said:

What’s worse is there are plenty of people in remnant struggling to get by and would be pretty close to poverty line and yet they still had a jet. Granted this could have changed in the years since I left, but that’s what I remember. 

Joe may have come in with that plane since all his bios and interviews indicate that he owned planes. I don’t know if that makes you feel better but it could have been his single marital asset!

[RFsurvivor]

1 minute ago, nelliebelle1197 said:

Honestly, Joe was an experienced pilot. He was a licensed pilot in the 80s, before he was even an actor.  I think he was a terrible, vapid  man but he certainly is more experienced a pilot than most anyone and could have owned that plane since it was nearly new. It does appear from reports he always had a plane so I am not sure where you are going with his being an idiot who should not own a jet. I am all for calling about bad people but I also believe in facts.

I agree with you @nelliebelle1197. We really don’t know what happened in the air and Joe could and probably did what he thought was best based on his experience over his years of flying. Even excellent pilots crash. Airplanes have a lot of systems that can go wrong. One smaller general aviation there are less redundancies and regulations. I will be very interested to see what the NSTB determines is the cause of the crash. 

[Nonbeliever]

Do we know for sure that Joe was flying that morning? Was  the son in law also a pilot, or training to be one? 

[Destiny]

11 minutes ago, Nonbeliever said:

Do we know for sure that Joe was flying that morning? Was  the son in law also a pilot, or training to be one? 

No. We do not. Based on the years of experience he had, it's a safe bet but we do not know for sure. 

ETA: someone on here said that Brandon was a pilot, but I haven't bothered to attempt to confirm that. Pilot records are public info, but I'm not curious enough to go looking. 

My guess is that Joe was probably flying and Brandon was copiloting if anything, but that's guesswork, not knowledge. 

Edited May 30, 2021 by Destiny
missing word / more words

[Tatar-tot]

There is a lot of money wrapped up in this entire operation.  I would not be surprised if Michael & Erin’s dad help them navigate the future of this organization/church/cult/diet plan.  
 

My guess is the church will continue on but the message may be toned down & you will see new leaders step forward. I could see Michael & Elizabeth leading the church.  M/E are going to be deal with many emotions over the coming months as they navigate the valley of grief along with their parishioners. If anything I could see the congregation becoming even closer as they lean on each deal with the loss of Gwen & the church members. 

[AmazonGrace]

Elizabeth lost her mother and husband (and friends?) quite unexpectedly and is now a grieving single parent of several small children. While it would be easy to seek more comfort from the church and become more enmeshed with the community I'm not sure she's in a good headspace to take responsibility in organizing and public speaking and being the prophet right now.  Michael is not widowed but he seems to have been in the background lately. My guess is some of the other not-Shamblin church leaders will try to step up and take a more prominent role, at least in the beginning.

[MamaJunebug]

7 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

I wondered if somebody helped write that message on Elizabeth's behalf. It seemed a bit inconsistent that it referred to "Gwen and Joe", " my brother" familiarly, and then in a distant way, "Brandon Hannah". 

Veteran of corporate PR here, I can almost assure you it was written, if not by a paid PR person, then by a congregant with experience  in disaster communications. 
 

I have family in the area abd pre-pandemic we planned to visit RF since they weren’t aware of it and were astounded that such a group could be based in tony Brentwood. (They’re new arrivals to the area.) 

 

We don’t know Elizabeth’s actual strength and grit (it’s so hard to see her as anything but frail just from her photographs) nor her brother’s inclinations.
 

 That said, there are more families left in the inner circle who certainly have their own ideas about RF’s future and it will be extremely interesting to see what happens to the organization. 
 

THAT said, curiously I’m still reeling from this latest reminder of the impermanence of life, and feeling so sorry for the survivors, esp the Hannah kids, their mom, the children young and old of the two couples, and Joe’s daughter. What a whiplash life she, in particular, has had and will have. 
 

I also wonder what David Shamblin, Gwen’s ex, will do.  Was not he a co-founder of RF? Or did he genially ride along on his wife’$ train?  Saw his public FB several years ago abd it presented him as an amiable rich guy, family-loving, comfortable and NOT stick-thin nor overly “cut.”

Save the children. ❤️ 

Edited May 30, 2021 by MamaJunebug