Who was Gwen Shamblin Lara?

A SMALL jet carrying seven people - including Gwen Shamblin Lara - crashed into a lake in Tennessee on May 29, 2021.

A movie about the late Remnant Fellowship Church founder is set to be released in February 2023.

Who was Gwen Shamblin Lara?

Gwen Shamblin Lara - a mother of two - was a Christian diet guru who founded the Remnant Fellowship Church in 1999.

She was born in February of 1955 in Memphis. Her husband of three years, actor Joe Lara, also perished in the plane crash.

She is the author of The Weigh Down Diet, "a groundbreaking approach to weight loss," according to the book's description.

"People who have known no end to their hunger and who have no control over their late-night binges have learned through the Weigh Down Workshop that they can remove the irresistible desire for food," according to the Amazon summary.

"This is not a diet like others, because it is not food-focused."

Chapters include It’s Not Genetics or Your Mother’s Fault, I Feel Hungry All the Time, and How to Eat Potato Chips and Chocolate.

The book was originally published in 1997.

What is the Remnant Fellowship Church?

The Remnant Fellowship Church is located in Brentwood, Tennessee.

The church features "an international community of people who are finding renewed hope, profound love and deep purpose by putting the undiluted teachings of Jesus Christ into practice," according to the organization's website.

"While divorce, depression, obesity and out-of-control children are increasingly the norm these days, at the Remnant we are experiencing healed marriages, increasing joy, restored health, repaired finances and children who love to follow the guidance of their parents."

More than three decades ago Gwen had launched the Weigh Down Workshop - a Bible study series that "directed hurting, imprisoned souls how to turn away from destructive vices and unwanted behaviors and emotions - such as overeating, alcohol indulgence, anger and depression - and point them to a genuine relationship with God."

Her book - and the creation of the Remnant Fellowship Church - would later follow.