A MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO OZARKS
Local congregation rebrands First Baptist Church to Waymark
Motorists heading south on Hwy. 37 may have noticed something a little different as they drove by the First Baptist Church of Monett. The curious may have even Googled it or asked someone who is a member of the church what was going on. But the First Baptist Church of Monett is now going by the name of Waymark.
According to Senior Pastor Robert Bradow, the change did not come about quickly or without much consideration.
Simply put, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, confirmed by the Word of God, bathed in prayer and agreed upon by the faithful Christians that make up FBC Monett, God has charged the faithful folks to take on the new identity that He ordained for His church, as Waymark.
Senior Pastor Robert Bradow
Waymark
The name actually comes from the Old Testament, Jeremiah 31:21: “Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.”
“God has shown this congregation that the message is just as important today,” Bradow said. “In fact, it’s so important that it would become not only the namesake, but the passion behind their mission.”
There is a backstory to the Waymark name rebranding.
“Records show that some 17 years ago, when First Baptist Church was still downtown on Fourth Street, the church had endured some tough times,” Bradow said. “The building was in disrepair and parking was limited. But God had a plan and led the congregation to purchase land outside of town. Upon the decision to purchase the 78 acres where the church currently sits, the property was named ‘Waymark,’ based on the scripture, and the soon-to-be location by the highway. As the capital campaign began, it was called, ‘Windows at Waymark.’ On the day the ground was broken, the project was called, ‘Walls at Waymark.’ Over a decade ago, there was a big celebration honoring what God had done and a service here called ‘Worship on Waymark.’”
The congregation moved into the new multipurpose building and hosted services under the leadership of Dr. Bill Cox, who then left the church in 2018.
Bradow traveled from north Florida to southwest Missouri to answer the call for an interview.
“I remember going through the interview process in front of the entire church as they hit us with so many questions,” Bradow said. “At this moment, we really had no desire to move, we were just examining what God could be doing. In fact, I tried really hard to discourage the congregation with simple answers to their deep questions. I remember one man asked me, ‘What is your vision for FBC Monett?’ to which I replied, ‘I don’t have the slightest idea.’
“That was the truth,” he said. “My heart wasn’t in it. I didn’t want to leave everything I’d ever known in Florida. I didn’t want to leave all my family, uproot my wife and our kids. I didn’t want to sell my farm, my offshore fishing boat, and give up all our hunting land to come live in a subdivision.”
But, as everyone knows, God speaks in mysterious ways, and the congregation at FBC and Bradow weren’t quite finished with each other.
“I remembered being almost troubled that I didn’t have an answer for that man’s question about the vision for FBC Monett,” he said. “I could share the vision for ‘the Church,’ but not specifically this church. So, as I prayed, I asked God if it was His will, He was going to have to give me wisdom to hear the specific vision for these people.

Parishioners in worship at the newly rebranded Waymark Church, located south of Monett on Hwy. 37.
“On my first Sunday as Senior Pastor at FBC Monett, on March 3, 2019, God showed me something new,” he said. “It snowed three inches and that was definitely new for an old Florida boy. But God spoke through that day and gave me a word to share from Isaiah 43:18-19, ‘Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past, see, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it….?’”
Over the next year, the congregation grew in numbers, people began accepting Christ and being baptized.
“Then Covid-19 hit,” Bradow said. “And while most churches were scrambling as services were canceled, FBC didn’t miss a beat. The congregation had previously decided to make a large financial investment in technology, audio, video, and social media directed by their two technology-driven associate pastors, Brian Schoffstall and Joe Dickerson. Each week, there were literally hundreds upon hundreds of people tuning in online to be a part of worship and to hear the Word. Not only did FBC survive the pandemic, but we thrived.”
But on Bradow’s desk was a tiny reminder — a coffee cup that bore the legend “Worship On Waymark.”
Bradow began praying for direction, as he felt God was wanting to bring a new identity to the church and congregation — one that had begun 17 years prior with the “Waymark” campaign.
After a month of prayer and a meeting with the deacons, the congregation was presented a three-phase plan for the church which included a new leadership format that utilizes leadership teams in order to free up staffers to do the work they felt called to do. Secondly, to adopt the ‘doing business as’ name of Waymark, which would become the new identity of FBC. And finally, to amend the by-laws to accommodate these changes. In February, this motion passed with a 93 percent approval from the congregation, including absentee ballots from shut-ins or those still dealing with the effects of the pandemic.
“This is just the beginning to a huge movement,” Bradow said. “One that every church ought to consider. Not necessarily adopting the name, ‘Waymark’ as FBC did, but embracing the principle behind it. It’s time we all put a big signpost, a “waymark” out so those who have gone far away from God can find their way back.”
The Waymark sign also bears the logo of a compass.
“No matter where we find ourselves as a body of believers, no matter how strange or uncomfortable our surroundings may get, no matter how clouded our vision may get in this world, the compass always points the same way,” Bradow said. “As we live our lives, not in a church, but as 'the Church,' our people are growing to be living, breathing waymarks, like a compass, constantly pointing others to the love of Jesus.”
But the mission of the church remains the same.
“This church understands that they must be mindful of the things of God and not the things of man,” Bradow said. “Waymark is just trying to be obedient to His unchanging Word, following the greatest command to ‘love God,’ and because we do, our hearts will overflow to love people, and we will do this by serving the world.”
Plans are currently underway to increase the seating capacity to accommodate the growing numbers of congregants. Services are held at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, or can be found online on Facebook, YouTube or at WaymarkChurch.com.
For more information, call Bradow or Pastor Brian Schoffstall, family life and student pastor, or Joseph Dickerson, worship pastor, at 417-235-7466.