At the age of fifteen, he was converted to the Christian faith and became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Alexandria, Virginia.

It is believed that he was employed as a clerk in a government office or in business for three or four years, given the excellent penmanship and accuracy of his accounts throughout his life.

[citation needed] In 1828, Waugh was again elected a member of General Conference, and was, at that time, chosen Assistant Editor and Agent of the Book Concern of the Methodist Episcopal Church, resulting in his restationing to New York City.

This also necessitated his transfer to the New York Annual Conference, as the rule in force at that time constituted the Assistant Book Agent a member of that body.

He shared with his colleagues the responsibility of presiding over five sessions of the General Conference, some of which were the most laborious and difficult known in the history of the Church.

He was buried in the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Baltimore, near the graves of Bishops Francis Asbury, Enoch George and John Emory.