John Butterfield
Brian Blacktop stepped down from the Archdiocesan Board of Administration last month after an impressive 23 years of service.
Brian, who is a member of Tawa Parish, joined the Board of Administration at the time when the split with Palmerston North Diocese had just been announced and he had a considerable involvement in implementing the Terms of Disengagement. He was also instrumental in the much needed rationalisation of buildings, during the mid to late 1980s, including the building of the Catholic Centre. Brian recalls that those early years contained their fair share of financial challenges and it took a good deal of focus and application to make ends meet.
Looking back on it, Brian maintained that he received more from his time on the board than he gave, and in particular, ‘a better understanding of my church and how things fit together and the opportunity to work with many fine, talented people who contributed much to my own personal growth.’
Many people in such positions talk of bringing their commercial acumen to the work of the church, but Brian, who has certainly done this, also acknowledges that his involvement with the church has been hugely beneficial in helping his thinking with his ‘day job’. Brian retired in 1999 after a long career with the Public Trust his last 10 years as deputy public trustee. He has since worked more or less continuously as a consultant.
At a farewell function recently, Archbishop John Dew expressed his thanks, and those of Cardinal Tom, for the invaluable contribution that Brian has made to the financial and administrative affairs of the archdiocese. He was pleased to note that Brian will not be completely severing his connections – he has agreed to stay on the Treasury Committee.