La Grange Bible Church pastor retires after 42 years of service

LA GRANGE – It's ministering to the people of La Grange Bible Church that the Rev. Ross Bacon will miss the most. The beloved senior pastor gave his last sermon April 29 before retiring after 42 years at the church.

Bacon, 66, began as a youth pastor in 1976. He spent five years at that position before serving as an assistant pastor for another five years, then moving to associate pastor for two before becoming senior pastor in 1988. Bacon, who grew up in Oak Lawn but now resides in La Grange, said the reason he’s stayed at the church for his entire career is because the people are so caring and loving toward each other.

“It’s truly a church that loves the Lord and the people of our community,” he said. “I love sharing Christ with others, and I’m going to miss preaching God’s word and ministering to people. I love people.”

Bacon said at 19 years old, he knew he wanted to become a pastor. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago before getting a master’s degree in education from Wheaton College and later a doctorate in education from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield.

“I wanted to bring Jesus Christ to people, and I believe that the Lord has gifted me to be a communicator who enjoys sharing the Gospel,” he said. “I know that I’ve brought the Lord to many people and have touched the lives of people for Jesus Christ.”

In addition to working on his Sunday sermon throughout the week, Bacon spent much of his time visiting hospital patients or nursing home residents, which he said was very important to him. Other highlights of his career included mission trips to Japan, Trinidad and Tobago, Bolivia, Ecuador and more.

Another important part of his duties as senior pastor was counseling congregation members. Church member Jeremy Hill said he would seek out Bacon’s advice when he needed help. Hill said he called Bacon very early one morning, expecting to leave a voice message, but was pleasantly surprised when he answered the phone.

“I had a prayer request before a job interview, and we prayed together over the phone. He also prayed with me when my father died,” Hill said. “The church will miss him. It will be a big loss. He really cared for people and was very compassionate. His sermons were inspiring and thought-provoking. I wish him luck, but I wish we had more time.”

Bacon, who has been married to his wife, Karen, for 45 years and has two adult children and four grandchildren, said he plans to stay in La Grange but attend a different church. He said while he will continue to preach on special occasions at churches in the area this summer, he felt it was time to leave La Grange Bible Church.

“I had a sense from the Lord that it was time to step down and pass the baton to someone else,” he said. “The church is in a very good position. It’s strong, it’s solid and it’s growing with a lot of young families coming in. The best time to step down is when things are going really well. I just want to thank the people of the church for all the love and support they’ve shown me and my family all these years. It’s been a privilege, and I’m honored and humbled.”

The church has not yet named Bacon’s successor.