Mark Tronson is a retired Baptist minister who founded in 1982 the Sports and Leisure Ministry (under Heads of Churches), was the Australian Cricket Team chaplain for 17 years to 2001 and a receiptent of the Olympic Ministry Medal presented by Olympian of the Century Carl Lewis in 2009, an author of 24 books and a prolific writer.
In this series on Miracles, Mark Tronson is taking the reader of a journey of faith through his own ministry illustrating time and time again how the Lord's touch blossomed a situation where the only response was to offer praise to the Almighty.
Christian Ministries and Missions across the centuries can point to similar outcomes which has resulted not so much in new buildings but in both the intangible and tangible such as changed lives for Jesus or the excess of alcohol converted into children's shoes.
Initially, Mark Tronson takes us on a journey of his own history, in that his family genealogy illustrates Christian commitment as far back as Norway (Trondheim) to France and to Ireland where the Estate hosted a Presbyterian Tronson clergyman for several generations. The family tree parchment from 1572 to 1792 can be viewed at
bushorchestra.com/family_logo/LogoStory.html
His more immediate family, his parents, Seymour and Joan Tronson were also committed Christians and he grew up with an ever present conversation about financial support for missionaries and ministries.
His minister in the 1960's at Canberra Baptist Church the (late) Reverend F P McMaster MBE was very influential, as was the church hockey club coach, Bill Hellier. Their stories can be read in his People of Influence and Angeles Unawares series published in Christian Today Australia in January 2011.
au.christiantoday.com/article/people-of-influence-no-8-f-p-mcmaster/9926.htm
au.christiantoday.com/article/angels-unaware-no-8-bill-hellier-and-john-williams/10089.htm
It was while as a train driver on the New South Wales Government Railways that he believed he was Called by the Lord Jesus Christ to Christian ministry, and apart from his Christian commitment, he is the first to admit there wasn't much going for him in terms of what might be deemed worldly success.
He thoroughly enjoyed hockey and track & field where he did rather well at state and national level including writing hockey the Illawarra Mercury and then The Australian newspapers as a stringer for 24 years to 1994. When a locomotive engineman he undertook tertiary studies at the University of Wollongong as a mature aged student and as a stutterer undertook a speech therapy course at Clinical Sciences at the University of New South Wales – this part of his story can be read at:
au.christiantoday.com/article/im-a-stutterer-speaking-of-the-kings-speech/10088.htm
In 1977 he and Delma married and began their ministry at Morling Theological College (Seminary) ultimately earning a degree, an honours award, two theological prizes with First Class Honours and two doctoral dissertations.
When still writing hockey, in 1982 he was invited to an international sports mission congress in Hong Kong by those within a Sydney Christian sports fellowship with links to US sports ministry. Brian Booth the former Australian cricket team captain was part of this fellowship group.
By this time Mark Tronson was ministering for two days a week with the InterChurch Trade and Industry Mission (ITIM) as the industrial padre at Shell Australia in Sydney and serving as the Minister at the Warragamba Baptist Church. He submitted the Hong Kong invitation to both ITIM and the Baptist Union of Churches who endorsed his attendance, both of whom sought a report on his return as to the possibilities of ministry to professional sport.
After his return, a process fell unto place where the Director of ITIM the (late) Reverend Kenneth L McDowell and Mark Tronson visited the Heads of Churches so as to initiate the Sports and Leisure Ministry. There was an 18 month period of theological reflection including various seminars and in 1984 Mark and Delma Tronson moved from parish responsibilities to establish the sports ministry.
As there were no finances available, Mark and Delma Tronson believed the Lord had his hand upon them and moved to "faith financial ministry" where their income would be derived of $ giftings from those who supported them in this new ministry. They had a young family and owned their own home in Wallacia (far west of Sydney, lower Blue Mountains) as a result of property investments – which they had both independently made as young people.
Wallacia's historical significance is that this was where Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth crossed the Penrith River (upper reaches of the Hawkesbury) when they found their way across the Blue Mountains in 1813.
gutenberg.net.au/pages/blaxland.html
The miracles associated with these sports ministry developments are astonishingly numerous, but they can be traced through this remarkable story.
They range from Mark Tronson's speech therapy course to a wonderful woman of God in marriage; to those in Baptist leadership who saw something in Mark Tronson when he applied for seminary; the sports fellowship group who invited him to Hong Kong; to Heads of Churches who gave him their confidence, to his and Delma's faith to trust the Lord for their finances.
These are all miracles as is the sum total of the outcome as the sports ministry was initiated.
Tomorrow, Miracles No 2 will feature how Sports Chaplaincy developed.