|
 |
| BEEN THERE, DONE
THAT |
The
“Great” Commission of Gwen Shamblin & Remnant Fellowship:
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Gaining a Biblical Perspective
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Walks Like a Duck, Quacks Like a Duck,
Must Be a . . .
 In
the past six months, I have been doing extensive reading on cults, at first
trying to determine whether Gwen Shamblin was a cult leader, and then,
after my personal confirmation, trying to make sense of my experience with
Remnant Fellowship. One extremely helpful resource was an article
by Don and Joy Veinot of Midwest Christian Outreach. In the Winter,
2001 issue of the Journal, they examine Remnant Fellowship in an
article entitled “Weigh Down Workshop-A Cult?” I highly recommend
this article to anyone considering joining this movement. In their
article, they examine the theology of Remnant Fellowship, and affirmatively
label it a cult because of the movement’s authoritarian rule over the lives
of members, their false teachings, typical hatred of the Christian church,
twisting of Christian doctrine in order to simplify it, twisting the Scriptures
to defend their positions, emphasis on salvation by works and obedience
rather than by grace through faith alone, and lack of assurance of salvation.
I
will not retread the ground that the Veinots have covered. Rather,
from my own experience and observations of the group over the past five
months, I want to point out some behavioral and sociological characteristics
that affirm to me that Remnant Fellowship is a cult group, and that Gwen
Shamblin is a cult leader.
First
of all, I believe that Remnant Fellowship demonstrates cult-like tendencies
because of their recruitment tactics. Typically recruits are gathered
at Remnant Fellowship Weekends, where they are often tired and worn out
from a week of work and travel to the convention center. They are
kept busy learning from Gwen (or others with the same message) over the
entire weekend, and provided with small opportunity to ask penetrating
questions. At the same time that reasoning faculties are worn down,
potential recruits are bombarded with kindnesses and loving affirmations
from Remnant Fellowship members, creating an emotional high (love bombing).
These potential recruits are continually “love bombed” by long distance
phone calls, cards, and emails in the days and weeks following the convention.
Arterburn and Felton would describe such behaviors as contributing to the
“intoxication of belonging”20
felt by the spiritually vulnerable when they are recruited by a toxic faith
system. Other potential recruits who have balked at leaving their churches
have told me that members of Remnant Fellowship asked them to compare their
church with the love and attention they were receiving from Remnant Fellowship
members, as a test of which is the true church.
Are
Remnant Fellowship members consciously trying to manipulate potential recruits?
I think not. I believe that they have a lot of material they want
to present at these Rebuilding the Wall Weekends. And I believe that
they genuinely believe that they are doing the Lord’s will by sharing how
loving their church is. However, I wonder to what degree the members
of Remnant Fellowship continue to want to be involved in the lives of people
who are no longer potential recruits, people who have decided not to leave
their churches. That would be a telling confirmation regarding how
sincere of an interest they truly feel towards people.
Also,
potential recruits are gradually “inocculated” against listening to any
criticism about the groups from any other source. Because such suspicion
is cast upon the “counterfeit church,” pastors, friends, or family members
who try to explain the grace taught in the Bible or share other perspectives
on Remnant Fellowship are quickly going to be thought of as slandering
a “pure group.” Remnant Fellowship uses just such a tactic to keep members
inside the group from evaluating the group from another perspective by
labeling criticism “slander.” In an e-mail originally sent in November
2001, and resent on January 30, 2002, Gwen encourages new members to not
fall for some of the “lies” they might be prone to by associating with
Christians and family members.
Remember that God sent
you to these meetings and it is because you long to do the will of God
— not talk about it or memorize it or hear it - you want to do the will
of God. If you are to obey His commands then you need to separate
yourselves from the rebellious and especially those who call themselves
Christians (2 Cor 6:14-7:2). Ground yourself in the truth.
For one, your blood
family could disapprove so you must remember what Jesus said in Mark 3:31-35
that his mother and brother and sisters were those who DO the will of the
Father.
Another attack the flattery
of Satan to get you off the track of self-denial and back on the track
of self. Pharisee's greatest tool is to flatter you and try to get
you to stay around the rebellious or those who allow, cater, coddle or
wink at rebellion. Remember you are finally being set free.
Do not entertain that path any longer - it is a trap! (See Ps 36:2)21 |
Gwen
encourages cutting off ties with former Christian associates, and puts
dividing lines between new recruits and family members. Her advice
is to “separate yourself” from anyone who would put questions in your mind
about her teaching. Gwen also refers to families who have left Remnant
Fellowship in a recent email:
| Just recently, two families
have pulled off from Remnant Fellowship due to their strong desire to keep
their strongholds ... They are now calling other Remnant Fellowships and
are lying about what we said or did - that is all that they can find on
us ... they have chosen to leave based on lies. They are actually
calling up Remnant members and claiming Remnant is a cult ... How vague
and how unfair and how unchristian not to take their complaint to the leaders.
Both have refused to talk to the leaders - yet we have tried.22 |
Gwen
is demonizing former members who are objecting to her leadership.
It is sort of surreal for me to read Gwen’s comments about these former
members not taking their concerns to her, and voicing her feelings at these
members not desiring reconciliation. Her comments about that being
an unfair and unchristian act are self-condemning in light of how she treated
my wife and me. I wish I could remind Gwen about what happened when
I tried to take my concerns to her and the leaders. Instead of leaving
under my own steam as these brave former members did, I was excommunicated!
A
second cult characteristic that Remnant Fellowship demonstrates is a tendency
towards group thinking. Steven Hassan, one of America’s leading cult
experts, calls this an emphasis of “group will over individual will.”
He states
| In all destructive cults
the self must submit to the group. The “whole purpose” must be the
focus; the “self purpose” must be subordinated. In any group that
qualifies as a destructive cult, thinking of oneself or for oneself is
wrong. The group comes first. Absolute obedience to superiors
is one of the most universal themes in cults. Individuality is bad.
Conformity is good.23 |
In
that same Remnant Fellowship service of August 22, 2001, the worship leader
uses the term “one accord” (taken from the narrative of the early, early
church when it was located only in Jerusalem immediately following Pentecost,
Acts 2: 42-47). The worship leader uses the agreement of purpose
in the early church to justify group members from thinking independently
or questioning the actions of their members.
| When worshipping in one
accord-the one accord Jesus prayed for his disciples, for us and for himself
that all would experience the unity He and the Father had-we have to have
this unity or we are going to be out of whack. Only one virgin bride
exists as well as only one Groom and one Father. If we are worshipping
in Truth, everything will seem good by the body. If anything from
authority, any spiritual authority seems weird, go back and pray and examine
your heart . . . Anytime we go to self, start praying for God’s church.
This is what we should be mourning over, nothing else.24 |
The worship
leader in Nashville (presumably Gwen, although I am not sure) indicates
that if anyone differs in anything, that the church will be off course.
The worship leader then suggests using prayer like a “thought stopping”
technique. If anything the authority does seems morally wrong or
questionable, don’t question! Pray, and examine your own heart! Hassan
refers to thought stopping techniques as a common method for exercising
thought control, and states that they are “the most effective way to short-circuit
a person’s ability to test reality. . . since the doctrine is perfect,
and the leader is perfect, any problem that crops up is assumed to be the
fault of the individual member.”25
A
third cult characteristic of Remnant Fellowship is the rigid authority
structure that it exhibits. Members are expected to submit to the
spiritual authorities above them without questioning. Different branches
of Remnant Fellowship are expected to submit to the “global authorities,”
presumably, Gwen, and later on, those she has groomed (her children have
been taking a more active role in her ministry, although her husband seems
strangely uninvolved). Furthermore, Gwen Shamblin teaches that
when she makes a decision, it is equivalent to God making a decision (i.e.,
fusion of God’s will with the will of the leadership in the church).
In an email sent to Remnant Fellowship leaders explaining why the long-time
members had recently been disfellowshiped by the leadership, Gwen states
“I have a quick bit of information. . . about some recent purging that
God has done.”26
The
leadership at Remnant Fellowship supports their rigid authority structure
by making independent questioning taboo; my own experience bears that out.
However, they also work diligently to discourage concern and thought for
others (“a horizontal emphasis”) and continually place the focus of attention
on the hierarchical structure (“a vertical emphasis”). In the August
22, 2001 worship service, the worship leader states
| To get a mindset of being
able to share and looking through the eyes of Jesus (not worried how others
take Truth) is to truly get past this horizontal relationship with man
and get into the vertical one with God! This life is about growing closer
and closer to God. . . . When we are given opportunities to share, we should
only worry that God is pleased.27 |
This
emphasis on the vertical relationship facilitates total obedience to the
“spiritual authorities” above each member. In this worship service,
it is indicated that members should share their faith as boldly as possible
without worrying about the impact that it will have on those around them.
Only God (the vertical) should be pleased. The faithful are not to
worry about the feelings of man (the horizontal). At the end of the
service, the worship leader drives the point home.
| Stop bleeding for the people
that don’t want a God! Feel God’s pain. We don’t need to think about
anything else anymore.28 |
This
desensitization to the feelings of others, including other believers, enables
the members of Remnant Fellowship to unconcernedly cut off relationships
with family members, friends, and former brothers and sisters in Christ
if a “spiritual authority” deems it necessary. Any qualms about it,
and the faithful are reminded who they should be “bleeding” for — God,
not their fellow men. In the email in which Gwen explains why some
members have left Remnant Fellowship, she says
| They have more of a
heart for people that are kissing idols than for poor God who has to share
glory with deaf and dumb idols! . . . You all know that total Sovereignty
is the only way to go. Total obedience to the one true God is the
ONLY way to go. By the way - this did not surprise some of us for
we could sense their side ways allegiance to each other and people over
God. We must put Him first — He is testing all of us.29 |
Gwen
forbids other members from having contact with these critical former members.
Presumably, she is trying to keep anyone else in the group from thinking
independently and perhaps questioning her authority. She makes the
excommunication of these former members a test of whether the Sheep will
obey God by not talking to them.
One
final cult characteristic strongly present in Remnant Fellowship is their
elitist mentality. Hassan states that “this feeling of being special,
of participating in the most important acts in human history . . . is strong
emotional glue to keep people sacrificing and working hard.”30
A second worship leader at the August 22 Remnant Fellowship worship service
states:
| I see the New Jerusalem
coming. Maybe Satan’s 1000 year reign is over. He is now being
exposed. It’s over! No one can stop this message now, it’s
on a scroll! (WDAdvanced). . . . People who don’t want a God are
not on our side. We don’t need to be with those people. WDAdvanced
will be the one last seed of separation. Everyone who is left will
be the pure-hearted. Everyone will then be marked (Rev 13:16-14:1).
We will then be on the Holy Mountain with no foreigners-Praise God!31 |
The
arrogance in these statements is self-evident. The leadership of
Remnant Fellowship presumes to assume that whoever responds to the message
in WDAdvanced will be saved by God. All others will be left out.
There
are other characteristics of Remnant Fellowship that are indicative of
a toxic-faith system as described in Arterburn and Felton’s Toxic Faith.
For a more in-depth analysis, I would refer you to that classic text.
Legalism, or Holy Living?
The
pitfall that my friends and I fell into with the teaching of Remnant Fellowship
is a common snare that many exuberant and committed Christians are prone
to get caught up in. As the Holy Spirit begins the work of sanctification
in a new believer’s heart (or in the heart of a believer who has been spiritually
asleep for some time), life changes become quite prominent. Christians
begin turning from sin that earlier had them in bondage. After all
this is clearly a foundation of the ministry of Christ (Isaiah 61: 1-4).
He came to free us from all forms of captivity that the evil one might
use to enslave us. When His Spirit enables us to turn from sin, and
helps us choose to live holier lives, we reap more peaceful, satisfied
lives. However, we then become prone to two mistakes, which can be
as destructive as the original sin. We can become prideful, attributing
the changes in our lives to our own efforts (Luke 18: 9-14), and we can
become judgmental of weaker brothers and sisters in Christ (Galatians 6:1-3).
When
we begin to allow pride to run the show in our relationship with God and
with His children, we often begin looking for other ways in which to distinguish
ourselves. We turn any principle in the Bible, even figurative language,
into a rule or “law” that can be either obeyed or disobeyed. We exchange
the freedom of Christ for a new set of laws. Again, the Pharisees
are a perfect example of this tendency; they were so concerned about not
violating the law of tithing that they even gave a tenth of their spices.
However, their tendency towards legalism prevented them from recognizing
the freedom that Christ came to bring out of His love for us, because Jesus
was not as concerned about following their rules (he allowed a sinful woman
to touch him in Luke 7:36-39; in Mark 1:41, he even touched a leper, something
forbidden by the Law).
The
book of Galatians was written to just such a situation. Teachers
had come into the Galatian churches after Paul, convincing Jewish and Gentile
Christians alike that in order to be acceptable before God, they needed
to follow the Jewish law (including circumcision). Paul responded
by calling the Galatian churches back to the gospel he had first preached
to them.
As
I discussed earlier in this testimony, I believe that the teachings in
Weigh Down Advanced and Remnant Fellowship logically bring one to a place
where legalism begins to blossom and flower in one’s relationship with
God and others. However, I believe that the seeds are sown much earlier,
and the way is prepared for this legalism to take root in one’s heart even
in the Weigh Down Workshop original version, or Exodus from Strongholds.
One example of how this legalism develops is the eventual transformation
of the food rules, or “principles of eating within hunger and fullness”
from great suggestions for weight loss to God’s rules that must be followed.
For
some of my readers, I am about to challenge a “sacred cow” by even questioning
whether God demands that we eat within the bounds of hunger and fullness
as taught within the Weigh Down Workshop. The program presents the
idea of eating only when your stomach growls and then eating only until
politely full as God’s created mechanism within our bodies to help us maintain
a good weight. Gwen Shamblin maintains that extra weight on our bodies
is a visible sign that we are indulging a greedy desire for more food than
we need, and turning to food for emotional and spiritual comfort when we
should be turning to God. She challenges the idol of greed in our
lives with the support of Scriptures such as Ephesians 5:3-7, and Colossians
5:5, verses which demonstrate a believer’s imperative to rid his or her
life of unholy living that conflicts with their calling. She is right
to emphasize these verses. There are many believers who have allowed
themselves to be enslaved to many idols of this world, and, in my opinion,
there is no believer that does not struggle, in the present or the past,
with idolatry in some form or another.
Gwen
believes the answer to the idol of greed, which often takes the form of
overeating, is to employ the principles eating within the bounds of stomach
hunger and polite fullness, and turning to God’s word and prayer when we
are tempted to eat at other times. She teaches that these principles
are found in Scripture, and supports that contention with some key verses,
such as God’s command that, while wandering in the desert, the Israelites
were to take only as much manna as they needed (Exodus 16), which supposedly
demonstrates God’s concern that we don’t eat more food than we need.
She quotes verses from the prophets (for example Ezekiel 16:49, who compared
Israel to Sodom, “arrogant, overfed and unconcerned”). She supports
her argument with many other prophetic declarations (too numerous to quote
here) to the effect that our relationship with God is our true sustenance
(one example she uses was when Jesus stated that “man does not live by
bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”).
Furthermore, she debunks other approaches to losing weight espoused by
the medical community and other diet gurus that specify controlling the
types of food consumed by referring to Colossians 2:6-23. She uses
this passage to state that believers shouldn’t be restrained by “deceptive
and human philosophy” with their food rules taught by men.
Allow
me to assert right now that I think the core of this message is sound.
If it were not, why would so many mature Christians have been helped by
this message? Many, many believers do turn to food as an innocuous comfort
in their lives, reasoning that food isn’t like alcohol, drugs, or illicit
sex, so therefore, it is harmless. Many are enslaved to overeating
to meet their spiritual needs instead of having honest face-to-face time
with God in prayer and in the Word. The call of Paul in Ephesians
and Colossians (who echoes Christ Himself) to surrender the heart to God
and set aside immoral, impure, and greedy living is a call that should
move every believer to live sanctified, examined lives before Him.
And for many, these eating principles have been an efficient, simple way
to get back in touch with their bodies’ natural food intake rhythms, as
our Creator designed our bodies to work. The principles even worked
for me in helping me lose weight!
However
— and this is a big “however” — these principles of eating within hunger
and fullness are not commands of God as the only means to obey Him in this
respect. They are Gwen Shamblin’s suggestions. They are not
found in the Scriptures; rather, they are superimposed on the Scriptures.
(If you believe that Gwen Shamblin would not insist on obedience to these
food principles, let me disabuse you of that notion! One of the former
Remnant Fellowship members mentioned above decided to leave because Gwen
Shamblin did not feel she was losing weight at an appropriate pace!)
In
the narrative of the manna in the desert (Exodus 16), the Israelites were
all told to gather one omer of manna, and when they gathered it this way,
everyone’s needs were met. It does not say they measured it out by
how hungry or full they were. The passage indicates that the extra
manna saved overnight by some turned into maggots, indicting their lack
of trust in God that He would provide manna the next day! The passages
in Ezekiel 16:49 that chastens Israel for being like Sodom, “arrogant,
overfed, and unconcerned” must be read in context. The prophet was
upset with all of Israel because the poor were oppressed, and the wealthy
were unconcerned about it. They thought that as long as they kept
up with their temple duties, they could get away with anything, and this
national attitude was affecting everyone. Oppression was rampant.
In Isaiah 58, the Lord reminds His people that the fasting He desires has
nothing to do with food. It has to do with justice!
Finally,
Gwen’s use of a portion of Colossians 2 to justify obedience to her “eating
principles” is most ironic. A close examination of the passage shows
that she’s misusing it. The context shows that the issue Paul was
actually concerned about was totally unrelated to Gwen’s interpretation.
Paul’s concern was that there were some in Colosse who were teaching people
to observe certain religious days and rituals. These teachers were
going so far as to advocate the legalism of circumcision and observance
of Hebrew laws and traditions in order to please God (similar to the conflict
going on in the letter to the Galatians).
| Therefore, do not let anyone
judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival,
a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the
things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels
disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail
about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle
notions. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole
body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as
God causes it to grow. Since you died with Christ to the basic principles
of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to
its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” These are all destined
to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.
Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed
worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but
they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. [Colossians
2:16-23]32 |
This
passage has nothing to do with avoiding deceptive diet plans. It
is clearly about not allowing legalistic religious “teachers” fool you
into trading away the grace of Christ for a legalistic deception that appears
more holy! By now this should be ringing bells for you. As
we examine the passage closely, we discover that it speaks directly to
the legalism of Remnant Fellowship. Just look at a few key phrases:
(1)
“Do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink.” This is not
an excuse for greed. However, it is a reason to confidently rebuke
someone who wants to tell you how you should or shouldn’t lose weight (or
what weight you should be) based on extra-biblical teaching imposed on
the Scriptures.
(2)
“Do not let anyone who delights in false humility . . . disqualify you
for the prize.” Following ascetic rules creates an appearance of
holiness, such as in statements similar “I would never dare take one more
bite of food than God would allow me to have through hunger and fullness.
That would be rebellion!” This seems like such subservient humility
to God; in reality, it turns into underground pride that gives the ascetic
a reason to judge his or her brother.
(3)
“… why … do you submit to it’s rules: ‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do
not touch!’” Here the passage is pointing to man made religious rules
that have nothing to do with our relationship with Christ. The rules
sound so similar to “Do not taste food unless your stomach is growling!”
The religious rules that spring up around only eating when you are hungry
and stopping when full are manmade religious rules that have to do with
helping people lose weight; they do not prove one’s love for God.
He certainly does not require them in the Scriptures.
(4)
“Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed
worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body . .
.” Paul points out that manmade rules for demonstrating one’s holiness
may seem wise, because they are so self-sacrificing. After all, isn’t
one demonstrating their holiness by going even farther than the next guy
in their religious practice? But Paul also points out that the humility
that is indicated in this type of religious observance (obedience to manmade
rules) is a false humility. The practitioner is simply not humbling
himself if his religious practices then become a measure by which to judge
his brother! Furthermore, such practices also lead to “harsh treatment
of the body.” Anyone who has seen footage from the Weigh Down Advanced
Tapes would probably join me in wondering how thin is too thin!
The
problem with legalism of this type is that when it is the predominant theme
of any Bible-based movement, it opens the door to all types of abuses perpetrated
in the name of Christ. Of course, in Remnant Fellowship, and according
to Gwen Shamblin, they don’t practice legalism, they simply practice obedience.
However, they believe that it is their obedience that justifies them before
God, rather than obeying because they are justified. This is legalism,
the belief that it is one’s effort and/or ability to keep the “law” (or
strict heart rules) that saves you! It doesn’t matter how they redefine
the terms, this is what Remnant Fellowship is encouraging it’s followers
to practice. |
ENDNOTES
20 Stephen Arterburn and Jack Felton,
Toxic
Faith, (Waterbrook Press, 2001), p. 108.[BACK]
21 Email correspondence sent by Gwen
Shamblin to new recruits of Remnant Fellowships on January 30th, 2002.
Email on file. [BACK]
22 Email correspondence sent by Gwen
Shamblin to leaders of Remnant Fellowships on February 6, 2002. Email
on file. [BACK]
23 Steven Hassan, Combatting Cult
Mind Control, (Park Street Press, 1990), p. 80-81.[BACK]
24 Remnant Nashville Worship Notes From
August 22, 2001. A transcript sent by email is on file.[BACK]
25 Steven Hassan, Combatting Cult Mind
Control, p. 63. [BACK]
26 Email correspondence sent by
Gwen Shamblin to leaders of Remnant Fellowships on February 6, 2002.
Email on file. [BACK]
27 Remnant Nashville Worship Notes From
August 22, 2001. A transcript sent by email is on file.[BACK]
28 Ibid.[BACK]
29 Email correspondence sent by
Gwen Shamblin to leaders of Remnant Fellowships on February 6, 2002.
Email on file. [BACK]
30 Steven Hassan, Combatting Cult
Mind Control, p. 80. [BACK]
31 Remnant Nashville Worship Notes From
August 22, 2001. A transcript sent by email is on file.[BACK]
32 New International Version.[BACK] |
|
