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Tim Costello is a prominent Baptist minister, director of World Vision Australia and brother of Australian federal Treasurer Peter Costello
Costello was born in Melbourne on 4 March 1955. He was educated at Carey Baptist Grammar School and graduated in law at Monash University in 1978. In 1979 he practised as a solicitor in family and criminal law and in 1981, travelled to Switzerland with his wife Merridie where they both studied theology at Rueshlikon College near Zurich, before returning to Australia in 1984.
Ordained a Baptist Minister in 1986, the Reverend Tim Costello, along with a team of others, rebuilt the congregation at the St Kilda Baptist Church, opened a drop-in centre and worked in a legal practice for those for whom the law is normally inaccessible.
As elected Mayor of St Kilda Council in 1993, he became well known for championing the cause of local democracy and his clashes with Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett. Kennett attacked Costello as being un-Victorian for speaking out against the gaming-led recovery of the state and often referred to him as "that leftist cleric". Costello's political career ended when his mayoral position was abolished with the whole St Kilda Council in Kennett's reforms and consolidation of local goverment.
From 1995 to 2003 he was a Minister of the Collins Street, Melbourne Baptist Church and the Executive Director of Urban Seed, a Christian not-for-profit organization created in response to concern about homelessness, drug abuse and the marginalisation of the citys street people.
Costello was an elected delegate at the Australian Constitutional Convention in Canberra in February 1998.
He served as President of The Baptist Union of Australia from 1999 to 2002. He has been Patron of Baptist World Aid (http://www.shareanopportunity.org/), a member of the Australian Earth Charter Committee (http://www.earthcharter.org.au/), a council member of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, a spokesperson for the Interchurch Gambling Taskforce (https://secure.sanctum.com.au/gambling-taskforce/), a member of the National Advisory Body on Gambling and a member of the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation (http://www.aerf.com.au/).
Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s he was frequently seen in the Australian national media commenting on gambling and other social problems.
In 2004 Tim was appointed CEO of World Vision Australia.
Books
- Streets of Hope: Finding God in St Kilda (1997)
- Tips from a Travelling Soul Searcher (1999)
- Wanna Bet? Winners and Losers in Gambling's Luck Myth (2001)
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