Russell Modlin a senior writer, was a young writer
The Press Service International young writer program in conjunction with Christian Today has a number of senior writers which seems something on an aberration.
The young writer program faced an issue – what happens when the young writers were no longer that young!
Answer - they became senior writers, so the senior writer program was initiated as a stepping stone out of the young writers (being a bit long in the tooth – as it were) and moreover, a concern that it was unreasonable that a 38 year old would compete with an 18 year old for the annual Basil Sellers Award.
But there was more to this that simply, young writers growing older. There was also a need to include some of the panellists who marked the young writers as 'senior writers' to provide encouragement and support to the young writers.
The difficulty
The obvious difficulty was that our focus is simply on young people being offered an international column once every five weeks.
It was not providing people of a more mature age the same opportunity – we'd be swamped with Ministers around Australia wanting their time in the sun (as it were), so there was also an arbitrary aspect to this.
Rebecca Moore a senior writer, was a young writer
The days available
There are five weeks in each Cycle with 3 or 4 senior writers in each week who are published in 2 slots on a Tuesday and a Friday of each week.
It is restricted to this simply because, along with the young writers, Mondays and Fridays have Christian News articles and Wednesdays has the weekly sport article and the regular weekly column by Ron Ross, a life time in secular and Christian media and a Middle East specialist.
Therefore the only days of the week available for senior writers are in effect, Tuesdays and Fridays. It's not rocket science, rather basic common sense. It is what is available, in other words, what's left.
Week 1
Vic Matthews - Internationals Panellist
Genevieve Wilson - former young writer
Jeremy Dover - former young writer
CTNZ special - Reverend Michael Cocks
Week 2
Gavin Lawrie - Australian Panellist
Nils Von Kalm - One Day in Melbourne
John Lemmon - One Day in Melbourne
David Goodwin - former young writer
Jeremy Dover a senior writer, was a young writer
Week 3
John Skinner - Sport Panellist
Russell Modlin - former young writer
John Yates - Theologian
Luke Sparrow - Professional photographer
Week 4
Aira Chilcott - Australian Panellist
Sheelagh Wegman - One Day in Melbourne
Ross Clifford - Theologian
Rebecca Moore - former young writer
Week 5
Grant Harris - Kiwi young writer program
Liz Hay - NZ Panellist
Wayne Graham - NZ Panellist
Daniel Jang - former young writer
Genevieve Wilson a senior writer, was a young writer
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 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at
http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html
Dr Mark Tronson - a 4 min video
Chairman – Well-Being Australia
Baptist Minister 45 years
- 1984 - Australian cricket team chaplain 17 years (Ret)
- 2001 - Life After Cricket (18 years Ret)
- 2009 - Olympic Ministry Medal – presented by Carl Lewis
- 2019 - The Gutenberg - (ARPA Christian Media premier award)
Gutenberg video - 2min 14sec
Married to Delma for 45 years with 4 children and 6 grand children