Carol Austin: An Expert Builder
Greater Philadelphia Church of Christ
Date of Baptism: January 10, 1986

A rumbling underworld co-existed with Bridgetown, Barbados, the tropical gem where Carol Austin grew up. It was ripe with an assortment of drug cartels, adulterers, drunks and thieves. Though she wouldn’t be caught dead holding a bible in public, Carol was by all means “a good church girl.” As a member of a local Church of England, she walked about in queenly confidence, disassociated with any hell-bound ilk. But girl, let me tell you! For the latest breaking news, Carol Austin was the Bridgeport megaphone. She knew where you were, what you did, and who drop-kicked who. With relish, she recounted the dish to hungry gossip-mongers, sometimes inventing new details. But woe to the poor soul who crossed her! Carol’s verbal assaults left many with exposed entrails and toasted reputations. That’s how a good church girl rolled.

To further their children’s education, Carol’s parents moved the family to New York City. Where many fall prey to the bright lights of a big city, level headed Carol did not. Having learned strong work ethics from her parents, she excelled as a student at Hunter College. Through the school’s vibrant campus ministry, Carol learned that she possessed an abundance of foreign sins: sins of the heart. After coming to grips with the fact that they were just as evil as the “major sins” she disdained in others, Carol was joyfully baptized.

Because of her rapid spiritual maturity, Carol and leadership were a natural fit. A whopping surprise soon followed. “It was an ordinary day, right before my senior year,” Carol recalls. “Just minding my own business, a leader approached me about joining the Philadelphia mission team.” Believing her faith could benefit from the challenge, Carol accepted the offer. “I’d been a Christian for 2 ½ years. Back then, you were an old Christian at 2 ½,“ laughs Carol in peals of hearty gusto. Feeling unappreciated and slapped in the face, Carol’s family was in an uproar over her leaving school. Shaken by their explosive response, Carol prayed and fasted for the clarity of God’s will, and in September, 1988, she arrived in Philadelphia for the hardest work of her life.

Carol’s journey began in a household with 3 sisters whom she’d never met until her arrival. Their personalities were not compatible, and home was not a haven. Next, the University of Pennsylvania rejected her Hunter College transcripts, leaving her unable to continue school. It was a terrific blow personally and for the fledgling church: Carol was half of that campus’ two person mission team. Instead, she took a full time day job and evangelized the University of Pennsylvania at night. The church prospered, but Carol’s family relationships deteriorated. Having sacrificed their lives in pursuit of their children’s education, her parents’ dream of a college graduate in the family had been shattered. A devastating estrangement lasted for several years. In the meantime, the combative roommates found common ground and weathered the exciting, but lonely life of building a new church. “Disciples take having a few hundred churches for granted. In 1988, 90 % of them didn’t exist.” Yet for all her joy and passion for God, Carol deeply missed her family, and they missed her. Each came to realize that their love for each other is what mattered. With the flowing of many tears, the Austins reunited, valuing their newfound closeness. They’ve even established a tradition of taking annual family vacations, an unaffordable luxury in Carol’s youth.

One of Carol’s greatest joys was also her greatest heartbreak. Her best friend, Stephanie Patterson, became a Christian in 2001, and died in 2007. At her side when she passed away, Carol vowed to help Stephanie’s two young daughters become disciples. It will be a heavenly victory to welcome our late sister’s children into the family of God!

Carol went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Rosemont College in Philadelphia. In this, the Austin family greatly rejoiced, Barbados style! Today, she’s an executive director of a non-profit organization dedicated to equipping teens for the transition into adulthood. Her responsibilities for the Philadelphia church include serving on its’ Board of Directors and helping lead their middle school ministry. In 23 years as a disciple, she has never missed giving a weekly or special missions contribution, a testament of her godly commitment. Carol would love to marry, but until then, she’s happily single and living a bountiful life. Travel compliments her adventurous spirit, her favorite spot to date being Rome. God and paycheck willing, next stop: Antarctica! In September, 2008, the Greater Philadelphia Church of Christ celebrated its’20th anniversary. We salute Carol Austin, a spiritual pioneer among women, for helping to make Pennsylvania a sweet land of liberty. Let freedom ring!