ABOUT US
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!
WHO WE ARE
OUR MISSION
Our mission at Maplewood is to engage others, help them discover Jesus, and see their lives transformed through the work of the Holy Spirit.
OUR VISION
We dream of actively sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, molding generations of God-fearing men and women who love and are captivated by Christ, are devoted to His Word, and practice His principles.
OUR VALUES
God's Word, Prayer, Evangelism, Worship, Service, Fellowship, Stewardship
OUR BEGINNINGS
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.
HELPING PEOPLE FOLLOW JESUS
OUR STAFF
Bob Wauchope
Lead Pastor
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.”
John Hanson
Student & Family Discipleship Pastor
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
Rebecca Backe
Administrative Assistant
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 Backe
Facilities Manager
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.
Richard Stewart
Facilities Custodian
After working in the public schools for many years, Richard has served as the Maplewood custodian since 2020. He keeps our facilities spotless!
OUR ELDERS
& AREAS OF OVERSIGHT
Bob Wauchope, Lead Pastor
Worship, Leadership Development, Grow Groups
John Hanson, Student & Family Development Pastor
Youth Ministry, Men's Ministry
David Boatright, Chairman
Family Ministries, Spiritual Gifts/Serving
Lee Wagenknecht, Vice Chairman
Women's Ministries
Joel Sherman, Secretary
Outreach, Ponca
Don Allcorn
Kids' Ministries, Prayer
Stephen Barrett
Missions
Aaron Criss
Family Ministry
Matt Boatright
Grow Groups & Adult Sunday School
Paul Calvert
Stewardship, Deacons
OUR DEACONS & TRUSTEES
& AREAS OF OVERSIGHT
Scott Young, Chairman
ACS, Homeschool Coop, Security
Hunter Cline
Maplewood Gym
Marshall Cogdill
Vehicles
Drew Lusk
Widows, Single Mothers
John Wester
Josh Schuck
Keith Sumner
Maplewood Grounds
All deacons oversee benevolence, technology,
ushers, offering, & deposits.