IOPList.Org

Controversial church founder,
Tarzan actor husband among 7 presumed
dead in plane crash in Tenn.

Posted:
May 30, 2021 
12:15 PM EDT 
Updated: May 30, 2021
04:51 PM EDT





Gwen Shamblin Lara and husband William Joe Lara


BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (WKRN) – The founder of a controversial church in
Brentwood, Tennessee was among seven people presumed dead after a
small plane crashed into a lake over Memorial Day weekend.

The plane crashed into Percy Priest Lake near Smyrna Saturday morning,
and all on board have been identified and are presumed dead.

FAA officials said a Cessna C501 with seven people on board crashed there
around 11 a.m. after departing from the Smyrna Rutherford County Airport.

Family members of those believed to be on the flight have been notified, and
with their permission officials have released the names:



William J. Lara

Gwen S. Lara

Jennifer J. Martin

David L. Martin

Jessica Walters

Jonathan Walters

Brandon Hannah




All people on board are from Brentwood and all are presumed deceased.

Gwen S. Lara started the Remnant Fellowship Church in 1999 as an extension
of her popular book The Weigh Down Diet. More than 100,000 churches across
66 denominations began holding ‘weigh down workshop’ ministries.
In November of 2004, the Remnant Fellowship Church in Brentwood opened its doors.

“It’s teaching you how to transfer this relationship with the food – and we’ve got
one on this country – to a relationship with God,” Shamblin said in a previous interview.

Since the church began, there have been questions and concerns. Shamblin public
denial of the Holy Trinity led churches to drop her program.

Spirit-watch, a website that issued a 50-page report on the church’s teachings
concluded by stating the remnant fellowship meets it’s criteria of being a cult.
Shamblin and other church members sued Spirit-Watch and an anonymous
blogger who had also been critical of the church.

In 2007, a couple who were members of the church was convicted of murdering
their eight-year-old son who was beaten and locked in a wooden box. At the time,
Shamblin said the pair was innocent.

William Lara, who goes by his middle name “Joe” married Gwen in 2018. He’s an
actor best known for the role of Tarzan in the television series “Tarzan: The Epic Adventures.”
His work included a “Baywatch” appearance and a key role in a “Gunsmoke” movie.