|PIC1|Through his vision, backed up by his theological and practical intuition, Mark Tronson was able to build a sustainable structure for the Sports and Leisure Ministry. He had the ability to seek out those key people in Sports administrations who saw the benefit of chaplaincy while the chaplains appreciated Mark's wisdom and heart.
Delma Tronson commented, "Mark's monthly newsletter to the chaplains and our financial supporters was one hallmark of his 'relationship' skills. He was always on the phone, and away from his young children much more than we would have liked. Although people were generous with 'faith' monies given to us personally, we used only a portion of this, redirecting the rest to help the ministry and many chaplains' expenses.
"Mark was tireless in building good relationships with the Sports (coaches and administrators) and Heads of Churches released us to a less stressful ministry after eighteen years." [Since 2000 as chairman of Well-Being Australia his ministry centres on athlete respite].
He has decided to re-tell some of his experiences of those remarkably heady years of development, for a wider audience, although he notes they are recorded in his 1994 book 'No Orchestra, No Trumpet' (now out of print).
M V Tronson was invited to Hong Kong in 1982 for an international congress on sports mission where his vision to develop a ministry to Australia's professional sports gathered momentum. The trip was endorsed by both the Baptist Churches of New South Wales and the InterChurch Trade and Industry Mission (ITIM) for which he was a part-time industrial padre at Shell Australia in Sydney.
That initial period after Hong Kong was devoted to establishing a theological foundational for such a Mission to professional sport along with meeting with Heads of Churches in order to base such a ministry under their umbrella.
In 1984 Mark and Delma Tronson moved from parish based ministry into 'faith finance ministry' so as to develop the Sports and Leisure Ministry, a term coined by ITIM director the Reverend Kenneth L McDowell. That first year involved meeting with professional sport administrators with a theologically sound marketing strategy and then a US sports ministry study tour including the LA Olympics.
By late 1984, after well over two and a half years of foundational development, Mark Tronson was ready to initiate motor racing chaplaincy; his first point of contact was the Confederation of Motor Sport (CAMS) in Sydney.
"I was given a very gracious welcome as motor sport is an activity fraught with a proclivity to accident," M V Tronson explained. "Although the chaplaincy model was not one which focused on track circuit disasters and funerals, the discussion about grief provided a starting point from which relationships developed."
By mid 1985, after a series of administrative meetings, M V Tronson was invited to the Oran Park race track in south west Sydney to initiate the motor racing chaplaincy.
"I recall this first encounter vividly for two reasons. The first was the culture shock, in that motor racing was a family affair which was primarily focused in the pits, and not (as one might imagine) on the track itself. The driver, the mechanics, their partners and all the children made a weekend of it and the pits had a Sunday school picnic atmosphere. The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves as they knew the other children from the various motor racing teams.
"The second point I remember clearly was that, time and time again, people told me that I was the first visitor who asked about the people involved, not the cars or their engines," Mark Tronson explained.
He had read of this type of encounter previously; in the US horse racing and equine ministry, where the chaplain was constantly told by the Strappers that he was the only one who asked after their welfare rather than that of the horse!
Mark also attended the very next Oran Park meet, when Jack Brabham's son David was involved in a serious track crash that came close to taking his life. This was also the first occasion he met the late Peter Brock, who assumed he was a petrol head.
"To the contrary," I explained to Peter Brock. "No, not at all, rather I'm very interested in you as a person, your team members and their family members. Peter warmly welcomed me, and introduced me to his entourage."
In late 1985 the CAMS Federal Council approved M V Tronson's 'Pit Padre' submission, and over the following years the motor racing chaplaincy under its own steam proceeded with a coordinating chaplain the Reverend Garry Coleman. This has grown nationally, and now encompasses bike racing, the Formula 1, Bathurst, the rallies, seven day events and the like and has been extended to New Zealand.
"Sydney motor racing driver Tom Watkinson who is an active follower of the Lord Jesus Christ has come with me to church services, men's breakfasts and youth rallies and given his testimony on numerous occasions," M V Tronson noted.
