The Legend to the Treasure – Gwen Shamblin Lara

Gwen Shamblin Lara was a dietitian who founded The Weigh Down Workshop. She was also the founder of Remnant Fellowship Church in Brentwood, Tennessee. Her church was accused of abuse and exploitation.

In the 1990s, Lara Dawson developed the Weigh Down Workshop while she was working on a master’s degree at Memphis State University. By 1996, the program had spread to more than a thousand churches in 49 states and eight countries. By 1998, the organization had hosted more than 250,000 classes worldwide.

The program included 12-week seminars that were held in non-religious settings. Many of the participants reported financial restoration after attending the workshop. It was featured in Good Housekeeping magazine and People Magazine. A book about the program, The Weigh Down Diet, sold 1.2 million copies in 1999.

In May of 2021, Shamblin was traveling on her private jet, which crashed into Percy Priest Lake near Smyrna, Tennessee. Five other church members died on the plane. Other passengers were Jessica Walters, David L. Martin, and Jennifer J. Martin. The crash is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.

When the plane crashed, the plane was registered to Joe and Gwen Lara. They owned the aircraft together and it had two engines. Their daughter Elizabeth was not on board, but she sent a text message to the families of the other passengers.

During the filming of the HBO Max docuseries “The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin,” Shamblin was portrayed by Sarah Paulson. As of 2021, her books sold more than a million copies.

Shamblin appeared on TV programs such as A Current Affair, CNN Larry King Live, and The Early Show. She was also a guest on DaySide. After the program aired, she was removed from the Women of Faith website. However, her husband and seven grandchildren remained.

While the program offered help with weight loss, people reported that they were healed of their marriage problems. Some evangelical churches dropped the program. Others continued to hold the classes in their homes.

Aside from the docuseries, Shamblin has appeared on television programs such as CNN Larry King Live, DaySide, and The Early Show. She was also featured in publications such as Family Circle and Quick and Simple.

Shamblin is the subject of a five-part docuseries that will be adapted for the HBO Max series “The Way Down”. Michelle Dean will be the showrunner. The series is scheduled to premiere on September 30, 2021.

Shamblin was married to David Shamblin for 38 years. She was also the mother of two children. Upon her divorce, she married ‘Tarzan’ star Joe Lara. Both of her children, Michael and Elizabeth, have four children.

Gwen Shamblin Lara is survived by her husband, seven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. She was a registered dietitian who worked at Memphis State University. One of her most notable books, The Weigh Down Diet, has been translated into more than 10 languages and sold over a million copies.