Instead, this Prayer Network has shown that the old adage is true, 'behind every successful man is a good woman'. In this case, it is five good women who have been praying 'every day' for Baptist minister M V Tronson and his wife, Delma, and their family and their ministry for 26 years.
M V Tronson, whose Olympic credentials go to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic chaplaincy who in 2000 was invited to the IOC in Lausanne Switzerland to assist staff in developing a host city Olympic Village Religious Services protocol, graciously pointed out that the power house of the RT2008BM International Prayer Network is the prayer of these five elderly ladies.
With half a grin, he further commented, "There is no greater falsehood than to take another person's rightful honour, this is theft and the Scriptures have a great deal to say about thieves."
More seriously, Mark Tronson continued his explanation: "When the request came from Dr Sam Mings to establish this international prayer network, I initiated it locally with these five elderly praying ladies and sought them out to not only kick-start the network but to lead it."
Once the International Prayer Network received the support of these women, every RT2008BM 'International Prayer Network' Newsletter of which there has now been twelve, each Wednesday and Saturday, led with these words:
'Please join our five elderly praying ladies and five continents in prayer.'
As the reports came in from Dr Sam Mings and his 2IC the Reverend Dr David Smethurst, these newsletters were compiled for distribution by Email to Asia, the Americas, Africa, Europe, Eastern Europe, Russia, the Middle East and Australasia, and then printed off and posted snail-mail to four of our praying ladies who are not yet confident in computer usage.
"Dr Sam Mings was right on the mark when he quoted Zechariah 4:2b 'Not by power nor by might but by my Spirit saith the Lord' as this International Prayer Network touched the Heavenlies," noted M V Tronson.
The broad Beijing Olympic ministry has engaged the 1,500 mission people from various groups around the world who came to China, including the RT2008BM team. It has been overwhelmed by the freedom to minister, not least the evangelistic 'Evening of the Stars' hosted by Carl Lewis last Sunday.
Moreover, M V Tronson mused, the International Prayer Network led by these five elderly praying ladies has rejoiced abundantly as this has come to pass. For example, they rejoiced exceedingly over the astonishing "Evening with the Stars" which overwhelmingly honoured the Lord.
"Sylvia (Wollongong), Mary (Cooma) and Peg (Sydney) all from New South Wales, Patricia (Brisbane, Queensland) and Gladys (Hobart, Tasmania) have been the stalwarts of the very foundations of our ministry over 26 years," said M V Tronson.
Not only do these elderly praying ladies beseech the Lord every day on our behalf, said M V Tronson, but also when special needs come to their attention for our family or ministry, we notice an almost visible increase in spiritual energy before the foot of the Cross.
"Reverend Harry Munro said to my ministry team in 2001 at an Around the Tables conference, 'Never touch the Glory, it belongs exclusively to God' and in correlation we must be ever watchful not to take honour that belongs elsewhere," M V Tronson. Sadly he says, this happens in Christian ministry all to often.
In this instance M V Tronson noted, it is to these five elderly praying ladies that the honour belongs. He is humbled to acknowledge their consistent and enormous efforts, and he is extremely proud to tell the world how successful this Olympic Prayer Network has been let alone the RT2008BM led by Dr Sam Mings and 2IC David Smethurst.