John Lindell didn’t start James River Church.
Tim Carpenter did.
I attended James River Assembly (now James River Church) in 1998 when Tim Carpenter went missing. Tim was a co-founder of James River Assembly and John Lindell was in his youth group at Oak Grove Assembly in the 1980s.
Here is a link to part 1 of my story at James River Assembly.
Later, John tried pastoring a church in the Kansas City area but with no success. Tim invited John to come back to Springfield and start James River Church. Aaron Sachs’ (yes, the billboard attorney) dad, William Sachs, a legal mind and church leader, was an advisor for the new church idea.
I visited with Aaron about it at his house as a member of James River Assembly years ago. Aaron told me his dad wondered why a new Assemblies of God church was needed in Springfield, the headquarters for the denomination (called a “fellowship” but that’s just semantics).
Anyway, they had a bunch of churches in Springfield already, but Tim Carpenter, who some told me “everything he touched turned to gold” was passionate about starting a new kind of church. Tim had started a new business, Christian Publishers Outlet, and it was going gang busters.
Tim met with Rodger and Caressa Gadd, a guy named David, (whom I interviewed for a foundation story for JRA for their 10-year anniversary in 2001, I forget his last name) and David and Carol Damanskis. I knew all of them personally. (The 10-year history of James River story never took off. Dave and Carol Damanskis shut me down when I asked them questions about the history, because they didn’t want any information shared without Pastor John Lindell’s knowledge or involvement. So, a cult leader mentality?)
Tim Carpenter’s wife, Carol, and her teenaged daughters, Sheila and Alicia, babysat my newborn son, Luke (my oldest, now 26). Nice people.
Anyway, David (whose last name I don’t recall) said one key factor for the new church was greeters at every door. The exploratory group had visited numerous churches and saw a general lack in door greeters. “People have to feel welcome,” he told me.
Another cornerstone of the new church was missions and giving. They wanted to make a difference in the lives of locals and internationals worldwide. Tithing was a must. As far as preaching, they liked the expository style, going chapter and verse from the Bible.
John Lindell is the second pastor at the church. I will research the first. Tim and Carol Carpenter, David and his wife, David and Carol Damanskis, and Rodger and Caressa Gadd were founding members.
There were others, and the church, which met first at a roller-skating rink (Skate Port where Andy’s Frozen Custard is on South Glenstone north of James River Expressway/Hwy 60) soon moved to Christian Publisher’s Outlet on South Campbell at Cobblestone Corners, because Tim Carpenter owned that business. The church grew rapidly.
Stuff I know about John Lindell
I remember John Lindell frantically posting fliers searching for Tim Carpenter, who went missing around Christmas 1998. I had been actively attending James River Assembly since August 1997. John was beside himself. I was talking to Brian Frizzell, head church counselor, when Lindell breezed past with barely a hello. “He’s got a lot on his mind with Tim,” Brian said in his softspoken way.
John had dark hair and a detective style mustache. Now he is gray haired and looks like Ebenezer Scrooge blended with Bill Johnson.
John is an interesting guy. He goes to Sam’s Club alone and pivots in front of the produce section. He does a little sidestep thingy like a baseball player trying to steal second base, picks up a container of grapes, studies it. Puts it down. Pivots back. Picks it up again.
John hates to talk to people in public. He’s a semi celebrity, a household name. He doesn’t like small talk or random people wasting his time. In the current building designed in 2000, John made sure the back offices didn’t have access from the public, and there was a way to escape into the sanctuary without being noticed.
He has bodyguards. Death threats. He bashes Catholicism, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and yoga. Lots of people get angry at him.
Me? I like his spunk. He’s clever. He’s witty. I heard he has made millions in real estate. Good for him. I’d like to have that kind of financial savvy. He’s an intriguing person. He drove a Yukon. Yukon’s are good vehicles, according to my mechanic. Smart man.
John doesn’t like competition or negative press. He likes being King of his Castle. He’s super touchy about what people say about him.
Behind the scenes, he can be a real tyrant. He chews out worship team members when they don’t get in the right position on stage. He yelled at Tom Itsell, maintenance director at the old building on US 65 north of the current South Campus, for cutting the grass too short. Even got out a ruler to measure the grass.
Oh, well. We all make mistakes. We all lose our temper. We all fall short. I’m a big schmuck, too. It’s just that Johnny Rooster is famous for different reasons than John Lindell.
Here is a story about Tim Carpenter and how he screwed up his life from another source.
Here is a link to another article about Tim Carpenter. It’s different from the one below:
Article about Tim Carpenter
Posted: Apr 8, 2022 / 02:15 PM CDT
Updated: Apr 13, 2022 / 06:14 PM CDT
Carpenter was married and had two teenage daughters at the time of his disappearance. He was also the founder of Christian Publishers Outlet and owner of Heir Press. Reports say Carpenter failed to return home after a late-night visit at his Heir Press offices on South Campbell. Family members called authorities to report Carpenter missing and the next morning police traveled to Heir Press.
Once authorities arrived and searched the building police found very few clues as to what might have happened to Carpenter. The only thing police discovered at the scene was a tan shoe that belonged to Carpenter on the sidewalk. Police also discovered red material on the building, but was later determined not to be blood. Police couldn’t find any evidence that anything was stolen from the office but police suspected a possible burglary. The only thing that was missing was Carpenter’s 1996 Geo Tracker.
Despite his family and friends creating prayer groups and posters stating Carpenter was missing, police didn’t find any evidence pointing to an abduction. He was a man in his 40s and could have simply left town.Play Video
James River Church prayer service
Rev. John Lindell, a pastor at James River Assembly soon established himself as the lead man to spread to word about Carpenter’s disappearance. Members of the James River Assembly developed a 24-hour prayer chain hoping Carpenter would return home safely. Those prayers were answered. The truth of what happened to Carpenter would soon be revealed.
Discovering Carpenter’s secret life
The truth was Carpenter actually got a new job at Payless Cashways and was living a few miles outside of Memphis Tennessee. It was also discovered he was courting a new woman.
His new love interest would later tell police that when they first met in the summer of 1997 at a bar, she said he explained that he was newly divorced and trying to start a new life. Carpenter would send love notes and even lingerie to her.
Back in Springfield police were laying low and revealed very little to local media about the case of the missing associate pastor. However, the police were very close to discovering the truth. During the investigation, police discovered a bill from a pager service in Buffalo, Missouri. They noticed a frequent caller was from the Memphis area. Detectives tracked down who the number belonged to, Carpenter’s new love interest.
Detectives eventually contacted the woman and police told her Carpenter had a wife and two teenage daughters. The woman agreed to give the police Carpenter’s new cell phone and a detective gave Carpenter a call.
Police contacted Carpenter’s wife to tell her the news– that her husband was alive and in Tennessee. His wife and Pastor Lindell traveled to Memphis to take Carpenter home. After coaxing him into the car, Carpenter was driven back to Springfield and admitted into CoxHealth.
There were reports that once back in Springfield and under medical care, he was diagnosed with a dissociative fugue. However, this was not verified by a medical professional.
What is dissociative fugue?
Dissociative fugue (psychogenic fugue, or fugue state) presents as sudden, unexpected travel away from one’s home with an inability to recall some or all of one’s past.
The word fugue comes from the Latin word for “flight.” People with this disorder can lose their sense of personal identity and wander away from their homes or places of work. They often become confused about who they are and may create new identities.
Dissociative fugue has been linked to severe stress, which might be the result of traumatic events — such as war, abuse, accidents, disasters, or extreme violence. The use of alcohol and certain drugs can also cause fugue-like states.
Dissociative fugue is a relatively rare disorder. To be diagnosed a patient will go through an evaluation and though there isn’t a specific test for this diagnosis the doctors may recommend various diagnostic tests such as EEGs or blood tests. Brain diseases such as epilepsy, head injuries, and sleep deprivation can lead to symptoms similar to those of dissociative disorders.
Carpenter enters plea agreement
On July 6, 1999, Carpenter entered into a plea with Greene County Prosecutors. Carpenter was charged with making a false report and staging his office to look like it had been burglarized.
