Tom and Ann Austin

The Austins went with Mission to the World to Nairobi, Kenya in 1985 where Tom was on loan to the Nairobi International School of Theology (NIST) from 1987 to 1995 teaching missions, leadership development, church growth, and management courses. After earning a D. Min. in urban missions from Westminster Theological Seminary, Tom began in 1995 to develop a new model of theological education for Africa. Tom became principal of the Bible Institute near Cape Town, South Africa, taking the college through transition and development from 1999 until the end of 2004. The 83 year old Bible college became African in its vision and focus, in its staff and in its student body. Tom serves MTW throughout sub-Saharan Africa, coordinating, facilitating and guiding MTW ministries in theological education.

In Nairobi Ann taught the Bible to the wives of students (NIST): Exodus, a survey of the New Testament, and the Life of Christ. She taught women’s Bible studies and trained teachers at their church, Community Presbyterian Church. Ann leads the faculty wives in developing a ministry to the women at the Bible college and speaks to women’s groups.

Tom grew up in Kingsport in the Presbyterian Church (PCUS) with which he served one year in the Congo. God used Tom’s experiences in the Congo with the missionaries to call him to salvation and give him a heart for Africa. Tom, a graduate of King College (1970), served in the Army where benefited from the Navigators, a relationship which continued at Vanderbilt. His heart for missions developed into a sense of call. He met Ann after he entered Columbia Graduate School in cross-cultural studies 1980. They were married in July 1983.

Ann, born in rural Chester County, S.C., grew up in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. She came to Christ while studying speech pathology at Columbia College, S.C (1972). Ann was a public school speech pathologist in South Carolina. In Athens, Greece, she worked with a Teaching English as a Foreign Language(TEFL) for the U.S. Navy. With a view toward missions, she and her first husband entered seminary at Columbia Graduate School (CIU). After her husband died in 1981, she and daughter Anna (then 4) remained at CIU. Ann entered the M. Div. program where she met Tom and they were married in July 1983.