Jasper Bacon met his wife, Carolyn, at a Bible study in 1976, at which point both of them were saved. They were married in 1985, and the Lord has blessed their marriage with two children and three grandchildren. Riverwood was able to partner with and encourage Jasper as he served in pastoral ministry through 1993, at which time God moved in Jasper and Carolyn’s heart to develop a ministry which would provide strategic outreach to the lost and unchurched people in the Bacons’ hometown of Canton, MS.
In His Steps Ministries (IHS) was founded in 1994 with the mission of ministering to at-risk youth and their families. Financial donations to IHS were actually sent through Riverwood as an umbrella for IHS until 1995 when God faithfully granted their 501(c)(3) non-profit status. Today, IHS operates from its Canton, MS headquarters which sit on a fifteen-acre campus, all of which is debt free. The property includes multiple classrooms, a computer lab, conference room, game room, multipurpose room, administrative offices, and outdoor spaces for athletic competitions.
On any given day, you may find Jasper sharing the gospel at local juvenile detention centers, hosting sports camps, administering after-school tutoring classes, or leading various conferences to adults in Canton, all while providing executive leadership to IHS and remaining accountable to his board of directors. Riverwood counts our relationship with IHS as a great blessing from the Lord, and we are blessed to have Jasper with us today.