The nave was built in several stages from 1450 onwards, including the main southwest doorway with a relief of the tree of Jesse (the original of which is now in the Bode Museum in Berlin).

By the end of the 19th century, the foundations were no longer able to support the west tower (by then three times its original height) and it was in danger of collapse.

Bishop Johann Georg Müller commissioned Arnold Güldenpfennig to carry out the works in 1865, but he failed to begin the project and so in 1870 a competition was held to decide his replacement – the only differences between the competing plans were their approaches to the upper storey.

August Rincklake won the competition and begun work in 1871 by adding a new tower and replacing the church roof.

Statues of the Four Evangelists were installed around the main west door in 1911[6] – the figure of John has the face of Friedrich Schiller and that of Luke of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, marking the Geheime Rat's visit to Münster in 1792.

The church hosted two of the three 1941 sermons by bishop Clemens August Graf von Galen against the Nazi Aktion T4 – he had been its parish priest from 1929 to 1933.

[6] In 2022 the southern door and main entrance was renovated by installing the glass artwork "L'Or" by René Blättermann.

Also since 2022 a light installation by Billie Thanner called "Himmelsleiter" is exhibited hanging above the baptismal fountain and on the outside of the large gothic revival tower.

[8] Following the demolition and reconstruction of the spire in the 19th century, the cages were replaced back to their original position following minor repair to parts damaged by rust.

[9] In 1987 the church installed three yellow bulbs in each of the cages to be lit from dusk until dawn each night "in memory of their departed souls.

The main organist of Saint Lambert's parish is Professor Tomasz Adam Nowak, who teaches organ improvisation at the Hoschule für Musik in Detmold.