With the London Olympics just four months away Olympic Ministry Award Receiptent Mark Tronson, the chairman of Well-Being Australia is writing a weekly series of articles leading up to this world gala event which encapsulates the nations of the world in sport, politics, economics, culture, benevolency and religion.
Lay Witnesses for Christ International has ministered at every Summer Olympics since Los Angeles 1984, with the support of a team of chaplains with the dual fervent goals of Christian fellowship and soul winning. Many of these chaplains are former Olympians who can act more easily as disciples by discussing issues of eternal destiny with fellow Olympians.
No stone unturned
Dr Sam Mings, with Sharon, his wife of 46 years by his side, has been the stalwart of these well-planned and smoothly-executed campaigns. They have left no stone unturned in order to search out open doors for their evangelism.
Mark Tronson has been engaged in many sports ministry roles, one of which is an IOC related task of engaging with Olympic host cities on 'Religious Services' for the Olympic villages.
This volunteer position relates back to 1984 when the IOC's Kevan Gosper assisted his 1984 Los Angeles Olympic ministry and in 2000 invited him to Lausanne Switzerland to assist IOC staff develop a Protocol of ideas for Olympic host city Religious Services.
Four years back, for the Beijing Olympics, Dr Sam Mings had asked Mark and Delma Tronson to initiate an international prayer network for their Right Track 2008 Beijing Olympic Ministry. This proved to be a very rewarding and innovative campaign, capturing the imagination of many Christians around the world.
On their trip to Canada and the USA in 2009, Mark and Delma Tronson met with the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Committee 'Villages' and then had a week's ministry in Los Angeles with 'Coaches of Influence' followed by the acceptance of their Olympic Ministry Medal in Dallas by Olympian of the Century Carl Lewis under the auspecies of LWFCI.
Protocol of Ideas
Last year Mark Tronson submitted the Religious Services "Protocols of Ideas" to London where upon the document was discussed over numerous consultative emails as the London Olympic organising committee put together their own Religious Services Multi-Faith program.
This '1 minute' video is available for viewing.
Sam and Sharon Mings proved gracious hosts at a function just prior to their leaving Texas, and, it was here that Dr Mings offered to record a short video on our ministry," Mark Tronson noted.
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 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 www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html