By John Ford
Neosho Daily News [Grove OK]
September 3, 2006
http://www.neoshodailynews.com/articles/2006/09/03/news/01leaders.txt
GROVE, Okla. - Four church leaders facing felony child sexual abuse charges spanning three decades were asked to leave the Grove, Okla., campground Friday where they had been staying for much of the week.
Ron Riley, manager and owner of Bear's Den Resort, a private, members-only campground located near Sailboat Bridge in Grove, asked Raymond Lambert and four others in his party to leave late Friday afternoon.
The request came after members of the media alerted him to charges against Lambert and three other leaders of the Grace Independent Baptist Church, located in Washburn. Riley found a clause in the membership agreement which stated he could temporarily suspend the membership of anyone who is convicted or accused of a felony crime.
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| Raymond Lambert pauses for a moment before slowly driving away from a Grove, Okla., campground Friday. Photo by The Daily News / Todd G. Higdon |
"They are good members in good standing," he said. "But we do have a responsibility to our others as well. We want to ensure the safety of our members, particularly of our members' children. So this is a good compromise."
Early departure
Lambert, his wife, Patty, church deacons Paul and Tom Epling, and an unidentified woman were staying at the campground for nearly a week and, according to an unidentified campground member who had been camping next to the group, had planned on staying through the Labor Day weekend.
Neither Judge John LePage nor Prosecuting Attorney Steve Geeding placed any restrictions on the accused traveling out of state, nor were there any stipulations that the four must refrain from contact with children. There were no warrants for their arrest.
The party left in three vehicles: a white Chevrolet van, a red Ford F-350 truck pulling a travel trailer, and a mid- to late-1980s model silver Toyota Camry. Another vehicle, a blue early 90s Ford Ranger, had to be left in storage at the campground as it was broken down.
Upon leaving the campground, the Lamberts, driving the van, turned toward Miami, Okla., while the Epling brothers, in the truck and Toyota, went toward the Missouri / Oklahoma state line, back across Sailboat Bridge.
On Wednesday night, McDonald County deputy Mike LeSueur led two other deputies and three officers from the 40th Circuit Court's Juvenile Office on a raid of the campground, located near Powell. Inside, the officers found eight children, but neither the Lamberts nor the Epling brothers were present.
No children were seen with the group Friday as they left the campground.
The charges
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, making he and his wife, as well as her brothers, step-siblings.
A Granby pastor accused of felony first degree child molestation in McDonald County and eight felony statutory sodomy charges in Newton County, George Otis Johnston, is the uncle of Raymond Lambert. Johnston's church, Grandview Valley Baptist Church North, is an offshoot of the McDonald County congregation, investigators have said.
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.
Patty Lambert 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.
Probable cause
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.
LeSueur 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."
Campers react to news
Word of who was staying at Bear's Den and their alleged activities at the McDonald County church quickly spread throughout the campground.
Although reporters were not allowed into the campground itself, several campers came up to the security gate where television and print journalists were to find out what was going on.
Campground members who spoke to Daily News reporters were shocked at the allegations against one of their neighbors.
"I've been camping right next to them all week, and they seemed like pretty nice folks," said one camper who did not give his name. "I've been staying down here all week, and I never saw any of them tip a beer or anything. They've had me over for supper a couple of times, as I've been down here by myself. I even took one of the fellas out in the boat for about an hour the other day."
Another woman who wouldn't give her name thanked members of the media for their coverage.
"We've got kids all over the place out here," she said. "We don't want that kind of stuff at our campground."
Riley, who has been with the campground since 1995 and has owned it since 2003, said the Lamberts and Eplings have been members for at least five years, and never had a complaint launched against them.
"I've never had an issue with these people since they've been members, well, that is, up until about an hour ago," he said Friday afternoon. "They have been good members, have always behaved and been courteous. No, I haven't had an issue at all. I haven't had a complaint against them since they've been here, which is pretty rare."
Family atmosphere
Until 1982, Bear's Den was a public campground, with picnicing, swimming and camping priced at a dollar a day, Riley said.
In the early 1980s, with the proliferation of time-share camping, owners John and Josh Bear decided to go private, and charge campers membership fees. Riley's family bought the campground in 1992, and he bought out the family's interest in 2003.
Today, the campground offers a number of membership levels and amenities, including tent camping area, cabin rental and RV spots complete with electric and septic hookups. It has two former rock quarries for swimming, boat launches, a swimming pool, and a miniature golf course.
Riley characterized the campground as having a family atmosphere, a place where children could play without parents having to worry about their whereabouts.
"We want to provide a place where families can share time together, where parents can do with their children all of the good things about growing up in the Midwest: Campfires, hot-dogs, marshmallows. You know, a place where you can do the type of things with your kids that your parents did with you."
The park manager and owner said members come from about a 100-mile radius, and hail from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri. A member of the Grand Lake Ministries, there are weekly church services on the campgrounds, as well as special activities on holidays.
Background checks
Riley said he had a choice in the matter: Ask one group to leave, or have 158 others pack up and leave that weekend.
"We've never had any incidents here," Riley said. "It's been just a big, happy family here. And as with any family, there are times when you have to deal with issues you really don't want to deal with."
Riley admitted he does not perform background checks on those asking for membership to the campground, a policy which he said he may change in the future.
"Insurance companies have started doing background checks, as have rental car companies," he said. "That's something I never really agreed with until today.
"We want to do what we can to ensure the safety of our other members and of our employees and everybody in our care and control."
Upcoming court action
The four church leaders will be back in court Oct. 2 for a preliminary hearing. Judge John LePage will preside.
Meanwhile, Lambert's uncle, Johnston, will be back in court in McDonald County at 9 a.m. Sept. 18 for an adult abuse hearing, and in Newton County at 1:15 p.m. the same day for a preliminary hearing.
If you have information
LeSueur has urged those with first-hand information about child sexual abuse at the McDonald County compound to contact him at (417) 223-4319 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, or their local law enforcement agency.
Daily News reporter Todd G. Higdon contributed to this report.
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