The Gutenberg plaque is the premier award of the Australasian Religious Press Association (ARPA), the golden logies of Christian press media.
In all these years two Baptists have been recipients of the prestigious Gutenberg.
Ramon Williams - Gutenberg 1987
Ramon Williams’ initial audio-visual work for WEC grew and he became an independent mission, ‘Worldwide Photos’, whose aim was to serve missionaries and Christian organisations; to enable them to better ‘show’ their work and ‘tell’ of it. .
His work was recognised as he established this Religious Media Agency throughout the world. His distributions have “Ramon A Williams - Worldwide Photos” with his trade mark email “rlgmedia” (short for Religious Media).
It all functioned as a faith financed mission. Ramon Williams’ photography is renowned, with pictures of such notables as Billy and Franklin Graham, Princess Diana, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Malcolm Muggeridge, Mother Theresa, Mary Whitehouse, and many political leaders and musicians.
Morling College (NSW Baptist seminary) Principal Rev Dr Ross Clifford AM who was previously the Minister of Gymea Baptist said - Ramon Williams was part of their congregation and one of the outstanding international Baptists in ministry.
Silent type
Ramon is a silent type, he unobtrusively floats during Christian functions, and his subsequent news items are sent to leading daily religious news services around the world. He has won photographic awards and has undertaken many media and photographic assignments overseas.
Ramon Williams has an eye for media high visibility. His service has been invaluable to many missions, his effort has been Herculean, his great joy is to see that whatever he ‘distributes’ is published somewhere (newspapers, magazines, bulletins, on-line), in order that someone might read of the Lord’s work.
Ramon Williams reflects this true history of Australian Christendom, and 'seriously recognise' his work without the gushing of popular media, and that like Nathaniel, we can say, here is a follower of Christ in whom there is no guile.
ARPA
To this end ARPA - The Australasian Religious Press Association honoured Ramon Williams with
1. APRA’s premier award 1987 - The Gutenberg
2. ARPA citation in 2013 and
3. Ramon Williams ARPA Youth Scholarship - 2015
The 2015 statement - “The Australasian Religious Press Association, established in 1974, is pleased to announce a 'youth scholarship package' named in honour of Ramon Williams. Ramon has been involved with ARPA since its foundation, and was awarded the Gutenberg Award in 1987 and an ARPA Citation For Outstanding Service To Christian Media in 2013. As the founder of Worldwide Photos Ltd, he has contributed in a variety of ways to the ministry of the Church in Australia, especially through the provision of photographic material, Christian stories and media distribution.”
Ramon Williams 89 who has been described as “The Lion” of 'religious media distribution' has been invited by Richard Attieh, of the Australian Television and Media Group, to have a documentary movie made of his life and ministry.
Mark Tronson
Mark Tronson a Baptist minister, had his Christian articles distributed around the world by Ramon Williams since the 1980s. Mark Tronson wrote hockey for The Australian as a stringer for 24 years, written 24 books, served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years and from 2001 Life After cricket for the next 18 years. He founded the Sports and Leisure Ministry in 1982.
In 1999 he founded Well-Being Australia. In 2009 he was awarded the Olympic Ministry Medal by Olympian of the Century Carl Lewis and that same year initiated young writers published through his Press Service International in Christian Today. Ten years later 2019 Press Service International (Mark Tronson) was awarded the Gutenberg.
ARPA Citation
by ARPA President 2012-2109 - Peter Bentley
The 2019 Gutenberg Award
The Premier Award of the
Australasian Religious Press Association
is made to
Press Service International
Press Service International (PSI) is one of the ministries of Well-Being Australia (WBA) with a specialist role and focus on providing articles for the Christian press, particularly Christian Today Australia (CTA), as well other online publications. Originally established in 2005, PSI developed following Dr Mark Tronson’s appointment as a columnist for CTA in 2008, and with CTA’s interest in having a daily sports column focus in 2010, a group of young writers were gathered by Dr Tronson and CTA and a contribution policy developed that now covers other areas, including comment, culture and science.
The agreement between Christian Today Australia and Press Service International allows articles published in Christian Today to be reproduced by any other publication provided acknowledgement is given to Christian Today. This provides a wealth of material for a much wider range of publications, as well providing opportunity and experience for younger writers, as well as senior writers. Under Mark’s oversight there is a team of editors and co-ordinators who bring the articles to publication and co-ordinate all the activities. Over 200 people have contributed articles through PSI, with more than 70 active writers in any year. Their own internal conferences and award events recognising excellence have been a cornerstone of the professional development of the ministry.
PSI articles aim to follow Christian Today's motto from Matthew 5:37; "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No', 'No'’: straight forward writing with integrity. Young writers have been recruited from a wide range of backgrounds and countries and provide a range of viewpoints about everyday life and the ethical and theological issues of the day, and a helpful voice within the Public Christianity arena in Australia and New Zealand.
Press Service International is a New Zealand and Australian ministry with its two arms and ministry teams. PSI has enabled the mentoring of young writers as columnists, encouraging their involvement in professional organisations like ARPA, attending conferences and active involvement now in the ARPA executive.
I am pleased to award Press Service International the 2019 Gutenberg.
Peter Bentley
President 2018-2019