Jim Austin, newly elected executive director-treasurer, officially began his duties at the helm of the South Carolina Baptist Convention May 15.
Jim and Debbie AustinAustin, 53, a former associate executive for Missouri Baptists, was elected by the unanimous vote of 449 messengers during a called meeting at Riverland Hills Baptist Church, Irmo.?
During the April 26 convention meeting and at the SCBC Executive Board meeting March 27, Austin traced his faith journey, placing a heavy emphasis on discipleship in the faith and “rooting people” in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ.
Born in Charlotte, N.C., Austin was reared in Georgia, where his mother was active in the Woman’s Missionary Union and was an administrative assistant for the Georgia Baptist Convention. His father served as a deacon and Sunday school teacher at his church.
As a sophomore at Jacksonville State University, Austin met some students who were actively involved in Campus Crusade for Christ. They invited him to their Bible studies, where “the Holy Spirit began to work on me and revealed to me that a church member was all I was. I had never truly given my life to the Lord Jesus,” he confided.
Austin became active in Campus Crusade, and he was discipled through that campus organization, learning the importance of having a strong spiritual foundation.
“One of my heart goals as a pastor – and, I think, in a position of influence such as this – is to continue to emphasize discipleship and helping people to grow deeply in their walk with Christ,” he said. “Praise the Lord, we all love to witness conversion experiences, but we have to root people in the depth and knowledge and love of Jesus Christ. We can’t overlook that.”
Subsequently, Austin is praying for a revolution of discipleship in Southern Baptist life. “We must have that if we are ever going to reach our land for the Lord Jesus,” he declared. “That’s a heartbeat of mine: discipleship in the faith and scripture memory, knowing and hiding God’s word in your heart.”
He met his wife Debbie during his senior year while both were working on a Campus Crusade project at Panama City Beach, Fla. Debbie, who was raised on a ranch in Wyoming, had also come to know Christ through Campus Crusade.
They married a year later and became active in a small church in Newcastle, Wyo., where Debbie taught school, and he worked as a youth minister and as a ranch hand and truck driver for Debbie’s father.
Sensing God’s call, Austin enrolled at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, where they later applied to become missionary journeymen through the International Mission Board. He and Debbie served in the Philippines, where she taught missionary kids and he taught a Bible school and worked on a missions farm, training Filipino farmers to terrace hillsides and raise tilapia fish, goats and rabbits. He also was a Baptist Student Union director.
“I had a lot of different assignments during that two-year period, but came to love farmers and students. I think that has kind of stuck with me,” he said.
They returned to Southwestern for two years. During that time, Debbie and he worked with boys at youth homes started by Paul Anderson, the former Olympic gold medalist in weightlifting.
“God used that experience to share with me what happens when families disintegrate – and who is hurt the most, and who the most vulnerable are in our society,” Austin said. “I praise God for ministries like that, and many others, that reach out to children in need and also assist families in need.”
Austin and his wife Debbie are the parents of five children: Shellyn Renee, Beau James, Abigail Jean, Hannah-Marie and Leah Catherine.
Referring to 3 John 4, he asserted, “That certainly should be the heartbeat of every parent to know that your children – our children – walk in truth because so many today don’t have parents who care, who reach out and love them.
“One of the greatest evangelistic tools that we possess is to model a Christian home and show an unbelieving world this works,” he continued. “We do need to emphasize home and family, and raising godly offspring, and passing our faith on to our children.”
Their daughter Shellyn, who died in 2003 at age 20, was born profoundly retarded and developmentally delayed, with enormous medical issues. To be closer to medical care, the family moved from Morganton, Ga., where Austin served his first pastorate, to Gainesville, Ga., where he served Blackshear Place Baptist Church.
“We had a wonderful ministry there,” he said, highlighting that the church was active in missions efforts, both nationally and globally, and how Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong offerings accelerated as members became more involved. He also was elected to serve as a trustee of the International Mission Board.
They had just built a house that was handicapped equipped for their daughter, when a pulpit committee from Roanoke, Va., contacted him in 2001.
“One day I was walking in the yard of our new home, telling God why we should not go,” Austin said. “Very clearly God said to me, ‘What you hold in your hand, if you can’t release it, you don’t own it, it owns you.’
“I just said, ‘Yes, sir,'” he recalled.
First Baptist Church, Roanoke, was experiencing some difficult, heartbreaking issues, Austin acknowledged, and through that experience, he believes he learned a lesson in humility.
“Because everywhere I had been a pastor, I had seen a lot of growth and I’d seen a lot of folks saved, I was a little bit prideful about my ability to win people over, to preach, speak and to organize, administrate, set goals and plan.
“That was a very humbling experience – to do everything you know to do and had been led to believe will achieve certain results – and it just doesn’t happen because you have this colossal issue, this 900-pound gorilla sitting in the room that won’t go away.”
That experience also taught him compassion. “I think that gave me even more of a pastor’s heart for pastors, to say, ‘I can identify. I’ve been in that situation,'” Austin said.
In 2005, Austin was named associate director for the Missouri Baptist Convention, with responsibilities in Sunday school, discipleship, family life, Baptist Student Union, youth work, worship, technology, pastoral care, transitional pastors and bi-vocational pastors.
“I thank the Lord for the experiences that I have had that have been so varied,” he said. “Sometimes you wonder, ‘Lord, why are you taking me through all this.’ But in the sovereignty of God, he leads us all through various aspects of life.
“You may be having some of those same questions about your place of ministry, about your family context, about your health issues,” he acknowledged. “I can assure you, just trust the Lord. – Cast your cares upon the Lord because he cares for you.”
Austin shared two of his life verses:
?Citing Colossians 1:28-29, he reminded others not to be ashamed to preach Jesus. Observing that “our politically correct world says if you are sincere, that’s all that matters,” he disagreed: “No, that’s not right. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and no man comes to the Father except through him.”
Austin urged church leaders, “Don’t leave just converts,” but make disciples. Highlighting the word “striving,” he said, “I believe much of the struggle that Paul refers to – is the struggle of personal prayer, agonizing for those men and women who need to be perfected in Christ.”
?Citing 2 Timothy 4:7, he encouraged pastors, “Pray that God leads you to some young men in your church to disciple, mentor, coach and pour your life into.”
Echoing Paul’s words, Austin concluded, “More than anything else, I want that said of me. I didn’t drop out the last lap. – I finished the race. I kept the faith. I know that’s your prayer, too.”