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? (This research is ready for someone else to continue if they want an easy Masters’ or PhD degree!)

* writing: books (see below) but mostly book reviews and articles 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 various mission-projects.

Topics for seminars/preaching: Your Church Can Come Alive; 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. See here for my seminal articles on these subjects.

And if you really need to know more about me, here’s a ten-year-out-of-date CV (updated here and there: I haven’t needed to do a new one since John Mark Ministries started!)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

Full name : Rev. Dr. Rowland C. Croucher BA, BD, MEd, LTh, DipRE, DMin

1. BIODATA:

Born in Sydney, N.S.W. in the 1930s

Parents Reg and Sadie Croucher (‘Open Brethren’, both now deceased)

Married Janice Ruth Higgs. Now associate pastor for pastoral care East Doncaster Baptist Church; BA, BTheol, LTh, DipRE.

Four adult children: one son three daughters, six grandchildren

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 37 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), Wandin, GlenEira (Vic.)

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) (Albatross/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). 1997: GENTLE DARKNESS (Albatross/Lion): final book in the Still Waters series, with an index to other four in the series. 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).