'Basil Sellers' Press Service International
Dr Mark Tronson Olympic Ministry Medal 2009
Young Writers Vision-Mission
30-31 October 2015 - Leadership Group
Russell Modlin, Sophia Sinclair, Laura Veloso, Sam Gillespie, Belinda Croft (Wesley Tronson was in Cuba).
Foundation
Press Service International established the Young Writers’ Program in 2008 aiming to provide Christian young adults with a unique opportunity to develop and express their views through comment writing.
With the support of Mr. Basil Sellers AM and the leadership of Dr. Mark Tronson the program flourished to include writers from Australia, New Zealand and all over the world. Today the program is led by a team of writers overseeing the weekly publication of articles, the development of the program, and annual conferences. The Young Writers’ Program currently provides content for Christian Today Australia’s website.
Vision
The culture of the Young Writers’ Program values unity in Christ, and the diversity of insights and experiences of each member.
Our desire is to live in the world with integrity, to witness to the light of Christ, and to follow Him as faithful disciples. We affirm Christian Today’s Statement of Faith, and interpret our role to be a Christian presence living out our faith through writing.
Our aim is to nurture a culture of development where young adults have the opportunity to mature in their writing and hone their voice. Providing editorial oversight and feedback fosters a mentoring community. Annual conferences allow us to grow and connect within our international writers’ network. We value excellence and celebrate the achievements of individual writers across the year, culminating in annual awards determined by a group of independent panellists.
Mission Statement
Our passion is to equip and encourage young adult writers as they voice their faith in Christ to their generation.
End.
_________________
PSI - Press Service International
is a ministry of Well-Being Australia (WBA) providing press articles to the Christian and Secular media, mostly in on-line publications. We provide a daily Australian news-feed and a weekly International news-feed for editors to choose from. For example, Christian Today Australia publishes three PSI articles on different topics each weekday – in the Ministry, Comment and Sport columns respectively.
The PSI articles try to follow Christian Today's motto from Matthew 5:37, "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No', 'No'", in that its principle is “integrity in writing”. This aim is communicated to a team of young writers, who are being trained as part of a succession plan for this ministry.
Many articles are written to reflect current affairs issues back to the readers, from a viewpoint of those who normally do not have a voice in society. It is hoped that the opinions and analysis in these articles bring awareness of various situations from a range of viewpoints, in order to help others in Australia and overseas to think more deeply about everyday, moral and theological issues and the place of Christianity in society and in their lives.
WBA chairman Dr Mark Tronson has been writing in the public domain since 1970. He has written on topics of theology, sport, the Olympic, oral history, and he has authored 24 books. Mark has served as a Baptist minister since 1977 and for seventeen of these years as the Australian Cricket Team Chaplain, Ret 2000.
About Press Service International
PSI as an entity was established in 2005 when the founder and sole operator of Australia's Religious Media (which distributed Christian news) Ramon Williams (76) retired. Ramon still does Christian media, he's been distributing press releases for Mark Tronson (chairman of Well-Being Australia) since 1971.
Mark’s background has been as a hockey writer for newspapers, an author of 24 books on hockey, railways and theology, as well as a long established portfolio of Christian writing, including two postgraduate theses. After moving to Tweed Heads in 2006, Mark scoured the Internet for additional International Christian on-line and print publications, including religious writers of major world newspapers. He established in 2008 the current two tier distribution system for his and the young writers' daily articles.
In 2008 “Christian Today Australia” approached Mark Tronson to become a daily columnist, and he is now their “Theological Adviser”, because of his recognised reputation in Christian media. Late 2009 young Sport and in 2010 young Comment writers were incorporated, and at the suggestion of his mentor Basil Sellers AM, this has developed into more formal training and annual conferences.
On 6 October 2014 the young writers were re-badged 'Columnists' in Christian Today.
The history of this ministry is thus continuing into the future. In October 2015 the young writer leadership group developed their own Vision-Mission at the behest of Mr Basil Sellers AM.
30-31 October 2015 - Leadership Group
Russell Modlin, Sophia Sinclair, Laura Veloso, Sam Gillespie, Belinda Croft (Wesley Tronson was in Cuba).
Foundation
Press Service International established the Young Writers’ Program in 2008 aiming to provide Christian young adults with a unique opportunity to develop and express their views through comment writing.
With the support of Mr. Basil Sellers AM and the leadership of Dr. Mark Tronson the program flourished to include writers from Australia, New Zealand and all over the world. Today the program is led by a team of writers overseeing the weekly publication of articles, the development of the program, and annual conferences. The Young Writers’ Program currently provides content for Christian Today Australia’s website.
Vision
The culture of the Young Writers’ Program values unity in Christ, and the diversity of insights and experiences of each member.
Our desire is to live in the world with integrity, to witness to the light of Christ, and to follow Him as faithful disciples. We affirm Christian Today’s Statement of Faith, and interpret our role to be a Christian presence living out our faith through writing.
Our aim is to nurture a culture of development where young adults have the opportunity to mature in their writing and hone their voice. Providing editorial oversight and feedback fosters a mentoring community. Annual conferences allow us to grow and connect within our international writers’ network. We value excellence and celebrate the achievements of individual writers across the year, culminating in annual awards determined by a group of independent panellists.
Mission Statement
Our passion is to equip and encourage young adult writers as they voice their faith in Christ to their generation.
End.
_________________
PSI - Press Service International
is a ministry of Well-Being Australia (WBA) providing press articles to the Christian and Secular media, mostly in on-line publications. We provide a daily Australian news-feed and a weekly International news-feed for editors to choose from. For example, Christian Today Australia publishes three PSI articles on different topics each weekday – in the Ministry, Comment and Sport columns respectively.
The PSI articles try to follow Christian Today's motto from Matthew 5:37, "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No', 'No'", in that its principle is “integrity in writing”. This aim is communicated to a team of young writers, who are being trained as part of a succession plan for this ministry.
Many articles are written to reflect current affairs issues back to the readers, from a viewpoint of those who normally do not have a voice in society. It is hoped that the opinions and analysis in these articles bring awareness of various situations from a range of viewpoints, in order to help others in Australia and overseas to think more deeply about everyday, moral and theological issues and the place of Christianity in society and in their lives.
WBA chairman Dr Mark Tronson has been writing in the public domain since 1970. He has written on topics of theology, sport, the Olympic, oral history, and he has authored 24 books. Mark has served as a Baptist minister since 1977 and for seventeen of these years as the Australian Cricket Team Chaplain, Ret 2000.
About Press Service International
PSI as an entity was established in 2005 when the founder and sole operator of Australia's Religious Media (which distributed Christian news) Ramon Williams (76) retired. Ramon still does Christian media, he's been distributing press releases for Mark Tronson (chairman of Well-Being Australia) since 1971.
Mark’s background has been as a hockey writer for newspapers, an author of 24 books on hockey, railways and theology, as well as a long established portfolio of Christian writing, including two postgraduate theses. After moving to Tweed Heads in 2006, Mark scoured the Internet for additional International Christian on-line and print publications, including religious writers of major world newspapers. He established in 2008 the current two tier distribution system for his and the young writers' daily articles.
In 2008 “Christian Today Australia” approached Mark Tronson to become a daily columnist, and he is now their “Theological Adviser”, because of his recognised reputation in Christian media. Late 2009 young Sport and in 2010 young Comment writers were incorporated, and at the suggestion of his mentor Basil Sellers AM, this has developed into more formal training and annual conferences.
On 6 October 2014 the young writers were re-badged 'Columnists' in Christian Today.
The history of this ministry is thus continuing into the future. In October 2015 the young writer leadership group developed their own Vision-Mission at the behest of Mr Basil Sellers AM.
Well-Being Australia
ABN 27 129 971 736
Gifts over $2.00 are tax deductible.
Donations are welcome.
Box 1167 Tweed Heads NSW 2485 Australia
61 (0) 419 917 713
info@markt.id.au
http://drmarkt.weebly.com/
Mark Tronson Wiki Entry
Basil Sellers Wiki Entry
WBA chairman Mark Tronson has been writing in the public domain since 1970.
He is an author of 24 books and a Baptist minister since 1977.
ABN 27 129 971 736
Gifts over $2.00 are tax deductible.
Donations are welcome.
Box 1167 Tweed Heads NSW 2485 Australia
61 (0) 419 917 713
info@markt.id.au
http://drmarkt.weebly.com/
Mark Tronson Wiki Entry
Basil Sellers Wiki Entry
WBA chairman Mark Tronson has been writing in the public domain since 1970.
He is an author of 24 books and a Baptist minister since 1977.
ARPA Gutenberg 2019
Nomination by Christian Today Australia for: Press Service International (PSI)
2019 Gutenberg award to PSI
https://christiantoday.com.au/news/young-writers-win-2019-prestigious-arpa-gutenberg.html
Philosophy of Press Service International
(www.pressserviceinternational.org/home.html)
PSI - Press Service International is a ministry of Well-Being Australia (WBA) providing press articles to the Christian and Secular media, mostly in on-line publications. We provide a daily Australian news-feed and a weekly International news-feed for editors to choose from. For example, Christian Today Australia publishes three PSI articles on different topics each weekday – in the Ministry, Comment and Sport columns respectively.
The PSI articles try to follow Christian Today's motto from Matthew 5:37, "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No', 'No'", in that its principle is “integrity in writing”. This aim is communicated to a team of young writers, who are being trained as part of a succession plan for this ministry.
Many articles are written to reflect current affairs issues back to the readers, from a viewpoint of those who normally do not have a voice in society. It is hoped that the opinions and analysis in these articles bring awareness of various situations from a range of viewpoints, in order to help others in Australia and overseas to think more deeply about everyday, moral and theological issues and the place of Christianity in society and in their lives.
Recently, PSI has included a wider variety of articles by a team of young writers that Dr Mark Tronson personally mentors, and also a series of public-interest reviews of articles on everyday science that he finds interesting.
WBA chairman Dr Mark Tronson has been writing in the public domain since 1970. He has written on topics of theology, sport, the Olympics, oral history, and he has authored 24 books. For example, a recent article on railway philosophy was sent in person by his local State Member of Parliament to the NSW Transport Minister (read and communicated). Mark has served as a Baptist minister since 1977 and for seventeen of these years as the Australian Cricket Team Chaplain, Ret 2000.
Background information relevant to this nomination
(www.pressserviceinternational.org and www.bushorchestra.com/WBA.html)
Mark Tronson, the person since 1970s
Rev Dr Mark Tronson has a long and respected background in Baptist Ministry, in sport and in writing. He was playing hockey and writing about that sport in the local press from 1970 (as well as writing for other theological and historical publications mentioned in the 'Philosophy' section above); he has been an ordained Minister since 1977; he was founder and national co-ordinator of the Sports and Leisure Ministry, SLM (under the auspices of the Heads of Churches) which placed chaplains into professional sporting organisations from 1982 to 2000. During that time he was chaplain to the Australian Cricket team, and initiated an associated respite facility in Moruya, NSW catering for athletes and coaches of the Australian Institute of Sport.
Well-Being Australia, the ministry since 2000
Mark Tronson has been Chairman of the faith-funded mission Well-Being Australia since he retired from SLM in 2000. On their move to Tweed Heads, NSW, in 2006 he and his wife Delma initiated a second athlete respite centre there. Recently they have opened a third facility in the Whitsundays Queensland, to cater specifically for Missionaries and Church personnel who need a break.
Their Well-Being Australia ministry also covers other ministries such as 'Press Service International' publications, 'Life after Cricket' activities and newsletters for retired cricketers, 'Footplate Padre' columns appealing to railway aficionados (Dr Tronson is a former train driver), 'Country Town Tours' mentoring country rural youth through the medium of sport, 'Around the Tables' discussions for Missionaries, Art and Tourism ministries and various other local community support groups.
Press Service International, mission to serve Christian Today Australia publications since 2008
Having written for Christian Today Australia for some years, CTA approached Dr Mark Tronson to become a columnist in 2008, and the following year they appointed him as their Theological and Philosophical Advisor.
Since that time, PSI has been one of the most reliable and consistent providers of comment articles and theological comment on everyday matters. Dr Tronson's expansive and knowledgeable Christian-based commentary about articles and books he reads, or films and documentaries he sees, have been mainstays of CTA's daily publication.
In 2010, CTA asked Dr Tronson to initiate a daily article on sport, with his sport chaplaincy interest and a focus of his Well-Being Australia Mission.
PSI, mentoring young writers since 2010 and onwards into the future
But Dr Tronson already had a busy schedule. Not to be deterred, he gathered five “young writers” to cover this column on a variety of sports. He called them together from all over Australia to meet each other at a mini-conference in June 2010, where Christian Today Australia and Press Service International thrashed out a functioning policy.
This initiative then took off like a rocket and expanded beyond “sport”. Dr Tronson inviting a separate group of 28 “young writers” each to provide a monthly “comment” column for Christian Today Australia. They are: scientists; travellers who have taught English in China; missionaries who have served overseas; theological students; migrants from Europe and Africa; white-collar corporate types; home-makers; young parents, and others.
As a result, the policy was developed into an agreement between Christian Today Australia and Press Service International that these “young writers” articles, although published initially in Christian Today Australia (under Copyright) could be reproduced to any other publication (acknowledging Christian Today Australia).
Having “young writers” gives a fresh and current viewpoint to the articles; provides Dr Tronson some respite from continually writing; mentors a group of enthusiastic writers for the future; and (not least) provides a succession plan for PSI as Dr Tronson is not getting any younger. The work of these enthusiastic Christian youngsters is now a major focus of PSI. These young writers are now developing “news writing” skills by covering major Christian events.
Not only does PSI continue to provide a prodigious number of 'ministry' articles for CTA written by Dr Tronson himself, but now a large part of his management of this stream of communication centres around mentoring his team of “young writers” and ensuring their articles arrive at the right place, at the right time.
He ensures that they have communication with professional editors and also each other. For example, the initial 2010 mini-conference has been followed by similar, albeit larger and more organized, 'annual' events. (Videos: 2014 New Zealand Writer’s Conference, 2013 Young Writer’s Award)
Dr Tronson has organised his team into writing groups, with a formula to ensure that CTA receives regular articles within the themes of “Sport”, “Comment” and “Culture”. Although each writer need only write one article a month; in their turn, they supply their article to Dr Tronson for review and submission to CTA the Thursday before the week of publication.
As of July 2014, there are currently 72 active writers contributing to CTA daily through PSI.
PSI website, archiving and distributing Christian journalism
It is also important to note that the PSI web site also serves as an archive for all the articles written by Dr Tronson and all the other writers.
It is organized so that it provides each “young writer” with their own web presence which they can utilize as a personal portfolio of their articles; and in this way they can easily distribute links to their own (and others') articles around their own networks of young Christians, and in this way build up a base for both readership and journalistic endeavours for the future of organisations such as ARPA (Australasian Religious Press Association).
Citation
Dr Mark Tronson has been writing since 1970 including 24 books and from 2008, Press Service International (part of the Well-Being Australia Mission) has been publishing comment articles in Christian Today Australia (CTA) centring on the relationship of Christianity to a wide variety of topics relevant to everyday life. This service has been one of CTA's mainstays of regular published articles, helping to expand the communication of a Christian response to topics presented in the mass media to a wider readership.
A major development of PSI since 2010 has been mentoring 72 “young writers”, who have been given a voice to speak to an international audience on matters of their own interest or expertise, as well as a website they can use as their personal portfolios.
A knock-on effect has been that they have, in turn, further distributed their articles throughout their own networks, in a wide variety of formats from on-line, news and magazines (with acknowledgement to CTA). In so doing have generated fresh audiences for their written presentations and Christian points of view.
As well as continuing to write his own 'ministry' articles, Dr Tronson, Chairman of Well-Being Australia, has a passion to develop this next generation of young people into well balanced and respected writers as well as planning for the succession of PSI. As a valuable addition to his Press Service International, in conjunction with Christian Today Australia, they will continue to facilitate these laudable aims of Christian journalism well into the future.
Press Service International website: www.pressserviceinternational.org
Dr Tronson and his wife Delma are regular attendees to the ARPA annual conferences.
Videos of PSI Young writer’s involvement in ARPA conferences can be viewed here: ARPA Conference 2012, Wellington NZ and ARPA Melbourne 2013
Nomination by Christian Today Australia for: Press Service International (PSI)
2019 Gutenberg award to PSI
https://christiantoday.com.au/news/young-writers-win-2019-prestigious-arpa-gutenberg.html
Philosophy of Press Service International
(www.pressserviceinternational.org/home.html)
PSI - Press Service International is a ministry of Well-Being Australia (WBA) providing press articles to the Christian and Secular media, mostly in on-line publications. We provide a daily Australian news-feed and a weekly International news-feed for editors to choose from. For example, Christian Today Australia publishes three PSI articles on different topics each weekday – in the Ministry, Comment and Sport columns respectively.
The PSI articles try to follow Christian Today's motto from Matthew 5:37, "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No', 'No'", in that its principle is “integrity in writing”. This aim is communicated to a team of young writers, who are being trained as part of a succession plan for this ministry.
Many articles are written to reflect current affairs issues back to the readers, from a viewpoint of those who normally do not have a voice in society. It is hoped that the opinions and analysis in these articles bring awareness of various situations from a range of viewpoints, in order to help others in Australia and overseas to think more deeply about everyday, moral and theological issues and the place of Christianity in society and in their lives.
Recently, PSI has included a wider variety of articles by a team of young writers that Dr Mark Tronson personally mentors, and also a series of public-interest reviews of articles on everyday science that he finds interesting.
WBA chairman Dr Mark Tronson has been writing in the public domain since 1970. He has written on topics of theology, sport, the Olympics, oral history, and he has authored 24 books. For example, a recent article on railway philosophy was sent in person by his local State Member of Parliament to the NSW Transport Minister (read and communicated). Mark has served as a Baptist minister since 1977 and for seventeen of these years as the Australian Cricket Team Chaplain, Ret 2000.
- In 2009 Mark and his wife Delma were awarded the Olympic Ministry Medal by Olympian of the Century Carl Lewis. They have been faith financed missionaries for 30 years.
- Well-Being Australia web site - www.bushorchestra.com
Background information relevant to this nomination
(www.pressserviceinternational.org and www.bushorchestra.com/WBA.html)
Mark Tronson, the person since 1970s
Rev Dr Mark Tronson has a long and respected background in Baptist Ministry, in sport and in writing. He was playing hockey and writing about that sport in the local press from 1970 (as well as writing for other theological and historical publications mentioned in the 'Philosophy' section above); he has been an ordained Minister since 1977; he was founder and national co-ordinator of the Sports and Leisure Ministry, SLM (under the auspices of the Heads of Churches) which placed chaplains into professional sporting organisations from 1982 to 2000. During that time he was chaplain to the Australian Cricket team, and initiated an associated respite facility in Moruya, NSW catering for athletes and coaches of the Australian Institute of Sport.
Well-Being Australia, the ministry since 2000
Mark Tronson has been Chairman of the faith-funded mission Well-Being Australia since he retired from SLM in 2000. On their move to Tweed Heads, NSW, in 2006 he and his wife Delma initiated a second athlete respite centre there. Recently they have opened a third facility in the Whitsundays Queensland, to cater specifically for Missionaries and Church personnel who need a break.
Their Well-Being Australia ministry also covers other ministries such as 'Press Service International' publications, 'Life after Cricket' activities and newsletters for retired cricketers, 'Footplate Padre' columns appealing to railway aficionados (Dr Tronson is a former train driver), 'Country Town Tours' mentoring country rural youth through the medium of sport, 'Around the Tables' discussions for Missionaries, Art and Tourism ministries and various other local community support groups.
Press Service International, mission to serve Christian Today Australia publications since 2008
Having written for Christian Today Australia for some years, CTA approached Dr Mark Tronson to become a columnist in 2008, and the following year they appointed him as their Theological and Philosophical Advisor.
Since that time, PSI has been one of the most reliable and consistent providers of comment articles and theological comment on everyday matters. Dr Tronson's expansive and knowledgeable Christian-based commentary about articles and books he reads, or films and documentaries he sees, have been mainstays of CTA's daily publication.
In 2010, CTA asked Dr Tronson to initiate a daily article on sport, with his sport chaplaincy interest and a focus of his Well-Being Australia Mission.
PSI, mentoring young writers since 2010 and onwards into the future
But Dr Tronson already had a busy schedule. Not to be deterred, he gathered five “young writers” to cover this column on a variety of sports. He called them together from all over Australia to meet each other at a mini-conference in June 2010, where Christian Today Australia and Press Service International thrashed out a functioning policy.
This initiative then took off like a rocket and expanded beyond “sport”. Dr Tronson inviting a separate group of 28 “young writers” each to provide a monthly “comment” column for Christian Today Australia. They are: scientists; travellers who have taught English in China; missionaries who have served overseas; theological students; migrants from Europe and Africa; white-collar corporate types; home-makers; young parents, and others.
As a result, the policy was developed into an agreement between Christian Today Australia and Press Service International that these “young writers” articles, although published initially in Christian Today Australia (under Copyright) could be reproduced to any other publication (acknowledging Christian Today Australia).
Having “young writers” gives a fresh and current viewpoint to the articles; provides Dr Tronson some respite from continually writing; mentors a group of enthusiastic writers for the future; and (not least) provides a succession plan for PSI as Dr Tronson is not getting any younger. The work of these enthusiastic Christian youngsters is now a major focus of PSI. These young writers are now developing “news writing” skills by covering major Christian events.
Not only does PSI continue to provide a prodigious number of 'ministry' articles for CTA written by Dr Tronson himself, but now a large part of his management of this stream of communication centres around mentoring his team of “young writers” and ensuring their articles arrive at the right place, at the right time.
He ensures that they have communication with professional editors and also each other. For example, the initial 2010 mini-conference has been followed by similar, albeit larger and more organized, 'annual' events. (Videos: 2014 New Zealand Writer’s Conference, 2013 Young Writer’s Award)
Dr Tronson has organised his team into writing groups, with a formula to ensure that CTA receives regular articles within the themes of “Sport”, “Comment” and “Culture”. Although each writer need only write one article a month; in their turn, they supply their article to Dr Tronson for review and submission to CTA the Thursday before the week of publication.
As of July 2014, there are currently 72 active writers contributing to CTA daily through PSI.
PSI website, archiving and distributing Christian journalism
It is also important to note that the PSI web site also serves as an archive for all the articles written by Dr Tronson and all the other writers.
It is organized so that it provides each “young writer” with their own web presence which they can utilize as a personal portfolio of their articles; and in this way they can easily distribute links to their own (and others') articles around their own networks of young Christians, and in this way build up a base for both readership and journalistic endeavours for the future of organisations such as ARPA (Australasian Religious Press Association).
Citation
Dr Mark Tronson has been writing since 1970 including 24 books and from 2008, Press Service International (part of the Well-Being Australia Mission) has been publishing comment articles in Christian Today Australia (CTA) centring on the relationship of Christianity to a wide variety of topics relevant to everyday life. This service has been one of CTA's mainstays of regular published articles, helping to expand the communication of a Christian response to topics presented in the mass media to a wider readership.
A major development of PSI since 2010 has been mentoring 72 “young writers”, who have been given a voice to speak to an international audience on matters of their own interest or expertise, as well as a website they can use as their personal portfolios.
A knock-on effect has been that they have, in turn, further distributed their articles throughout their own networks, in a wide variety of formats from on-line, news and magazines (with acknowledgement to CTA). In so doing have generated fresh audiences for their written presentations and Christian points of view.
As well as continuing to write his own 'ministry' articles, Dr Tronson, Chairman of Well-Being Australia, has a passion to develop this next generation of young people into well balanced and respected writers as well as planning for the succession of PSI. As a valuable addition to his Press Service International, in conjunction with Christian Today Australia, they will continue to facilitate these laudable aims of Christian journalism well into the future.
Press Service International website: www.pressserviceinternational.org
Dr Tronson and his wife Delma are regular attendees to the ARPA annual conferences.
Videos of PSI Young writer’s involvement in ARPA conferences can be viewed here: ARPA Conference 2012, Wellington NZ and ARPA Melbourne 2013