Grace Baptist Church :: About Pastor Austin

"God impressed on my heart during my early years of elementary school my need for Christ. Having been blessed with a godly mother who took her role of guiding her children in the ways of the Lord, I was sitting at the television set hearing a biblically based message on the sinfulness of my heart and the loving provision of God for my eternal salvation. I made my way to bed only to have my mind stirring with doubts, questions and a troubled heart. As a result of God convicting me through the accumulated teaching from the Word of God, I climbed out of bed to speak to my mother about my concerns. She took the time to open her Bible and show me for myself of my sin and God’s salvation through the blood of the crucified Savior, Jesus Christ. She led me to pray and I turned from my sin and placed my faith in Jesus Christ alone for my salvation. Ever since, I have had to battle with my desire to sin and I have had a passion to know and pursue God in a personal way. I thank God for His eternal salvation and His Holy Spirit that helps me to obey His Word."

Pastor Austin was born in 1962 and was reared in a Christian home. The Christian home became complete when the Lord brought his father to Himself after the death of his grandmother when he was in Junior High School. It was when a Christian High School education became possible for him that Pastor was called of the Lord to preach during his sophomore year.

Pastor met the love of his life Karen Renee (Bixler), who is a PK from Westerville, Ohio, their freshman in college (1980). They were married in 1984. Pastor and Karen have two grown children, Jennifer and Kate.

Pastor graduated with an undergraduate degree in Theology and a minor in Speech in 1984. He then finished his Master of Arts degree in May of 2009. Pastor has been at Grace Baptist Church since June of 2007. He ministered as an Assistant, Youth and Music Pastor, as well as a Church planter and Christian School teacher/administer for a combined total of 23 years before coming to Grace.

Pastor loves God's Word and loves God's people. His goal is to preach and teach the Word of God with such clarity and personal application that his congregation will experience what it means to be "conformed to the image of Jesus Christ." He believes with firm, loving conviction that the best way to influence our culture is to win them to Jesus Christ by maintaining a solid personal testimony and witness, teaching and preaching the Word of God with passion, and then discipling new believers with the milk of the Word of God.

In a culture where churches are trying to reach the lost by focusing primarily on cultural relevance, Pastor Austin believes that the clear teaching and application of the doctrine of the Word of God to the people and community is the method by which the Holy Spirit can and does cultivate change in His own children and to draw the lost, who are without Jesus.

Christ prayed for future believers in His high priestly prayer in John 17. So, Pastor’s prayer is that God will continue to build His church in Pelzer and the surrounding community unto His own glory and not the glory of man. Pastor Austin is a faithful husband, father, and pastor. It is his desire to work at being a fervent witness of the good news of Jesus Christ to the souls of Pelzer, SC and the surrounding communities.

You can email Pastor Austin at pastor@gracesc.com.