This day 15 years ago...
March 10, 2006 (exactly 15 years ago), a great apostle, Missionary J.B. Lambeth entered Heaven’s portal to pick up his crown and to begin his deserved eternal rest from more than 50 years of faithful Apostolic service.
He was a unique man, a visionary missionary from the very beginning of his ministry until the day he died on the foreign field of Brazil.
He deserved, but never desired the laurels and benefits of staying long enough in one place to live comfortably off the fat of the land. He “planted” churches in Texas (and Iowa) before and after he came to Brazil for the first time. Once the church was established, he moved on to another town to repeat the process.
Then April, 1959, J.B. “Sonny” Lambeth embarked on life calling to the “dark” country of Brazil. He (and family) arrived near midnight in the Porto Alegre airport (dark and empty!) without knowing a single word of Portuguese, no money in pocket and with no one there to help them find lodging. The solitude of that first lonely night really never disappeared until this morning, 15 years ago, when he died alone on a thin hospital bed.
He always felt bashful and out of place at the “big church” gatherings. Yet, he was seen across America as a man of God tremendously used by the gifts of the Spirit! He was never a conference preacher... yet, his missionary slide presentations were unforgettable and impactful with people rushing to the altar in consecration and dedication!
Truly, he was a people mover, but not in the way many would imagine. His huge tall Texan frame was the talk of the small villages he visited with his accordion on his back. Once there, after singing and preaching, he enjoyed the fellowship and plain food of the poor saints in those isolated areas.
His outreach concepts were bold and almost frightening to some pentecostal circles... he was decades ahead of his generation, yet, his way of doing missionary “business” is the basis of most apostolic missionary fields around the world today.
Thousands of saints of all nationalities were reached by his direct and indirect efforts, worldwide.
Finally, exclusively because of his unique personality and special walk with God, our family was entrusted with the care of the Lambeth name and with the responsibility of continuing forward with the apostolic legacy he left with this world.
I pray we never shame his name nor his legacy.
Brad Lambeth
on behalf of
The Lambeth Missionary Family