Chairman of Well-Being Australia Mark Tronson says it has been his privilege to have been a receiptent of wisdom from numerous such people leading up to and during his 18 years of founding the Sports and Leisure Ministry, 17 years as the Australian cricket team chaplain, and now 29 years in faith financed mission.
Three of these were my Ministers at Port Kembla Baptist Church in my youth..
Mark Tronson picks up the story. My years in Wollongong from 1969 to 1977 were splendid: working as a locomotive engineman on the NSW Government Railways, playing serious hockey, track & field, studying Economics part time at Wollongong Uni (mature aged student), developing a courtship that led to marriage, and worshipping at Port Kembla Baptist Church.
Reverend Bill Whelan
In 1969 the Minister at Port Kembla Baptist Church was the late Reverend Bill Whelan a gentleman in his fifties who preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ unto Salvation earnestly.
The youth group at that time was developing nicely and Reverend Whelan preached chastity regularly with much vigour, in relation to the relationships were developing.
Reverend Bill Bartlett
A change of Minister was scheduled in 1971 and there was much interest as to who would fill the position, as the youth group wanted a Minister whose family consisted of young people.
The Lord answered the prayers of the youth. Reverend Bill Bartlett and his wife Enid duly arrived with three of their four children of youth group age.
These were critical years in my personal development. The youth group expanded, activities such as car rallies, ten pin bowling nights, social occasions became an "additional part" to the weekly mid week bible study and Friday night youth group program. The young people matured, saw numerical growth & assisted the Church.
Bill Bartlett was a wonderful supporter of my efforts in seeing five junior hockey teams from the Sunday School including a walkathon. One of the hockey lads was Turkish. I visited his home and the parents greatly honoured me by serving Turkish coffee in a "tiny" cup (I had no idea). Even the tea spoon stood upright !!
Bill Bartlett's strong emphasis on "mission" saw many missionaries speak to the youth.
Reverend David Kerr
Five years later a new Ministerial appointment saw the newly married Reverend David Kerr and his wife Christine arrive at Port Kembla Baptist Church.
They devoted a good bit of their time with the youth group's senior members in areas of personal discipleship and challenge as followers of Jesus Christ. Perhaps the Lord sent Reverend David Kerr to Port Kembla Baptist for me.
Reverend David Kerr was a stylist in Christian endeavours, he encouraged each of us to be individuals as followers of Christ, to "style our lives" on the Messiah, but to be who we are, rather than trying to be someone else. He sought for us to allow the message of Jesus Christ to be illustrated in who we were as individuals in our characters.
It was to Reverend David Kerr I sought wisdom when challenged to enter the halls of theological study and ordination. When Delma and I sought the blessing of the Lord in marriage it was Reverend David Kerr who brought us to holy matrimony.