Responsible for the oversight and direction of all worship and music ministries of Maywood Free Church and focuses on creative outreach for the church at large. |
Ross Kniseley, Interim Pastor of Worship and Creative Outreach
Ross was born and raised in the Rockford area and began attending Maywood with his family in 2002. He grew up through the ministries at the church and began leading worship in the high school youth group beginning his freshman year. He stayed active in the music ministry, even leading the contemporary worship service while Maywood sought a full-time Pastor of Worship.
Ross and his wife Allison were married in 2015 shortly after graduating high school. Soon after, Ross worked at Woodward Inc. as a machinist and continued to serve in a voluntary capacity in the youth and worship ministries at Maywood.
During the Covid pandemic, Ross and Allison sensed God’s prompting to commit to full time ministry. Between the winter of 2020 and summer of 2021, they sold their house and belongings, moved to downtown Chicago, and began studying at the Moody Bible Institute. Ross is majoring in Biblical Studies with a minor in Music and Allison is majoring in Youth Ministry with a minor in Ministry to Women; both will complete their degrees in fall of 2024.
In the summer of 2022, he began working as the Worship and Youth Director at Village Church of Oak Park, where he served for two years. In the spring of 2024, the elder board felt God’s prompting to reach out to Ross to serve as the Interim Worship Pastor at Maywood, where he has now been on staff since August of 2024.
Ross enjoys anything automotive, music, good coffee, and spending time with friends and family.
Phone: 815 874-6806 Ext. 214