Members of Remnant Fellowship since 2003, Tom and Jennifer were married in 1996, have four children with two married and living near them in Brentwood, TN. They are also currently blessed with one grandchild.
We moved to Nashville in 2008 to bring our family closer to where the largest group of Remnant Saints was living. We wanted that constant fellowship for our children and for us! God has continued to refine and test our dedication to Him first, then to His Church, our family, and then ourselves last. In this, we have witnessed time and again that God always provides in ways we would never expect.
Jennifer and I were married in 1996. Despite taking pre-marriage classes at our former church, it became immediately apparent that we were ill-equipped for a successful marriage. Perhaps the only reason our marriage survived the first few years was my “obligation” to not divorce–especially since we now had a child. I was wrestling with the reality that I would spend the rest of my life unhappily married; meanwhile, Jennifer was wrestling with thoughts of how to get out of marriage. To cope, I threw myself into work and hobbies, avoiding my role as husband and father. Jennifer turned to food, work, and exercise as a gym instructor.
In 1999, through God’s incredible mercy, Jennifer took a Weigh Down class. While Jennifer was developing a closer relationship with God, I failed to grasp the depth of it – because I did not listen to or attempt to apply the materials at that time.
We continued to search for answers to our problems and struggles in our original church for four more years, even serving as missionaries for two years in an “ecumenical” missionary program. We completed missionary service, but even after doing that, we came to the painful realization that we had indeed experienced the “form of godliness, but denying its power” described in II Timothy 3. We remained mostly empty, clinging to rituals, and reaping the consequences of not turning from our obvious sins. This experience brought us to a breaking point as we completed our missionary service…instead of bringing us closer to God and to each other.
Jennifer returned to Weigh Down and enrolled in a Weigh Down Advanced class, and this time, I was with Jennifer as we listened to Gwen Shamblin speaking and reading from the Bible. It was immediately evident that this was what we were searching for! We joined the Remnant Fellowship Church in 2003, only a few weeks after starting the class, because we recognized the good fruit that was so evident in those who put the teachings into practice. In particular, four men testified via conference call about what it felt like when they each had made the choice to turn from hidden sins of lust, pride, greed, and selfish behaviors. Their testimony proved that I COULD change too, that Scripture after Scripture said I had to change, and because I could see their good results, I wanted to change.
This Church Body follows God’s Spirit like no other I’ve ever seen or witnessed, and remains connected and unified, even across the globe. It gives us hope for our children, a desire to share this incredible experience with others, and an eagerness to pass this gift down to the next generation!
Jennifer was having similar experiences. As she submitted her will, God was moving my heart to be a better husband. For the first time, the Bible was no longer a collection of stories, or just historical readings – because we were being taught to read it in the context of looking for God’s guidance, love, correction, and approval, just like Jesus Christ told us to do.
We sought local fellowship with other Remnant Saints, joined conference calls, webcasted, and visited Nashville often to stay connected with everyone. When I had the opportunity to travel for work, it was always encouraging to fellowship with others on this same path. Jennifer took comfort knowing my heart and eyes were for her alone – even when on the road for business trips. We continued to grow under the diligent and loving teaching of Gwen Shamblin and the Remnant Fellowship Leadership – changing for the better.
We moved to Nashville in 2008 to bring our family closer to where the largest group of Remnant Saints was living. We wanted that constant fellowship for our children and for us! God has continued to refine and test our dedication to Him first, then to His Church, our family, and then ourselves last. In this, we have witnessed time and again that God always provides in ways we would never expect. We have time and energy in abundance. We’ve been taught how to look for God’s Spirit and to seek His correction. He makes the tasks we “need” to accomplish go at in incredible pace. It’s something that can only be experienced to fully understand how wonderful it is.
This Church Body follows God’s Spirit like no other I’ve ever seen or witnessed, and remains connected and unified, even across the globe. It gives us hope for our children, a desire to share this incredible experience with others, and an eagerness to pass this gift down to the next generation!
