Sven Östring completed his PhD in computer networking 2001 at the University of Canterbury. He held a postdoctoral fellowship with the Computer Laboratory at the University of Cambridge from 2001–2003. He went on to complete a Graduate Certificate of Theology in 2005 and then a Master of Arts in Pastoral Leadership in 2023, both at Avondale University. His research interests are in the area of a comparative analysis of the epistemology of science and biblical epistemology, Christian apologetics, and disciple-making movements.

He was the Multi-Faith Officer at Curtin University in Western Australia from 2008–2013 and is currently the visiting Seventh-day Adventist Chaplain at the University of Sydney. He has held a number of denominational leadership roles in the Seventh-day Adventist, including being the Director of Personal Ministries, Sabbath, Stewardship and Disciples in the Greater Sydney Conference, the Director of Church Planting in the North New South Wales Conference and the Director of Ministry and Strategy at the South Pacific Division.

He is currently the Senior Pastor at Avondale Memorial Church in Cooranbong.