The reason or reasons for the mass resignations has not been made public and Assistant Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn Trevor Edwards declined yesterday to elaborate.

''Operations will stay the same but there has been a change of governance,'' he said.

Bishop Edwards said the decision of the six board members to resign en masse was not related to the recent appointment of Peter Sandeman as Anglicare's next chief executive officer.

Mr Sandeman will take up the position early next month.

A former board member, who declined to speak about the reason or reasons for the board's resignation, confirmed it was not related to Mr Sandeman's appointment.

The former board member said the board had recommended that appointment.

Bishop of the diocese Stuart Robinson has officially advised his diocese of the resignations, to take effect immediately.

He said the diocesan executive, Bishop in Council, had appointed an interim taskforce to take carriage of all governance matters.

For more on this story see today's Canberra Times.