The founding chairman of the Sports and Leisure Ministry the late Reverend Roger Reid detailed the due diligence on my ministry in sports.
Roger Reid speaks of due diligence
Reverend Roger Reid was the foundation Chairman of the Sports and Leisure Ministry. He revealed for the first time why, in 1982, the InterChurch Trade and Industry Mission (ITIM) and Heads of Churches supported Baptist minister Mark Tronson's remarkable vision for ministry into professional sport.
At the time, Mark was the Shell Australia chaplain in Sydney for two days each week. As a senior coordinator of industrial chaplains, Roger and Marion Reid took on a pastoral role to help Mark and Delma Tronson in their new venture.
Reverend Roger Reid said that it is important to accurately record the insights of Heads of Churches over that '18 month foundation' period.
"We saw that Mark knew his way around Australian sport as an athlete, sportswriter and author. He also had a keen-sighted theological understanding and he conveyed the philosophy of chaplaincy as being management-inclusive. In addition, Mark had an ability to see things through regardless of the level of frustration.
"We noted that he carried his passion with integrity and that his wife Delma is ideally suited in supporting him through difficulties that accompany such audacious ventures.
"It was certainly provident that 'faith finance support' is a normal part of Christian missionary service in Baptist circles, where 'faith' and not 'money' is seen as the critical ingredient. Mark and Delma were well suited to this.
"But Heads of Churches also recognised three 'unquantifiable' factors. Firstly, Mark and Delma convey a spirit of expectancy that others eagerly want to embrace. The second consideration was their remarkable family stability. As you observe the way they have overcome Mark's speech impediment and Delma's hearing impairment, you find any encounter with them and their children memorable and delightful..
"The third determining factor was intuitive in that 'only God' brings about such a thing as this. Heads of Churches believed that the Spirit of the Lord was initiating a new paradigm of ministry across the nation. There was confidence and excitement that this new venture would 'open up' vision for 'ministry outside the church walls' in many other people across the community landscape."
The story
The story of the Sports and Leisure Ministry began when Mark Tronson was invited to an international sports mission conference in Hong Kong. Both his Baptist denomination and ITIM endorsed his attendance, with the longer-term view that he would pursue a ministry among Australian professional sport people.
Upon his return, Mark Tronson submitted his report to the Baptist Union of NSW and the National Board of ITIM in order to set in train this vision. Thereafter Reverend Kenneth L McDowell (ITIM Director), Roger Reid and Mark Tronson visited each of the Heads of Church denominations to establish endorsement protocols.
Each of these Heads of Church denominations subsequently appointed a representative to what Kenneth McDowell termed the "Sports and Leisure Ministry" (SLM), under Roger Reid, who was appointed as the foundation Chairman. These representatives became accountable to the Heads of Churches.
At the inaugural national board meeting, a gathering of senior churchmen prayed their blessing on Mark Tronson so as to initiate this new work as a 'faith financed mission'. Over the following 18 years SLM grew to 250 part time volunteers of which 150 were chaplains to sports.
In March 2000 Heads of Churches released Mark and Delma Tronson so that they could establish a less demanding ministry (Well-Being Australia), as they continued their well established cricket ministry and their respite ministry for Australian Institute of Sport athletes at 'Basil Sellers House' in Moruya.
Subsequently, Mark and Delma Tronson have duplicated this respite ministry at Basil Sellers Tweed, Mark has found his own respite and relaxation in diversifying into an Art ministry, the young writers, and the Basil Sellers Laguna Quays Respite (Whitsundays). The story of Mark and Delma Tronson that started with the SLM all those years ago, still continues into the future in a different format. In 2009 Mark Tronson was awarded the Olympic Ministry Medal by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century.
"It has been noted that people come away from their (Mark and Delma) pastoral care or conversations over a cuppa, with the conviction that with God, anything can be achieved; and achieved in the joy of the Lord. Last month they received the Australasian Religious Press Association premier award ‘The Gutenberg’ for their Press Service International young writer ministry.
"In recalling this history we give credit to God for what He has achieved as His Spirit led Mark and us all into the Sports and Leisure Ministry and its continuing off shoots," Reverend Roger Reid concluded.
Due Diligence is part of the Christian manifest.
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 25 books, and enjoys writing. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand. Dr Mark Tronson’s Press Service International in 2019 was awarded ‘The Gutenberg’ - the Australasian Religious Press Association’s premier award. In September 2020 Summer Moore presented her commission portrait of Dr Mark Tronson holding the Gutenberg plaque. He and David Chang editor of Christian Today together bought the young writer ministry into fruition in 2009. In 2011 Mark established Laguna Quays Respite (Whitsundays) for missionary respite and replicated at Aldinga Beach 2016 (Adelaide) and Greens Beach Bass Straight (TAS). His ministry is honoured all these years by Christian philanthropist Mr Basil Sellers AM. He is married to Delma (44 years), with four adult married children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/dr-mark-t.html
