Exists to support pastors, ex-pastors, church leaders and their spouses. As Director, I have the following 'strings to my bow':

* Seminars for pastors and other professional people on a variety of topics;

*counseling - pastors, spouses, others; professional reading; evangelism;

* preaching/teaching;

* research: why have 10,000 Australian pastors left parish ministry?

* writing: one or two books a year for Christian leaders;

* church audits; overseas conferences for pastors/leaders/ missionaries;

A friend emailed me:

My wife and I are trying to find someone to talk to about how we can get the most out of our marriage.

Are you able to help us? If so, what are your rates?

See the articles on Retreats and Counseling in the Drop-down menu Ministry Information on the website's frontpage.

Are you interested in inviting Rowland Croucher for a ministry-visit? Read

on.

INFORMATION FOR CLIENTS
Dear 'friend of John Mark',
Thank you for inviting Rowland Croucher to participate in counseling/preaching/seminar leading.

John Mark Ministries is a Christian, non-profit organization. I get no salary, and after a few overheads are met, all donations go to Urban Neighbours of Hope.

Topics for seminars/preaching: Your Church Can Come Alive (why not view the videos and read the book first?); Leadership; Poverty, Hunger and Justice Issues; Stress and Spirituality in Ministry; Time management for Church Leaders; Diagnosing the Health of Your Church; Megatrends in the Church Around the World; How to Survive as a Pastors' Spouse; Why Clergy leave Parish Ministry, How to Pursue Excellence Without Cracking Up etc. etc.

Below is for historical interest - written in the late 1990's!

Would you like to be involved in some special ministry-projects? Read on...

CAN YOU HELP?

Dear friends,

As you may know, John Mark Ministries exists to support pastors, ex-pastors, church leaders and their spouses.

Rev. Les Scarborough ministers out of Sydney, I'm in Melbourne. Les majors on pastors' renewal retreats, church audits, small group ministries, and counseling. I have the following 'strings to my bow': * Seminars for pastors and other professional people on a variety of topics; * preaching/teaching;

* research: why have 10,000 pastors left parish ministry? * writing: 1-2 books a year for Christian leaders; * church audits; * overseas conferences for pastors/leaders/ missionaries; * counseling - pastors, spouses, others;

* professional reading; * evangelism. Financially, some of these are self-supporting, but we need your help to over research, writing, reading and evangelism.

Special projects:

[1] RESEARCH.

* Phase one (costing over $15,000) is complete. One in 40 of Australia's ex-pastors have returned a 100-item questionnaire; these have been analysed (write for a two page summary). We now need $10,000 to seek 250 more respondents, to make valid recommendations to denominational leaders about the call, selection, training, and care of their clergy. * Another (one-month) project: research and write up a report on PASTORS AND INAPPROPRIATE SEX, to include a code of ethics. Cost: $2000.

[2] OVERSEAS OPPORTUNITIES

I have been invited to teach Practical Theology to future leaders at seminaries in Asia, for the Asia Theological Association - unique and strategic opportunities. Ten days are reserved in each year for this sort of ministry, but JMM needs $4000 each year for this (which includes some intensive preparation time).

[3] THE INTERNET

This year alone my evangelistic and other Christian postings will be read by up to 1 million people on various newsgroups, our clergy/leaders' list, and our home page (which is visited by up to 500 people each day)! Cost in preparation and on-line time: $8000 per year.

[4] Church growth expert Peter Wagner tells me there isn't a comprehensive do-it-yourself auditing manual for local church leaders. I have now outlined '100 MARKS OF A HEALTHY CHURCH' to be written in the next year or two. Cost: four months of my time ($6000), plus secretarial and researchers' time ($2000).

Can you help? Here's an opportunity to be directly involved in some front-line ministries. Please make cheques to John Mark Ministries, indicating your particular interest/s.

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And if you really need to know more about me, here's a ten-year-out-of-date CV (updated here and there: I haven't needed to do a new one since John Mark Ministries started!)

REV. DR. ROWLAND C. CROUCHER

(DIRECTOR, JOHN MARK MINISTRIES)

CURRICULUM VITAE as at January 1997
Full name : Rev. Dr. Rowland C. Croucher BA, BD, MEd, LTh, DipRE, DMin, MCCA.

1. BIODATA:

Born 5 December, 1937, Sydney, N.S.W.
Parents Reg (deceased) and Sadie Croucher ('Open Brethren')
Married Janice Ruth Higgs (9/1/1960). Now associate pastor for children and families, Syndal Baptist Church; BA, BTheol, LTh, DipRE.

Children:
Paul ( Ph. D cand (intermitting) Monash University) (married to Lai Kiong BA; they have two sons)
Karen (married to Ross McPhie - two daughters)
Amanda (Teaches English as a second language)
Melinda (student, Monash University: still living at home)

Hobbies: Family, fine music, reading, writing, most sports, chess, checkers.

2. EDUCATION:

Mortdale Primary School (Sydney) 1943-1949.
Sydney Boys' High School (1950-1954). Leaving Certificate. Awarded Commonwealth Scholarship.
University of Sydney, 1955-1956
Bathurst Teachers' College, 1957-1958 (athletics blue, top male academic honours, 'A' practice teaching grade).
N.S.W. Baptist Theological College, 1964-1968: Sister Sanders Scholarship, college awards for dux (each year), theology (twice) and preaching.
Ordination, N.S.W. Baptist ministry September 24, 1968. L.Th., Dip. R.E., Melbourne College of Divinity, 1966, 1968 ,
BA, University of New England,1969. (Majors - English and modern American literature)
M.Ed., University of Sydney, 1974. (Coursework: Educational Psychology, Education and Social Change, Sociology and Education, Communication and Educational Technology; Long Essay: 'The Diffusion of Innovations in Religious Organizations').,
BD, Melbourne College of Divinity, 1979, majoring in pastoral theology and pastoral care.
D.Min., Fuller Theological Seminary, 1990. (Units: Theology of Ministry, Theology and Practice of Preaching, Spirituality for Ministry, Pastoral Care and Counseling, Renewal in Church and Ministry.
Manuscript for publication: 'Your Church Can Come Alive: A Practical
Handbook for Pastors and Church Leaders' (409 pp.).

3. VOCATIONAL EXPERIENCE.

Preaching since age 13 (and non-stop since: in 36 countries, most Christian denominations).

Vacation/ part-time jobs : Sales assistant, taxi-driving (1964-1971), tram conducting, lift-driving (Sydney pylon lookout), salesman (books, subscriptions to charity), labourer, geography teacher St. Andrews' Cathedral Choir School, Sydney; national service (infantry - 1956, 1957).

Teaching : Five years in N.S.W. State high schools 1959-1963 (English, Social Studies). NSW Baptist Theological College 1967-1968 (English, New Testament Greek) Sydney Missionary and Bible College 1966-1968 (Communication theory, NT)

Staff-worker Intervarsity Fellowship , working with Christian student groups in Australian and PNG universities and colleges, 1968-1970.

News-writer/broadcaster for Christian Broadcasting Association, Sydney, (1971-1972).

Senior Pastor , Narwee Baptist Church, Sydney (1964-1967) with two other staff; Blackburn Baptist Church, Victoria (1973-1981), with 25 salaried staff, 7 pastors; First Baptist Church Vancouver B.C. (1981-1982), nine staff. Plus associate and interim ministries from two weeks to 18 months in other Baptist churches: Ashfield, Ettalong, Sydney Central, Gymea, Narwee (NSW).

Leadership Enhancement Consultant with World Vision of Australia, a resource to clergy and lay church leaders (1983-91)

>From April 1 1991 Director John Mark Ministries - a specialised ministry to Australia's and the world's pastors, ex-pastors, church leaders and their spouses.

4. PUBLICATIONS: BOOKS

1986/1996 RECENT TRENDS AMONG EVANGELICALS, 96 pp. (Also translated into Portugese) (John Mark Ministries)

1987 STILL WATERS DEEP WATERS: Meditations and Prayers for Busy People , (Ed.), (Sydney: Albatross; England: Lion Publishing) (Reprinted many times: 26,000 in print).

1991 HIGH MOUNTAINS DEEP VALLEYS: Meditations and Prayers for the Down Times (Albatross/Lion 393 pp.).

1991 RIVERS IN THE DESERT: Meditations and Prayers for the Dry Times (Albatross/Lion).

1992 GENTLE DARKNESS: Meditations and Prayers for Illumination (Albatross/Lion).

1991/1997YOUR CHURCH CAN COME ALIVE: A Practical Handbook for Pastors and Church Leaders (J.B.C.E., 1991, JMM 1997).

1991 GROW: Meditations and Prayers for New Christians (JBCE)

1993 LIVE: More Meditations and Prayers for Christians (JBCE).

1996 THE FAMILY: At Home in a Heartless World (HarperCollins)

1996 SUNRISE SUNSET: Prayers and Meditations for Every Day of the Year (HarperCollins).

Forthcoming (1997): GENTLE DARKNESS (Albatross/Lion): final book in the Still Waters series.

5. PUBLICATIONS - booklets etc.: chapters in various books; 50 Television programs; 100-200 journal articles, 100 hours radio programs, editor GRID (World Vision of Australia's Leadership Letters (quarterly: 23,000 circulation).

Note : There is much more data here than you will need. It was compiled to accompany an application to do a Ph.D. research program with Monash University, (which I'm currently intermitting).

Shalom!

Rowland Croucher (email me by using the contact button at the top of every page of the website: please do not contact by phone unless absolutely necessary).