Rev. John L Lambert
Rev. Lambert is the 36th Pastor in the 169 year history of the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. He was appointed to Bethel by the Rt. Rev. Philip R. Cousin, Presiding Bishop of the Fourth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, in October of 2000.
In the spirit and tradition of Richard Allen, Rev. Lambert has been involved in numerous activities to help others, including those for the African Methodist Episcopal Church, for justice, for civil rights and for the community.
A partial listing of these activities includes the following:
 | Founder and organizer of Faith Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church in Springfield, IL. This new work started in his home in September of 1984. The membership grew quickly and the congregation purchased a church building. The Church took in over 300 members under his pastorate. |
| Founder and organizer of the Illinois Association of Minorities in Government (IAMG) which is a statewide organization that works as an advocate on behalf of minority employees for jobs, promotions, job retention and protection against discriminatory acts. IAMG began in October of 1987, and took in nearly 2000 members. |
| Four year as Unit Chief in the Illinois Bureau of the Budget (Supervised Budget Analyst for ten major government agencies). |
| Two years as Deputy Director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. (In charge of Bureaus, Divisions and Sections with over 500 employees). |
| Deputy Director/Administrator with Illinois Department of Revenue. (In Charge of Bureaus, Divisions and Sections. |
| Served over ten years as a member of the Ministerial Alliance of Springfield and vicinity, including two terms as President. |
| Served over 20 years as a member of Frontiers International - Springfield Club, including two terms as President. Among its many civic duties, this organization is dedicated to fighting Vitiligo, a skin disease that primarily affects members of the African American Community. |
| Elected to the Springfield District #186 School Board in 1980 and served for four years including one term as Vice-chairman. |
| Appointed by the Mayor of the City of Springfield as a member of the Lincoln Library Board of Directors. Name appears on the corner stone of the Library. |
| Chairman of the Board of Directors and Executive Director for the Illinois Association of Minorities in Government (IAMG) |
| Tradition of Leadership Award, Illinois State Representative Arthur Turner, 1999. |
Rev. John L Lambert has been married to Martha Ann (Harris) Lambert for over 38 years. They are parents of three grown children, two of whom are married with families.