A doctrinal dispute including a well-known diet program is making ripples in Alabama churches.
Now some Alabama churches say they may drop the program because of the controversy, which has included the firing or resignation of more than 40 Weigh Down employees who failed to subscribe to the doctrinal views of Weigh Down founder Gwen Shamblin.
Tommy Ansley, a member of First Baptist Church, Alabaster, said his church plans to abandon the program because of Shamblin’s views on the Trinity.
“The way I understand it, we’re planning to drop it,” Ansley said.
A coordinator of the Weigh Down program at McElwain Baptist Church, Birmingham, Myrna Willis, said she was upset about information non Shamblin’s Web site and will most likely search for another weight loss program at her church.
Shamblin’s business has grown from a garage-based startup to a multimillion-dollar corporation in the last eight years. Her 1997 book “The Weigh Down Diet” sold more than a million copies, and there are 30,000 Weigh Down Workshop groups meeting each week around the world, thousands of which are affiliated with evangelical churches.
The current controversy flared up after Shamblin sent a weekly e-mail message to followers Aug. 10, explaining her view of the Trinity. “As a ministry, we believe in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit,” Shamblin wrote.
‘Trinity controversy’
“However, the Bible does not use the word ‘trinity’ and our feeling is that the word ‘trinity’ implies equality in leadership, or shared Lordship. It is clear that the Scriptures teach that Jesus is the Son of God and that God send the Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit does not send God anywhere. God is clearly the Head.”
While she believes Shamblin’s principles for weight loss are “fundamentally sound,” Willis said she is disturbed by Shamblin’s view on the Trinity.
“I was upset when I heard about it,” Willis said. “That’s not what I believe about the Trinity at all.”
Shamblin quickly discovered her view is rejected by much of the Christian world. She was removed from the women of Faith Web site and several influential evangelical churches dropped her program. On Sept. 6, Thomas Nelson Publishers canceled her new book, “Out of Egypt,” which had been scheduled to ship in late September.
“Gwen has touched the lives of untold thousands of people,” Michael S. Hyatt of Thomas Nelson told Christianity Today. “However, because of the recent controversy created by her doctrinal position we do not feel that we can go forward with this project.”
Ansley said Shamblin’s Web site at www.wdworkshop.com features an article that claims Jesus is not the same as God.
L. L. Don Veinot Jr., president of the apologetics ministry Midwest Christian Outreach, spoke with Shamblin after the controversy erupted. He told Christianity Today, “Her views are closer to that of Jehovah’s Witnesses than anything resembling the historical biblical faith.” Sahmblin’s e-mail insisted, “If God wanted us to refer to Himself, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit as the ‘trinity,’ He would not have left this word completely out of the Bible.” Shamblin told Christianity Today that she believes people are making too much of her views on the Trinity.” A few people have been on a witch hunt in the last month,” Shamblin said. “People don’t care about this. They don’t care about the Trinity. This is going to pass. What the women want is weight loss. They care about their bodies being a temple and their lives turned over to the Lord. That’s what my ministry is about.
Employee fired
One Weigh Down employee was recently fired for reportedly questioning Shamblin’s doctrinal views. “She told me I couldn’t embrace the message of grace and then she fired me,” said Carney Hawkins, who worked for Shambin for four years.
Hawkins told Christianity Today that co-workers were ordered to shun her following her termination.
Ansley said First, Alabaster, has offered the program four or five times. He said the church will most likely complete the current curriculum for members who have already paid, before abandoning it in the future.
Ansley said 20 – 30 usually participate in the program each time it has been offered.
Willis said classes at McElwain usually number 15-20 people. The church has offered Weigh Down classes at different intervals during the past three years, but Willis said she will have to reevaluate the program.
“I’ll have to do some searching before I do this again,” she said.
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