When you trace the story of Arrow Leadership in Australia over the past three decades, one name keeps rising to the surface: Julian Dunham. Julian has played a vital role in Arrow’s growth and influence—but his story isn’t just about the impact he’s had. It’s equally about the impact Arrow has had on him.
Stepping into the Arrow story
Julian’s involvement with Arrow started back in 2001, sparked by what could be described as a bit of a, ‘I want what they’re having!’ moment when friends of his completed the program.
“I’d seen the impact that it had on them, and I thought, ‘Hey, I want to be an evangelist. I want to be a gospel Christian for the rest of my life, and this is a great place that’s gonna help me and encourage me.’ So I was up for it,” Julian explains.
At the time, he was serving as a Baptist pastor. What drew him to Arrow was a deep desire to grow and be challenged. He’d seen firsthand how underdeveloped leadership could breed conflict and disunity in churches and Christian organisations.
For Julian, one of the most transformative aspects of the program was learning that leadership comes in many forms, and that a key leader’s role is to help others lead in the unique ways God has shaped them.
“It really helped me to appreciate that God has shaped people in different ways and that’s a good thing, not a liability,” Julian shares.
A growing impact
What began as a participant experience evolved into a long-term ministry. Julian joined the Arrow team in 2008, serving with Arrow Leadership Australia until 2017, and then with Arrow Leadership Global (formerly ALID) from 2018 to 2024.
“I’d imagined I’d be a pastor all my life, but in my late thirties I realised the thing that I most loved about leadership was developing others,” Julian explains. “When the opportunity came up to work with Arrow I jumped at it. It was so exciting to be engaging with young leaders, keen to grow. For most, they had just enough experience to realise that they didn’t know it all and needed help—needed to learn more.”
Over the years, Julian has been instrumental in extending Arrow’s reach, not just across Australia but internationally. After launching Arrow in New Zealand (2012) and the Philippines (2014), he thought the global expansion might stop there—until a 2016 visit to the Solomon Islands changed his perspective.
“I was challenged by a leader there that low-income contexts needed leadership development even more than Australia,” Julian shares. “That challenge stayed with me, but with the demands of the Australian program we didn’t have scope to do much more. Then in September of that year I was contacted by a donor from the New Zealand program who said he wanted to see Arrow in more countries… essentially that was the genesis ALID (now ALG).”
How Arrow Shaped Julian
Now serving as Chief Sending Officer for Pioneers of Australia, Julian remains deeply marked by his years with Arrow—and he believes the fruit of that investment will continue to grow.
“I think for many people of my generation, we bought into leadership principles espoused by key leaders in the church growth movement. Often these principles were secular ideas garnished with Bible verses,” Julian reflects. “Arrow helped me to refocus on the person of Jesus and adjust my aspirations to align with what we might call kingdom aspirations. I think Arrow also helped me to focus far more on people’s potential than their current reality and more on their strengths than their perceived weaknesses.”
Looking back, looking forward
As Julian reflects on his Arrow journey, it’s clear this has been a story of mutual growth—for the organisation and for him as a leader. The relationships, lessons, and experiences he’s gained have profoundly shaped his leadership philosophy and approach.
“To me it’s a tragedy that too often leaders plateau in their development in their thirties,” Julian shares. “I’m hopeful that Arrow’s desire that leaders be led more by Jesus, lead more like Jesus, and lead more to Jesus will continue to be realised for many more decades. It’s going to look different, but I pray the results are the same. Young leaders committed to lifelong learning, fully surrendered to Christ, and deeply engaged in the great commission.”
Julian’s legacy is deeply woven into Arrow’s ongoing impact—in the lives of the leaders he’s mentored, and in the broader landscape of Christian leadership both in Australia and beyond.
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