A Gospel singer of some note, Madeline sings regularly at special occasion functions such as the annual USA Christian Athlete of the Year awards, where Delma Tronson and her husband Mark last year (February 2009) received an international award to honour their then 27 years of Sports and Olympic Chaplaincy.
"Madeline, a mother of two, is one of our international ministry long-term friends," Mark Tronson explained. "We first met in 1988 at the Seoul Korea Olympic Games during an international sports mission congress, where Madeline sang, and we've caught up several times since then,"
Although she has brought up a family to adulthood, and cut numerous professional CDs her real passion is sports ministry. As President and CEO of the United States Council for Sports Chaplaincy, Madeline Manning Mims has her hands full in both administration and ministry.
"After having seen the benefit of her ministry during the Beijing Olympics the United States Athletic (Track & Field) Association had invited Madeline to be part of a leadership pow-wow last February," Delma Tronson said. "Madeline inspired them to include the pastoral aspect into their planning and organisation and its gone on from there in this past twelve months."
Madeline said that was the first time she had received such an official acknowledgement of her ministry, although she had always been made welcome. She thought this recognition was a giant leap forward which proved to be absolutely correct.
"Although many other nations, including Australia, have seen sports chaplaincy as an another aspect of their broader 'duty of care', it had never been adopted in that same manner in the USA," Delma Tronson explained. "Up until now, the informal Chapel program has dominated the thinking in the United States where there is a clear emphasis on soul winning with visiting guest speakers."
Madeline Manning Mims set a precedent with US Sports in that pastoral care and soul winning can stand side by side with integrity and sit well within a Sport organisation.
"Madeline who already has a Doctorate of Divinity, is currently undertaking a Masters on Sports Chaplaincy and wants to take that further and study for a Ph.D.," Delma Tronson reported.
"Her planned doctoral research topic will be the development of a college undergraduate course on Sports Chaplaincy. Madeline has enjoyed preliminary discussion with people from various US ivory-league universities."