A Memorial Service will be held in the Great Hall, Parliament House, Canberra, on Friday, November 7, at 1.30pm, for the Rev. Ron Williams, an Aboriginal leader and ordained Christian and Missionary Alliance Pastor.

Ron passed away October 30. Rev Russell Warnken, Principal of the Canberra College of Theology will lead the Memorial service, with the Rev. Rod Russell-Brown, Australian President of the Christian & Missionary Alliance presenting the message.

Tributes will be given by people representing some of the areas of influence of Ron's life: Sue Mitchell, Radio FM Canberra Radio, Roy Gwypher-Jones, SIL a long time friend, who came to the Lord at the same time as Ron, Dan Armstrong Kairos Ministries, Brian Lampton Aboriginal Leadership Council, Haggai Institute, Carl Palmer Trinity Christian School Matilda House Ngunuwal tribe, Heather Reid Women's Soccer, Canberra, Ray Minniecon Former Director, Aboriginal Programs, World Vision Australia, Rev Thien Vietnamese pastor, Sydney, Rev Ming Leung Academic Dean, Canberra College of Theology Hymns sung during the service will be Amazing Grace and The Great Southland. There will also be a powerpoint presentation of photos from his life during the eulogy.

He was 63. He was a spiritual father to the Fatherhood Foundation. Its dream to inspire fathers to be better fathers for the sake of their children was living in Ps Ron Williams heart long before the Fatherhood Foundation was born. Ronnie Williams was a fatherless child himself. He knew what it was like to be separated from his mother and family by the dreaded rabbit proof fence welfare police. Perhaps it was the pain of being an outcast in white man’s society and fatherless himself that gave Ron the heart to be a father to the fatherless.

The story of his life and his charitable work may be found in the book by his wife, Diana Williams, Horizon is Where Heaven and Earth Meet

This Friday, the Great Hall at Parliament House will resound with the sound of black and white alike singing songs of thanksgiving for Ps Ronnie Williams’ life of love and service for the people of Australia. It is interesting to note that Ps Ronnie Williams is only the second person to the ten years to be accorded the honor of a memorial service in the Great Hall of Parliament House. This is a fitting tribute to a man of the people who was also a man of God. He met with heads of state, business executives, fatherless children and prostitutes and accorded them all the same respect. That is one of the reasons that Ron Williams was awarded the Fatherhood & Love Award by the National Strategic Conference on Fatherhood on Tuesday the 19th of August 2003.