River Woods Baptist Church

Our Pastor was born on September 4, 1955, to Clark and Agnes Lambert. Clark was from West Virginia and
Agnes was from Georgia. They moved to California in 1958, where Clark went to work for the L.A.P.D. They
attended a small church in West L.A., Centinela Southern Baptist Church that was pastored by Rev. Jack
Blankenship. On a Sunday evening, Russell felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and the call to salvation. At the
tender age of seven, he walked the aisle that night and kneeling at the altar gave his life to Jesus Christ.
As the years went by and the pressures of being a L.A. Cop, mounted on Clark. He died at the young age of 36,
leaving Agnes alone and Russell at eleven to help raise his two younger brothers. It was only by the grace of God,
that he was able to bare up under this heavy burden. As he grew, he spent many nights before the Lord in prayer
and tears. The best times of his life were spent in church. God had given him the talent to sing, the gift of teaching,
and an insatiable thirst for His Word.
In 1976, Russell met and married his beloved wife, Bonnie. Since then, she has walked beside him as wife,
mother of their three children, Sunday School teacher, church van driver, prayer warrior, youth leader, and secretary.
At the age of 24, God called Russell to preach. However, he had become frustrated, disenchanted and heart
broken. He told God that he would serve Him in any way, but he would not preach. The next 13 years were the
hardest of his life, trying to serve the Lord and at the same time being in a state of rebellion.
Finally in 1992, Russell surrendered to the ever present hand of the Lord. He said,“God if You want me to preach,
I’ll preach, but You have to work it out, I’m too old at 37 and have too many responsibilities." And of course the Lord
did.
Russell has served in many secular positions including 15 years in corrections and law enforcement and three
years as a professional vocalist.
God has shaped Russell's life through The Liberty Bible Institute and the American Association of Christian
Counselors.
He has worked with The Prison Fellowship, been a Community Chaplain, served on the Life Services Crisis
Pregnancy Center Advisory Board, been a law enforcement Chaplain, and been a full time pastor since 2000.
Russell is licensed by The National Chaplain's Association, certified as a Police Chaplain through the
International Conference of Police Chaplains, and ordained as a Southern Baptist Minister.
Russell was a contributor to the book The Chosen Path, by Thomas Nelson Publishers with other notables such
as Zig Ziglar and Billy Graham distribution was through LifeWay.
Space does not allow for all the problems and victories over the years. Their oldest daughter, Jennifer, was born
with deformed ankles, yet went on to letter in track all four years of high school, by the healing power of Jesus
Christ. Their middle daughter, Cassandra, who had gone deaf, started high school when she was only 12, and
graduated with her BA at 19. She is now working on her Masters through Liberty University. Cassandra had her
hearing completely restored through the power of God. Their son, Clark, had his life spared after a head injury.
Russell's and Bonnie's marriage has faced all the trials, personal and financial, that any modern marriage of over
30 years could go through. Yes, the God who saves is the God who keeps and it is Russell's
heart felt prayer to always be in the Lord's will.

Pastor Russell preaches the inerrant word of God from the King James version of the Bible. His sermons are
expository in nature, generally topical on Sunday mornings, doctrinal on Sunday nights, and verse by verse Book
studies on Wednesdays.

River Woods Baptist Church SBC

Biography