Mark Tronson this week is celebrating his 39th year in Christian Ministry and his story is quite something – one of those quiet achievers.
In Baptist Parish Ministry in Sydney from 1977, a graduate of Morling College, Dip Min., B.Th 1st Class Hon. followed by two doctoral dissertations on specialist ministry.
He was also serving two days a week with the InterChurch Trade and Industry Mission (ITIM) as the industrial padre at Shell Australia's Clyde Refinery, with IOC Vice Chairman Kevan Gosper heading up Shell Australia. Mark Tronson stuttered and his wife Delma had 60% hearing loss (her mum had German measles when pregnant).
Why anyone would consider these two people had anything going for them is one of those divine mysteries.
He played and then wrote hockey for The Australian (24 years). The Sydney Christian Sports Fellowship with such luminaries as former cricket captain and hockey Olympian Brian Booth subsequently invited this young man to Hong Kong for the 2nd World Congress on Sports Mission.
Mark Tronson wanted and received approval to attend by both the Baptist Union of NSW and the InterChurch Trade and Industry Mission (ITIM) who recognised that sport was a major Australian industry and recognised a providential moment.
Sport ministry years
After his return in conjunction with Heads of Churches in 1982 he established this self same Sport Ministry, and in 1984 he was appointed the Australian cricket team chaplain. Mark Tronson travelled the nation negotiating chaplaincies in all professional sports including the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and the Olympics.
He undertook numerous sport ministry study tours and preaching and seminars to the US, England, European cities, Asian countries, Canada, throughout New Zealand and the South Pacific including Port Moresby and Lae.
This was all done as a faith financed missionary – there was no funding from Heads of Churches, or the Baptists, but his conviction was that the Lord would provide the where-with-all and they have been faith financed ever since.
In 1992 under his supervision 'Basil Sellers House' (Timeout in Moruya) for AIS elite athlete respite was constructed and opened. And in February 2000 Mark Tronson was invited to the IOC in Lausanne Switzerland to develop Olympic Religious Services Transfer of Knowledge document (viz Kevan Gosper).
A fresh direction
In March 2000 Heads of Churches released Mark and Delma to reduce their ministry load (stress) from the Sports Ministry to their own ministry, Well-Being Australia.
2001 Mark founded Life After Cricket, he turned to art to find some relaxation and in 2003 the Basil Sellers Art Centre opened in Moruya and the $10,000 Art Prize in 2004. In this time he also led two InnerFaith Tours to the Holy Land and the 7 Early Church sites in Turkey (including Gallipoli where he preached at Anzac Cove).
In 2005 he was invited as one of 48 international gentile Christian leaders (Cricket chaplain) as part of the March of the Living 60th anniversary liberation of Auschwitz (Poland and the Ukraine).
2006 he and Delma moved to Tweed Heads – and the 'Basil Sellers Timeout in the Tweed' for SE Qld AIS respite regularly visiting each AIS Unit.
In 2008 he was invited by Christian Today (CMC International network, based in New York and London) to write a daily column which led to the young writer ministry program with 85 young writers around the world and now 9 Senior Writers. Then in 2009 he was awarded the Olympic Ministry Medal by Olympian of the Century Carl Lewis.
More recently
In 2011 Mark Tronson established 'Basil Sellers Laguna Quays Respite' (Whitsundays) for missionaries and mission personal, then in 2013 the Basil Sellers Midge Point Art Prize.
At Basil Sellers request, in 2014 he linked Basil Sellers to MissionsInterlink for the Aldinga Beach (South Australia) Missionary Respite, then the 2016 'Basil Sellers One Day in Melbourne - Evangelicals On-line' (Christian Media specialist conf).
It's been quite a journey. The Lord opened door after door. He has maintained different groups of mentors. One group for his personal walk with the Lord who challenge and hold him to account. Another group for ministry decisions and direction with whom he seeks counsel. A third group still for wisdom in all things. His wife Delma is known as Mrs Common Sense and with her own community ministry engagements.
Balance
Over all these years Mark Tronson has written 24 books (16 of them on railway driver's anecdotes) and planned and developed sports ministry and young writer ministry conferences, and thoroughly enjoys his Country Town Tours – mission visits to regional and rural Australia. The next one 4-6 March is in Mackay Qld and the previous one last October was to Tasmania.
Balance is Delma's favourite word in Christian ministry, and as such, Mark has maintained his connections with the Chambers of Commerce (Moruya and Tweed Heads) with their monthly meetings and one to one ministry. This executive ministry has numerous other expressions.
As such one of Mark's favourite 'balanced' verses of Scripture comes from Jesus Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5 verse 45 that the sun shines on the righteous and the unrighteous, as the rain falls on the just and the unjust. That he says is good theology. As an evangelist it continues to be his joy in the Lord witnessing those who hear the Gospel message of Jesus Salvation respond.
Last word
This Friday is Delma and Mark's 39th wedding anniversary - four adult children and two grand children. They love and follow the Lord. Read the bible for divine guidance. Connect with their Lord God in prayer, thought and passion in ministry. His ministries have been wonderfully honoured all these years through philanthropist Mr Basil Sellers AM supporting his stratagem and likewise Mr Sellers as a consult.
1977 – Parish ministry
1982 – Sports ministry
2000 – Well-Being Australia
2016 continuing .....
He recently wrote a joint Email to three 'former' New Zealand 'young writers' in the Christian Today program: Daniel Jang, Sam Burrows and Casey Murray. In part he wrote:
"The Lord gave me in 2013-14 the greatest joy in the Lord with 'you three' young people of whom I admire, cherish and love with the Love of the Lord. You three gave me a most wonderful two years 2013-14 with the way you wrote and conveyed your heart and passions - Thankyou my dear dearest young people. I'm 64 - you are aware how the Lord has blessed my ministries - yet in my heart, you three are the highlight. The Lord brings very special people into one's life. No need to respond. You may not even understand."
Mark Tronson says we're in good hands witnessing first hand these 85 young writers in the Christian Today program.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html