Church Leaders Leave Compound, by John Ford, Neosho Daily News, August 31, 2006

Church Leaders Leave Compound

By John Ford
Neosho Daily News
August 31, 2006

http://www.neoshodailynews.com/articles/2006/08/31/news/02church.txt

Pineville - Four church leaders accused of child sexual abuse charges with incidents going back more than 30 years have apparently left their McDonald County compound.

Mike LeSueur, a deputy and child abuse investigator with the McDonald County Sheriff's Department, said he and two other deputies, David Roark and Mike Miller, served a search warrant at Grand Valley Independent Baptist Church Wednesday night, accompanied by three juvenile officers: Cathy Gorham, Pat Stuart and Tal Clubbs.

Inside the compound, they found eight children: Two infants ages one month and one year; a 13-year-old; a 14-year-old; and two 16-year-olds.

Patty Lambert appears at a church birthday party. The Lamberts, along with church deacons Tom and Paul Epling, have left their McDonald County church compound and are currently out of state, a sheriff’s deputy said Thursday morning.
Photo by Courtesy / Tara Brown, Kode-TV

However, four church leaders facing child sexual abuse charges were not at the compound. Not present Wednesday night were Raymond Lambert, 51, his wife, Patty Lambert, 49, Paul Epling, 53, and Tom Epling, 51.

"It is our belief that the accused have left the state," said LeSueur in a telephone interview Thursday morning. "So the children are in no danger."

LeSueur said there was no probable cause to remove the remaining eight children from the compound, as the accused are no longer present. He said the four are believed to be staying in a travel trailer out of state. No warrant has been issued for their arrest at this time.

Raymond Lambert, left, pastor of the Grand Valley Independent Baptist Church, talks with an unidentified church member.
Photo by Courtesy / Tara Brown, Kode-TV

Steve Geeding, McDonald County prosecutor, said he just discussed the matter with a judge, who said the four could leave the state, as long as they return for a preliminary hearing Oct. 2. McDonald County Associate Circuit Court Judge John LePage is presiding in the case.

Raymond Lambert is the pastor of Grand Valley Independent Baptist Church, while the Epling brothers are deacons in the church. The Eplings and Patty Lambert are the children of church founder Cecil Epling, who died as a result of injuries sustained in a traffic accident in 1982. Cecil Epling was also the step-father of Raymond Lambert.

The Lamberts and Eplings are accused of child sexual abuse charges stemming from incidents which allegedly occurred between 1977 and 2004.

Raymond Lambert faces a Class A felony count of first degree child molestation, four Class D felony counts of second degree child molestation, and a Class C felony charge of second degree statutory sodomy.

His wife faces a Class B felony charge of endangering the welfare of a child in a ritual or ceremony and a Class D felony count of second degree child molestation.

Tom Epling has been charged with five unclassified felony counts of first degree statutory sodomy and Paul Epling faces two unclassified felony charges of first degree statutory rape and five unclassified felony counts of first degree statutory sodomy.

In a probable cause statement, LeSueur said Raymond Lambert, fondled a 12-year-old girl in 1987. As time progressed, the deputy said in his report, the girl was required to perform other sexual acts on Raymond Lambert. The incidents happened repeatedly until 2005, when the girl left the church compound.

LeSueur said in a probable cause statement that Patty Lambert, compelled a 16-year-old church member to strip, whereupon she was allegedly fondled by Raymond Lambert while Patty Lambert was naked in the bed with them. The deputy added that in permitting the contact between the pastor and the young church member, Patty Lambert endangered the welfare of the teenager.

Le Sueur said in a probable cause statement that Tom Epling fondled a church member between 1976 and 1978, beginning when the child was only four years old.

And according to a probable cause statement, Paul Epling reportedly fondled the same child during 1977 and 1978, telling her "he was preparing her body for service to God." When the girl was 10, the statement concluded, Paul Epling allegedly attempted sexual intercourse with her, stopping "only after she protested due to pain."

Several former church members had come forward in the past six months claiming they had been molested for several years, beginning in childhood and continuing into adulthood. The investigator said incest was involved, adding he understood this was the third generation of church officials who participated in child sexual abuse.

Grand Valley Independent Baptist Church sits on a large tract of land near Powell, surrounded by more than two dozen homes of church members. About two dozen people remain at the compound.