Mark Tronson is a retired Baptist minister who founded in 1982 the Sports and Leisure Ministry (under Heads of Churches), was the Australian Cricket Team chaplain for 17 years to 2001 and a receiptent of the Olympic Ministry Medal presented by Olympian of the Century Carl Lewis in 2009, an author of 24 books and a prolific writer.
In this series on Miracles, Mark Tronson is taking the reader of a journey of faith through his own ministry illustrating time and time again how the Lord's touch blossomed a situation where the only response was to offer praise to the Almighty.
Christian Ministries and Missions across the centuries can point to similar outcomes which has resulted not so much in new buildings but in both the intangible and tangible such as changed lives for Jesus or the excess of alcohol converted into children's shoes.
The sixth of these articles on miracles was the establishment in 2001 of a ministry focus which we aptly named "Around the Tables".
"Around the Tables" might set into train the idea of mysticism of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table and in some sense this could hold some legitimacy as the idea behind it is that of Christian mission people meeting around a table.
Moreover it takes many forms. Around the Tables have extended from a two day conference session with mission people meeting around a table, to a half day meeting around a table, to a breakfast, luncheon or dinner gathering around a table.
The emphasis is not so much that one meets "around a table" but rather the philosophy of why one is meeting at all.
Mark Tronson had time to reflect upon his ministry when he fell ill in 1999 and weighed up the value of the things he had done or been associated with in his many years of ministry to that time.
He came to the conclusion, as mind you, many had done so before, that in reality it was not the large rallies, or the magnificent worship services, or the Country Town Tours with elite athletes, nor even the respite ministry or the Australian cricket team chaplaincy, that had meaningful significance at a 'private-personal level', rather it was those gatherings from two to seven people around a table over coffee.
These were sessions of intimacy, honesty, integrity and openness where the heart was genuine and without guile, in an atmosphere of spirit filled virility and amazing strength of character, where 'purpose and direction' was the essence of the gathering.
Mark Tronson came to the conclusion, having sought the Lord, during his recuperation, that one of his new initiatives was to establish what he would name, 'Around the Tables'.
There was no fan fare, there was no multi-media presentation, there were no video recordings or iPad or iPhone extravagances, it was a back to basics of real people meeting with other real people face to face, eye-ball to eye-ball and allow the Lord to minister to each.
The first such Around the Tables was held in Sydney in 2001 at the Sydney Airport Hilton with mission people from as far away as India and Russia. It was a gathering of seven people with several visitors who bought specific input such as Lawyer Dr Clive O'Connor.
Mr Basil Sellers provided the funding for Well-Being Australia to provide these mission people two full days and nights of rest and participation at this major airport hotel – so convenient as almost every one flew into Sydney.
Reverend Harry Munro was our convenor whose phrase "Never touch the Glory, it belongs exclusively to God" has resounded in Mark Tronson's heart hitherto.
Mark Tronson now regularly meets fellow mission people in this spirit of fellowship, and from these meetings have come many remarkable outcomes.
One of these has been to establish a fellowship of independent faith finances mission people who are mostly ministering alone or in a small mission, people who get things done, without the lethargy of indecision. They enjoy outrageous challenges that frighten those who are more suburban in Mission thinking.
Around the Tables has proven to be one of Mark Tronson's remarkable avenues for a refreshing of his spirit and energies, emotional and physical, as it has for the others.
The miracles of Around the Tables has been that others too were seeking an avenue through which they too might express such desires for honesty and openness within a setting of trust and integrity.
