Frank Buchman, our founder, was an innovator of genius. He found a modern language in the 1920’s to express the timeless truth of the Christian gospel. He was the catalyst of an evangelical revival known as the Oxford Group which in turn sparked the Group Movement, an international renewal among Protestant communities. The worldwide work of Alcoholics Anonymous emerged from this movement in 1935.

Buchman adapted again in the late 1930s, as the world rushed towards war, with a message of ‘moral and spiritual re-armament’, addressed to all people of good will. Moral Re-Armament (MRA), won adherents on every continent, inspiring work for peace between individuals, communities and countries. In the UK it was incorporated as a charity, registered as The Oxford Group.

In the post-war years, MRA teams contributed significantly to the work of reconciliation. The conference centre at Caux, in Switzerland became a focus for bridge-building between former enemies. As the process of decolonisation accelerated, it was also a place where opposing parties could meet and build trust away from the public stage.

In 2001, MRA was relaunched as Initiatives of Change (IofC), with a network of autonomous branches in over 30 countries.

In Britain, IofC has generated many programmes and projects. Some, such as the Balfour Project (now the Britain Palestine Project), were inspired by the ethos of the movement but found their own independent form. Others have been delivered by our staff, notably Refugees as Re-Builders, an ILM accredited course training people who have lost everything to become agents of creative change.

We are now making a fresh start, drawing on the best of the past while seeking fresh ways to serve the cause of peace. We will operate as a grant-making foundation, supporting initiatives of change in charities and other bodies closely aligned with our ethos. Faithful to our founding Christian purpose, and enriched by the expertise of other communities, we will find new, collaborative initiatives to make a fruitful impact in challenging times.