About Us

Maplewood Church is an evangelical, Independent Bible Fellowship started by a group of four families who met in the small Maplewood Grange Hall, east of Sedalia, back in 1965. Stonecroft Ministry, a church-planting organization, initially assisted the church with pastoral leadership. The church body soon outgrew the Grange Hall and built the present sanctuary located four miles east of Sedalia by Monsees Lake Estates.

Maplewood maintains a strong, Bible-focused, family-oriented ministry with vibrant programs for children and youth. God has blessed us with over thirteen acres of land and multiple buildings. We support Ponca Bible Camp in Ponca, Arkansas, for children and youth. Applewood Christian School meets in our facilities. World missions are strongly emphasized; we support eleven missionaries in four different countries...and still counting! Maplewood seeks to minister to Sedalia, Smithton, and the surrounding communities for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Maplewood Church is an evangelical, Independent Bible Fellowship started in 1965 by four families who were seeking to spread the gospel of Christ around Sedalia.
Meetings first took place in a member’s basement and then the Maplewood Grange Hall, with guidance and training from the director of Child Evangelism Fellowship for the state of Missouri at that time.
Different lay pastors from Village Missions (an organization that aids in the development of rural churches) shepherded Maplewood in its beginnings, each serving from six months to several years or more, all stressing the need to reach out to the community.
In 1970, the existing Maplewood Church sanctuary was built on Highway O on land donated by a local businessman and farmer. A gym has since been added to the campus, and a new sanctuary building is in progress.

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.”