Rusty Swafford  was born in Athens, Tennessee. He became a Christian in elementary school at church camp.  He enroled  at Johnson Bible College after high school.

          In 1988 during his senior year at Johnson Bible College, evangelist Rusty was invited to southern India on a short-term mission trip to teach at the Kerala Christian Bible College. Rusty continued traveling for the next few years, teaching and preaching in India.

          In 1992 upon invitation to speak at the college graduation ceremony, Rusty and two other Americans were detained by a militant group of the Tamil Tigers in the Colombo Airport in Sri Lanka during a short layover. After being held under house arrest for four days, they were released and given the option to return to the USA or take the only flight into India. Choosing to continue the journey, their flight took them to Madras, India,

 where the Holy Spirit led Rusty to start this new ministry.

          Madras, now renamed Chennai, is the headquarters for the ministry. Because of the need to plant churches in the unreached areas of Chennai as well as in the fishing villages along the coast of the Bay of Bengal, 

Mission: Explosion International Ministries

began in June of 1993.

          Since that time the ministry, with the help of many churches and individuals, has planted over 30 churches (in the states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, India), treated thousands in  medical camps, established a Christian School and has started a Bible Institute for the purpose of equipping young men to preach the Gospel.

Also M:EI  launched a new a ministry in 2010 to free children who have been sold by their parents into slave labor. The childrens home is called "Freedom House." We are now seeking support from churches and individuals to adopt children and recue them from child slavery. To the glory of God through this ministry,

 thousands have been baptized into Christ.