|PIC1|"There is no greater 'peer' supporter of our ministry than Peter Nelson, who understood the nature of the pressures upon Christian ministry leadership," M V Tronson said.
Peter is a very special man of Christian Grace, his ministry has touched many lives in quiet and meaningful ways that only a handful of people would ever know, and this has also been the nature of his 20 years of ministry at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra.
For many years Peter Nelson served as the Churches of Christ ACT Head of Church and took under his philosophical and pastoral 'peer' care Mark and Delma Tronson who had pioneered the Sports and Leisure Ministry in 1992, serving in leadership to 2000 when Mark fell ill with stress.
"Peter understood that Christian ministry leaders, regardless of their denominational affiliation, need a special kind of love and care in a passionate and philosophical way as their ministry leadership roles are very serious and weighty matters.
"He recognised that Christian leaders, as managers in the corporate world, are at the mercy of the politics from within," M V Tronson explained.
Peter Nelson, a quiet and reflective gentleman, served on the Sports and Leisure Ministry's National Board for many years and in this capacity his wisdom and insights into the human condition provided much benefit to the sport ministry's breadth of pastoral philosophy.
With these highly developed pastoral and philosophical skills, many have concurred that Peter Nelson would have been an ideal Chairman of the Sports and Leisure Ministry.
"It has been one of my great delights working with Peter Nelson," M V Tronson noted. "I witnessed that many athletes visiting Basil Sellers Mourya took the opportunity to seek out Peter for further reflection."
When M V Tronson replicated the Moruya respite facility with Basil Sellers Tweed in 2006, Peter Nelson encouraged this same respite care for the six AIS sport units based in south east Queensland.
It was a very special time last year when Mr Basil Sellers visited the AIS in Canberra and met both the chaplain Peter Nelson, and his young thoughtful associate Peter Prior.
"Peter Nelson gave a very encouraging report to Mr Sellers on the positive effects of respite for athletes who had returned from Basil Sellers Moruya. As a result, Basil Sellers donated a further $50,000 to refurbish Basil Sellers Moruya," Mark Tronson said.
In M V Tronson's view, Peter is a true 'all-rounder' in both skills and personality. This is shown by three great achievements in different areas of his expertise.
A) hitting 100 runs in Canberra fourth grade cricket when aged 60 (Peter was selected for Tasmania when young);
B) representing the ACT in the over 60s cricket Australian championships;
C) and the philosophical pastoral caring of Christian ministry leaders including Delma and Mark Tronson.
"The heavenlies will one day reveal this remarkable multi-faceted aspect of Peter Nelson's ministry to all," Mark Tronson concluded.