NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's time for Remnant Fellowship to come clean about its role in the 2003 child abuse death of a young Remnant boy, says a former leader in the controversial Brentwood, Tennessee, church.
In the final installment of our interview with Michael Shamblin, the son of controversial religious figure Gwen Shamblin told NewsChannel 5 Investigates that Remnant Fellowship needs to acknowledge what he now realizes: that 8-year-old Josef Smith did not have to die.
"I feel my life has been a life of discovery," said Shamblin, who now views Remnant Fellowship as "a cult."
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"I didn't know at the time. We were going along with it. But, over time, the more I learned, the more I realized: 'Why is she not showing the autopsy photos? Why the coverup?'"
NewsChannel 5 Investigates aired its first report in February 2004 questioning Remnant's role in Josef's October 2003 death in Atlanta.
His parents, Joseph and Sonya Smith, were charged with his murder, with investigators noting the child had "extensive bruising" over his "entire body." But the Smiths "showed no remorse," detectives wrote in their report. The Smiths felt it was "just a part of discipline" and were "very defensive" about their religion.
The Smiths were Remnant Fellowship members. Remnant paid their legal bills, and it still operates a website called The Smiths are Innocent — 17 years since they were convicted by a jury and sentenced to life in prison.
Michael Shamblin was there in 2004 as we confronted his mother, Remnant founder Gwen Shamblin, and church leader Tedd Anger about the child's death.
"The child ran into a banister. The head swelled up. That child had a seizure. They called 911. The child passed away in a hospital," Gwen Shamblin repeatedly insisted.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates asked Michael Shamblin about that claim.
"Did she really believe that?"
"She was scared," Michael explained. "This had just happened. I think she was doing, coming up with doing whatever she could to protect herself and the church."
Years later, reviewing the evidence, Georgia's Supreme Court would note that "Joseph and Sonya Smith routinely disciplined their son, Josef, by beating him with glue sticks, belts, and heated coat hangers; locking him in confined spaces for extended periods of time; and tying his hands with rope."
Michael Shamblin's view now?
"The courts had all the evidence, and they decided that the Smiths murdered their son, and they're in prison to this day. I now think something did happen to little Josef."
So does Michael view Josef as a victim of Remnant or his mother Gwen Shamblin?
"I believe had they never joined Remnant, little Josef could very possibly be alive today — let's put it that way," he answered.
For Gwen Shamblin, well-behaved children were a sign of holiness. "Children that were lost and out of control are now back under the authority of their loving parents," she would say.
It was holiness that could be achieved with severe corporal punishment. "If they're not scared of a spanking, then you haven't spanked them. If you haven't spanked them, then you don't love them. You love yourself."
Yet, Remnant has still refused to acknowledge what NewsChannel 5's investigation had uncovered.
Back in 2004, we had asked: "Does Remnant advocate repeated spankings of children, over and over and over?"
Gwen Shamblin responded, "Absolutely not."
Michael's response now?
"Look, I was there in the sanctuary when David Martin made that now-infamous line about the showdown spanking."
David Martin was one of Remnant's top leaders.
In a recording obtained by NewsChannel 5 Investigates, he had told Remnant: "A year ago, our 2 and half-year-old Avery, we had a real showdown with her. And we had a leg spanking, over and over and over and over and over and over again time one evening."
Gwen Shamblin had applauded his actions: "David Martin had a real showdown. It was a one-night showdown, and that child never forgot it."
When we pressed her on that statement, the Remnant founder shot back.
"Are you asking does this go on very often? Are you kidding? No, it does not. It is so rare, and it is only strong-willed children."
Little Josef was, by all accounts, a child who may have suffered from mental illness.
"Remnant's view of mental illness would be: there is no mental illness," Michael Shamblin explained. "They would just say you must be doing something wrong before God."
NewsChannel 5 Investigates had also asked Gwen Shamblin about the use of glue sticks to spank children. "It was not from here," she said, adding: "It came from a member somewhere, someplace else and then it went around."
"I never actually saw a child being whipped with a glue stick," Michael told us. "But knowing what I know now, looking back, I know that somewhere some leaders did talk about using glue sticks."
In addition, we had asked Shamblin and Tedd Anger, "Does Remnant advocate locking children up for lengthy periods of time?"
"We don't advocate locking them up for any period of time," Anger claimed.
Michael's response?
"From what I have learned since then, I absolutely think people have taken away everything except Remnant materials and put people in a room, things like that."
NewsChannel 5 Investigates had also obtained a recording back in 2004 from inside Remnant. In that recording, Sonya Smith described what she had done to her young child at Anger's suggestion.
"I did exactly what Tedd told me to do: take everything out of his room," Sonya said. "We got everything out of there and locked him in there from that Friday until Monday and only left him in his room with his Bible."
Gwen Shamblin was euphoric: "That's a miracle. You've got a child that's going from bizarre down to in control. So I praise God!"
When we confronted her, Shamblin denied that the tape was even real.
"That tape has been made or tampered or whatever. I totally deny that that has ever been said by anyone."
Michael Shamblin said he often thinks about NewsChannel 5's question for his mother: "Do you think it's possible that you have inadvertently encouraged child abuse?"
She denied it.
"I agree with that now — I always agreed with it," Michael Shamblin said.
"I always felt like what you were saying — and she would not let you talk and she would interrupt you. But you were saying, 'Could somebody take these teachings to an extreme? Is that possible?' That's all you were asking."
Three years after Gwen Shamblin's death, Remnant members still speak of her as a prophetic figure — and the Smiths are viewed as martyrs for the faith.
"Nowadays, when they call in, the people at Remnant, they go crazy clapping, every time Joseph or Sonya calls in."
Michael said the church is overdue for a reckoning over what happened to an innocent Remnant child. He compared it to someone seeking treatment for an addiction.
"The first step in most of these situations is acknowledgment."
"Admitting you have a problem?" we asked.
"Yes! And I would stay, let's start, Remnant, let's start with acknowledgment of: there have been imperfect situations in this church — lots of them. We have to come to grips with that. They have to."
"Gwen was fallible. She wasn't God or she wasn't some divine. She was human and made a lot of mistakes. People have been hurt in various ways from Gwen, from this whole thing. Joseph and Sonya's life changed drastically. Little Josef is dead."
Remnant Fellowship has still not responded to NewsChannel 5's inquiries, although church leaders have been telling members to "focus on the fruit."
That means to look at all the weight they've lost and other positive changes in their lives — proof, they're saying, that Remnant is "from God."
Of course, Michael Shamblin says if you really want to see the fruit, you need to look at what happened to little Josef and all the shattered lives of those who have left
"Take the damn filter off. Get real. Let's get real for once and quit pretending to be the perfect place, then we can talk."