Dr. Tom Hufty began serving as Interim Pastor on October 11, 2009 and was named Senior Pastor on November 21, 2010.
He has a love for the Word of God and provides the messages on Sunday mornings. Dr. Hufty has 30 years experience
serving at various churches, including 13 years as Associate Pastor for Student and Family Ministries at Pleasant
Valley Baptist Church in Liberty, Missouri. Earlier this year he was the Interim Pastor at First Baptist Church
in O'Fallon, Mo. Besides his work as a pastor, he and wife Rhonda currently serve as Vice President for Collegiate
Affairs/Assistant to the President and Public Relations Director at Hannibal-LaGrange College in Hannibal, Mo.
Dr. Hufty will be start working at FBCM full time starting February 1, 2011. He graduated from HLG with an Associate
of Arts degree in 1976 and a Bachelors in Religious Education in 1978. In 1983, he received his Masters in Religious
Education from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He received the honorary Doctorate of Theology degree from
Hannibal-LaGrange College in 2000. Hufty is also the author of a devotional book entitled "Time Alone with God."
He Rhonda have been married for 29 years and have two grown children, Mackenzie and Zachary. Dr. and Mrs. Hufty have
led several marriages and family conferences in churches and conventions internationally and throughout the Midwest.
Rich Cochran Minister of Education/Children
Rich Cochran is the Minister of Education for First Baptist Church Maryville. He is a graduate of Southwest Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Rich is married to Angie and they have three children, Allison, Luke, and Kate. Rich and his family joined FBCM in the Spring of 2005 and he enjoys spending time with family, reading and playing just about any sport. He believes in the potential of all families and wants to partner with them to make a positive spiritual mark on their children and marriages.
Mark Jones Worship Minister
Mark joined our Staff in June of 2002. He attended Ohio State University for three years, but
would later graduate with an Organizational/Interpersonal Communications degree from Oral
Roberts University. He also completed his Masters of Divinity degree from Oral Roberts Theological
Seminary. He and his wife Jayna live in Highland with their two children Colton and Kaylea. Their
hobbies include: landscaping, home improvement, and playing games.
“The goal of any praise and worship setting is to encounter God's presence and transformational
power, calling people to make a decision for Christ and shaping the life of Christ within the
Believer. ”
Minister of Administration
Dr. Robert Cunningham joined our staff in November 2006 as Minister of Administration after 33
years at Boeing in St. Louis. Robert's father was a Baptist minister in Missouri and Iowa and
thus Robert has a lot of church experience including 20 years in a Sunday School leadership
position with 9 of these year at FBCM where attendance grew at a 25% annual rate. His total
church experience includes serving in almost all leadership positions within the church.
Robert received his BA degree from William Jewell College and his MS and PhD degrees in
physics from the University of Missouri. He stays involved with physics and is currently
president of a Physics Advisory Council for the University of Missouri. He and his wife,
Linda, have two children. Mark has his own physical therapy business in Oregon and Washington
and Jill is an RN in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Paul Byrd Student Minister
Paul Byrd is the Student Minister at First Baptist Church of Maryville. He graduated from
University of Alabama in 1990 and has a masters in Religous Education from Southwestern
Baptist Theological Seminary in 1993. He has been on staff at FBCM since May of 2002. Paul is
married to Mary Ann and they have two sons, Caleb and Benjamin. Paul is a University
of Alabama fan. He enjoys time with his family. Paul loves inspiring leaders to use
their God-given abilities to lead others to minister to students. Roll Tide Roll!
Jack Dawson Pastoral Care Minister
Jack Dawson is the Minister of Pastoral Care at First Baptist Church of Maryville. He graduated from Appalachian Bible College in
1975 with a Bachelor of Theology degree. He then received a Master of Arts in Counseling degree from Covenant Theological Seminary
in 1997. He was married to Kathleen in 1979. They have three children: Carl, Amber, and Craig. Primary Passion:“Marriage
Counseling and helping individuals in counseling come to know, follow, and love Jesus.”
John Harris Minister to Adults
Pastor John joined the FBCM Staff as our Minister to Adults on April 12, 2009. He and his wife Beth have two daughters:
Reagan Noel, who was born in December 2008, and Kennedy Ann, born in June 2011. John believes in the vital importance of
creating small group opportunities for adults to connect with each other to accomplish the task of reaching, teaching,
and loving people for the sake of Jesus Christ. John sees our Sunday morning small group ministry as the backbone of the
church, the structure through which life transformation takes place, and the engine to reach the world with the Gospel.
Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies - Dallas Baptist University, 1999
Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages - Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS), 2004
John is currently a PhD student in New Testament at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Tim Lawson Minister to College Students and Recreation Ministry Director
Tim Lawson joined the staff at FBCM in May of 2008 as the Minister to College students. He is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and is currently pursuing a Masters of Divinity from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife Gwen have a son, Eli, and a new baby girl, Emmanuel. Tim enjoys spending time with friends and family, being outdoors, and watching Oklahoma football. He desires to spiritually develop college students and equip them to become the next generation of church and spiritual leaders.
Cindy Sheehan Preschool Ministries Director
Cindy Sheehan is the Preschool Ministries Director at First Baptist Church of Maryville. She joined
the staff of First Baptist Church Maryville in August 2000 as the KIDS’ FIRST-Mother’s
Day Out Director. She began her journey into preschool ministry at the age of sixteen years old,
where she first taught preschoolers about the love of Jesus. She and her husband, Brian, reside in
Maryville. They have been blessed to raise six children, and the blessings continue with many
wonderful grandchildren. “God has continued to use and develop her skills to train leaders,
teach preschoolers, and minister to the families at First Baptist Church Maryville.”
Dr. Tom Hufty
Rich Cochran
Mark Jones
Minister of Administration
Paul Byrd
Jack Dawson
Cindy Sheehan