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Today's Birthday March 4: Baptist minister and World Vision Australia CEO Tim Costello (1955-).
Tim Costello, the brother of former treasurer of Australia Peter Costello, is the chief executive of World Vision Australia and a prominent Baptist minister.
Born on March 4, 1955, in Melbourne, he studied law at Monash University, where he also obtained a diploma of education.
He then practised as a solicitor, working in family and criminal law.
In 1981, Costello travelled to Switzerland with his wife, Merridie, to study theology at Ruschlikon College, near Zurich.
He returned to Australia in 1984, and was ordained as a Baptist minister in 1987.
Costello led a team that rebuilt the congregation of St Kilda's Baptist Church and opened a drop-in centre.
He also provided a law practice for those without access to legal help.
In 1993, he was elected mayor of St Kilda Council and became known for his clashes over gambling issues with Victorian premier Jeff Kennett.
Kennett accused Costello of being un-Victorian and labelled him "that leftist cleric".
The premier finally abolished Costello's mayoral position as part of his reforms to local government in 1994.
From 1995 to 2003, Costello was a minister of the Collins Street Baptist Church and executive director of non-profit Christian organisation Urban Seed, which deals with problems such as homelessness and drug abuse.
He served as president of the Baptist Union of Australia from 1999 to 2002, has been a patron of Baptist World Aid, a member of the National Advisory Body on Gambling, and a member of the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation.
In 2004, Costello was appointed chief executive of World Vision Australia.
That year, he was also named Victorian of the Year, and in 2005 Costello was made an Officer of the Order of Australia.
