Delaney Wingerd was a straight-A student who had a bright future ahead of her. But everything changed when she met Jackson Rector, a boy from her high school who introduced her to Remnant Fellowship, a religious group that claimed to help people lose weight by following God’s will. What started as a teenage romance soon turned into a nightmare, as Delaney became entangled in a web of deception, manipulation, and abuse.
How Delaney Wingerd Got Involved with Remnant Fellowship
Remnant Fellowship was founded by Gwen Shamblin Lara, a former dietitian who rose to fame in the 1990s with her Weigh Down Workshop, a program that taught people to overcome their food addiction by listening to God’s voice and obeying his commands. Shamblin claimed that she had a direct connection to God and that he revealed to her the secrets of weight loss and spiritual salvation. She also claimed that obesity was a sign of sin and that people who were overweight were displeasing God and risking eternal damnation.
Shamblin’s teachings attracted millions of followers, especially women, who were desperate to lose weight and find meaning in their lives. Many of them joined Remnant Fellowship, a church that Shamblin established in 1999 in Brentwood, Tennessee, where she lived in a lavish mansion with her husband, former Tarzan actor Joe Lara. Remnant Fellowship claimed to be a Christian denomination, but it differed from mainstream Christianity in many ways. For example, it rejected the doctrine of the Trinity, denied the divinity of Jesus Christ, and denounced other churches as false and corrupt.
One of the members of Remnant Fellowship was Jackson Rector, a boy who attended the same high school as Delaney Wingerd. He met Delaney in theater class and started dating her in 2016, when they were both seniors. Delaney’s parents, Glen and Cary Wingerd, were initially supportive of their relationship, but they soon became concerned when they noticed that Jackson was trying to convert Delaney to his church. They also discovered that Jackson was sending Delaney explicit texts and emails, instructing her on how to lie to her parents and hide her involvement with Remnant Fellowship. He even gave her a burner phone to communicate with him and the church leaders.
According to Bustle, Jackson told Delaney that her parents were evil and that she had to choose between them and God. He also told her that she had to lose weight to please God and that he would help her do that. Delaney, who was struggling with her self-esteem and her future plans, fell under Jackson’s influence and became obsessed with Remnant Fellowship. She started to distance herself from her family and friends, and to follow Shamblin’s strict rules on diet, dress, and behavior.
What Delaney Wingerd Experienced in Remnant Fellowship
Remnant Fellowship was not a typical church. It was a cult that demanded absolute obedience and loyalty from its members. Shamblin was the supreme leader, who claimed to speak for God and to have the authority to judge and punish anyone who disobeyed her. She controlled every aspect of her followers’ lives, from what they ate and wore, to whom they married and how they raised their children. She also exploited them financially, emotionally, and spiritually, taking their money, their time, and their freedom.
According to The Guardian, Remnant Fellowship promoted a culture of fear and intimidation, where members were constantly monitored and pressured to conform. They were required to attend frequent meetings and events, where they had to report their weight and confess their sins. They were also expected to praise and worship Shamblin, who often delivered long and rambling sermons that mixed biblical passages with personal anecdotes and opinions. Shamblin also encouraged members to spy on and report each other, creating a climate of distrust and suspicion.
One of the most disturbing aspects of Remnant Fellowship was its treatment of children. According to HBO’s documentary series The Way Down, which exposes the dark secrets of the cult, Shamblin advocated for harsh and abusive methods of disciplining children, such as spanking, slapping, and isolation. She also taught parents to withhold food and affection from their children, to make them more obedient and dependent on God. Several former members have accused Remnant Fellowship of being involved in cases of child abuse, neglect, and even death.
Delaney Wingerd was one of the many young people who were indoctrinated and manipulated by Remnant Fellowship. She was brainwashed to believe that Shamblin was her true mother and that Remnant Fellowship was her true family. She was also isolated from her biological parents, who tried to rescue her from the cult, but were met with resistance and hostility. Delaney was convinced that her parents were enemies of God and that she had to cut ties with them. She also had to give up her dreams of going to college and pursuing a career, and instead focus on serving God and the church.
What Happened to Delaney Wingerd After the Plane Crash
On May 29, 2021, a tragic event shook the world of Remnant Fellowship. Gwen Shamblin Lara, her husband Joe Lara, and five other church leaders died in a plane crash near Nashville, Tennessee. They were on their way to a MAGA rally in Florida, where they planned to show their support for former president Donald Trump, whom they considered to be a godly leader. The plane, which was owned by Shamblin, crashed into Percy Priest Lake shortly after takeoff, killing all seven people on board.
The plane crash was a devastating blow for Remnant Fellowship, which lost its founder and most of its top leadership. It also raised questions about the future of the cult, which had thousands of members across the US and around the world. Who would take over the church? How would the members cope with the loss of their leader? Would they stay loyal to the cult or leave it?
According to The Way Down, which will release two more episodes in spring 2022, the plane crash did not end Remnant Fellowship. Instead, it sparked a transition of power to Shamblin’s two children, Michael Shamblin and Elizabeth Hannah, who inherited their mother’s wealth and influence. They also inherited their mother’s legal troubles, as they are currently facing charges of conspiracy and fraud, along with several other church members, for allegedly stealing millions of dollars from the federal government through a healthcare scheme.
As for Delaney Wingerd, she is still a member of Remnant Fellowship, and she is still married to Jackson Rector. According to her Facebook page, which she now uses under the name Delaney Rector, she got married to Jackson on the same day that Shamblin died, in a ceremony that was held at the church. She also posted several photos of her wedding, showing her smiling and wearing a white dress. She has not posted anything about the plane crash or the death of her leader.
Delaney Wingerd seems to be happy and content with her life in Remnant Fellowship, despite the evidence of the cult’s harmful and abusive practices. She has not shown any signs of regret or remorse for leaving her parents and joining the cult. She has also not shown any interest in reconnecting with her family or friends, who are still worried about her and hope that she will come back to them someday. Delaney Wingerd is one of the many victims of Remnant Fellowship, a weight-loss cult that ruined her life.