Bob grew up in Elgin, IL, and has lived in Texas and South Dakota too. He has been married to Laura, his high school sweetheart, for over 25 years. Their daughter Elizabeth is married to Jesse, a Marine, and they live in North Carolina. Their son Daniel is a Pettis County Sheriff's officer.

Bob has been the lead pastor of Maplewood church since 2019. He has over twenty years of pastoral ministry experience. This includes his time as a student ministry pastor as well as a lead pastor. He graduated with a B.A. in Pastoral Studies from Moody Bible Institute and an M.Div. in Leadership from Liberty University.  Bob is an online adjunct professor at Moody Bible Institute.  He is also currently working on a D.Min. in Church Revitalization at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Bob loves to fish when he gets the chance, but he prefers catching. He loves playing just about any sport and has a reputation for being competitive. Bob is crazy about Chicago sports teams, especially the Chicago Cubs. He reads widely on a number of subjects, so he is always looking for a good book recommendation if you have any.

Bob considers himself privileged to serve God both in pastoral ministry and in teaching.  1 Timothy 1:5 reveals his heart in ministry: “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

Pastor John has served in churches throughout Missouri and Southern Illinois for the past twenty-nine years prior to joining the staff at Maplewood Church. John grew up in Connecticut and attended college at Southwest Baptist University in Bolvar, Missouri, where he met his wife, Vanessa. Together, they have four adult children, one granddaughter on the way, one dog (Bella), three cats (Lillie, Stevie, & Sam), and one grand-dog (Wonder). Vanessa currently teaches first grade at Heber Hunt Elementary in Sedalia. John and Vanessa love serving together in ministry and looking for opportunities to share the love of Jesus with those they encounter.  

Facts about John:

Favorite sports teams: New England Patriots (2nd runner-up: KC Chiefs), Boston Red Sox (2nd runner-up: St. Louis Cardinals), Boston Celtics, Boston Bruins, UConn Huskies (all sports)

Favorite Hymn: Great Is Thy Faithfulness 

Favorite Foods: Lasagna, BBQ

Hobbies: Spending time with Vanessa & family, cooking/baking, eating out at new restaurants, hanging out with friends, playing cards

Favorite Movies:  Blindside, Sandlot

Favorite Childhood Cartoon Character: Tweety Bird

Favorite Bible Passage: John 14

Becki is a retired elementary school teacher who has served part-time in the church office since 2017. She and her husband Jeff enjoy camping and visiting their five grandchildren whenever they can.

Jeff is a retired high school counselor who has served as our Facilities Manager since 2017.  He and his wife Becki have attended Maplewood since 1990. 

After working in the public schools for many years, Richard has served as the Maplewood custodian since 2020. He keeps our facilities spotless!