There are now four ‘mission’ writers on the Press Service International team being published in Christian Today.
Last year the CT editor asked me to add to the quiver of young writer articles, a fresh genre, Mission articles.
Since then, the mission writing team has grown to four – all published in Christian Today.
The mission writing team
Ben Campbell
Ben Campbell from Sydney is the CEO of Africa Enterprise. He or a team member provides fortnightly articles with photographs mission articles. These are very well received and have a wide distribution throughout the Africa Enterprise mission situations around the world.
Ben Campbell is one of our ‘One Day in Melbourne’ mission team - which is an annual day seminar for mission media agencies – a highly agreeable day mission day initiated in 2016.
Aira Chilcott
Aira is a long term ‘senior writer’ for Christian Today, a professional educator, now retired, and writes two ‘mission articles’ each Cycle. Each Cycle consists of 5 weeks of young writers interspersed with articles of mission, the arts, music, senior writers and Christian News.
That is a total of oodles of articles – Australian, New Zealanders, Internationals. Over a 12 month period, Aira writers two mission articles each Cycle – a massive effort. Aira says there is an abundance of mission material.
Aira is a mother of three boys, a panellist marking the young writers and husband Bill is one of the statisticians for the young writer annual awards. Aira when teaching regularly led college youth tours to India.
Peter Bentley
Peter Bentley is the editor of the ‘AC Catalyst’ based in Sydney and a former President of the Australasian Religious Press Association (2012-19).
Peter was invited to submit an article each Cycle to add to the breadth of the mission genre and in recent months has been analysing Christian films. With Peter’s experience and indepth theological insights, his reviews have been muchly appreciated with a wide readership.
Peter McGuigan
Peter McGuigan is a Major in the Salvation Army, very experienced in Publishing ‘Sallies’ as head of media including the highly acclaimed War Cry.
Peter served as the President of the Australasian Religious Press Association 2008-2011 and recognised as a leader in Christian media genre. Peter was invited to as a mission writer for Christian Today last year and has bought a myriad of fascinating and interesting stories which have raced to No 1 of the Most Popular list.
Christian Today
Christian Today has welcomed the Mission writers in this mission genre. They have bought a whole new literary dimension of faith in Jesus Christ for the readers.
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 mentors young writers and has written 25 books, and enjoys writing. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand. Dr Mark Tronson’s Press Service International in 2019 was awarded ‘The Gutenberg’ - the Australasian Religious Press Association’s premier award. In September 2020 Summer Moore presented her commission portrait of Dr Mark Tronson holding the Gutenberg plaque. He and David Chang editor of Christian Today together bought the young writer ministry into fruition in 2009. In 2011 Mark established Laguna Quays Respite (Whitsundays) for missionary respite and replicated at Aldinga Beach 2016 (Adelaide) and Greens Beach Bass Straight (TAS). His ministry is honoured all these years by Christian philanthropist Mr Basil Sellers AM. He is married to Delma (44 years), with four adult married children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/dr-mark-t.html
