Our Pastors
Pastor Rich Farinella
Senior Pastor | Founding Pastor
Pastor Richard J. Farinella was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1958 to Italian immigrants from Sicily. Raised Catholic, he experienced his new birth on January 10, 1974. He graduated from Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri in 1980 with a Th.G. (Theology Graduate) and later a Bachelor of Science degree in Bible. He served as music director, assistant pastor, youth director and Christian school principal for churches in Missouri and Mississippi before establishing Woodin Valley Baptist Church in Bothell, Washington in 1985.
He has served as Washington State Representative for the Baptist Bible Fellowship International, as vice president of the Western States Baptist Bible Fellowship, and also as a member of the board of directors at Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College and then Heartland Baptist Bible College from 1996 to 2001. He was the first editor of the Global Baptist Times, official publication of the Global Independent Baptist Fellowship from 2001 to 2006. Pastor Farinella has authored multiple books, as did his late wife, Kathy Farinella. Both Pastor Rich and his current wife, Diana Farinella, lost their first spouses in death, but the Lord being gracious, brought them together to enjoy six children between them, and eighteen grandchildren. They are grateful to serve in what they feel is one of the greatest churches and mission fields on earth.
Pastor Lamar Ard
Co-Pastor
Pastor Lamar Ard was born and raised in Texas where his father, Ollie Ard, pastored the Cornerstone Baptist Church in Houston from 1996-2021. On July 13th of 1997, Lamar understood his need for salvation and received Jesus Christ as his Savior. After attending Heartland Baptist Bible College in the fall of 2011, Lamar met Rebekah Farinella (Pastor Farinella’s daughter,) and they were married in the summer of 2013. In February of 2015, Lamar and Rebekah felt that God was leading them to make the move to Washington state and serve along side Pastor Farinella and Woodin Valley Baptist Church. Over the past decade, Pastor Lamar has served as an Associate Pastor, working in Student, Music, an Media Ministries. It was while serving here at Woodin Valley that God began to work on his heart to Pastor. In August of 2024, Pastor Lamar was ordained into the gospel ministry. Pastor Lamar and Mrs. Rebekah have three children – Daxton (7) Rori (5) and Kohler (2.)
On Sunday, August 25th of 2024, Woodin Valley Baptist Church voted to extend the call to Pastor Lamar Ard to become their next Senior Pastor. He and Pastor Farinella will work alongside each other, with the official transition happening in the Summer of 2025. They both look forward to watching God continue to bless this landmark ministry for generations to come.