It was in early 1979 that Dick Wallace (Melbourne) was set apart as the first Chairman / Director of Anglican Renewal Ministries. He gathered a team of Melbourne people as a committee. He stepped down in 1982 and Bp. Ralph Wicks (Brisbane) assumed leadership along with a committee of Brisbane people.

At a 1984 conference in Canberra Bp Hamish was invited to assume leadership of a National Executive. Other members that committee were:

Plus these state members:

and later, John Beiers (SA).

Over the years there has been movement on and off the Executive, and in February, 2000, the remaining senior members and some of the ‘newer’ members resigned their charges. Farewell also to:

Bishop Hamish and the retiring Executive committed the work to a new executive:

and to Branch representatives to the National Executive:

These were the people who stood up and said, " there is more", to colleagues and friends and to the national church.

They sought to foster personal and church renewal through their personal commitment to Jesus and his Spirit, their teaching and training of others, the renewal conferences and other ministry events which they organised, and many other countless things which they did. These things were done to share with others what new things they had found in Jesus.

Thank you Hamish, Robert, Ken, …….

We give thanks to God for your courage, goodness, godliness, and commitment to Jesus in the work of renewal of his church. You have borne the burden of the work ‘in the heat of the day’, at a time when these things were new and not generally understood.

This part of an E-mail written to members of the National Executive on 29^th February 2000

Dear Members of ARMA,

Grace, mercy and love be with you all.

It is right and proper that I write to you and let you know, from my perspective, what is happening. As you are aware we have been pondering the future of ARMA National for some time now. As part of this we have been looking at the possibility of some joint arrangement with SOMA. The reasoning behind this is that ARMA needs to have some rationale for its existence. What we have been doing in the past does not seem to be pertinent today. That is a normal phenomenon and we should not be surprised at it. The question then is "What is God wanting of us?" This is what we have been exploring.

The Charismatic/Renewal that swept the church in the sixties and seventies was used by God to bring Christians together from diverse backgrounds. Barriers were overcome, people were talking to one another, suspicion and fear of one another were being washed away and cast iron traditions were breaking down. We were coming together in Christ.

Then in the eighties we seemed to be led back more into our denominations. It is a bit hard to determine what that was all about, and probably demands a greater separation from the events to do so. Perhaps it was God's way of suggesting that we had a responsibility towards our own. Where do we go from here, is our question?

At our Executive meeting in Bunbury, in November last, I indicated that it was time to step down from being the Chair of the National Executive. I was retiring from being a Diocesan Bishop. I have been associated with ARMA in this capacity since 1984, and that is long enough. We all needed a change. There was a need for people of this generation, and not mine, to be entrusted with the vision and the task.

I guess it had been my hope that ARMA would have discovered some sort of relationship with SOMA, but it would seem that the timing for that is not yet. In the meanwhile there was some desire, enthusiasm and energy that ARMA continue in its own right, and that this would be the time to explore new directions. I heartily concur with that sentiment and have supported this move to see where we should go. At Bunbury I indicated that the first meeting in the year 2000 would be my last. We arranged to meet at Stockton, near Newcastle, at the same time as Ken Munns was to be commissioned as the new National Director of SOMA.

We met on Wednesday 23rd February. ARMA does not have a constitution and those of us present agreed to hand over the role of Chair and Secretary to Gary Mulquiney and Glen Rebello, respectively. …. It is good to know that there is enthusiasm amongst the new team to continue with the vision of renewal for the Church of God, whatever that will mean, and wherever it may take us.

I am totally supportive of the Vision and the tasks that the new leadership team has set. It is a true handing on of the tradition of "It seems good to the Holy Spirit and to us." This is a time when we, the church, are flying by the seat of our pants, and that makes it extremely exciting. I urge you to get behind both Gary and Glen, together with others. I urge you to pray the will of the Lord into what is happening. I urge you to recognise that we are being led into a post-denominational church and that we have a great contribution to make.

I am content to be used by the new team in any way that is right and appropriate, and so to share in what is happening. Gary has suggested a Board of Reference. I am happy to be a member of that, for I see it giving freedom for such members to speak into the hearts of the executive when it is right to do so.

You can be assured of my continued support and prayers.

In the peace of Christ,