Howard Dillon - My Friend
By Terry O'Mara, AM
Howard and Aileen asked me a short time ago to be part of the celebrations of Howard’s life should this day occur. That caused me to reflect, once again, on our friendship since I joined ANGLICARE, in 1997 - very nearly 12 years ago. Howard’s generosity and his patience with me over those years have, for me, been both an inspiration and a great encouragement.
We became good friends and I grew to love him like a brother.
The hallmark of Howard’s ministry of leadership has been his faith-centre and his ability to see all the events within the human experience in the context of Christ’s love for us all – individually.
He daily evidenced a way of facing adversity with the confidence of the Faithful Servant - a confidence born of the certain knowledge that The Lord is in charge after all.
Howard’s time at ANGLICARE provided me with a model of visionary yet compassionate leadership: the like of which I had rarely seen in 40 years in Government and the military as well. I joined ANGLICARE as a result of my planned departure from the Senior Executive Service in the NSW Government. Because of Howard’s generosity, I had the opportunity to experience the ANGLICARE world in a way I never expected.
I was in a pretty poor state at that time: the result of years of stress and pressures commonly found in my old world. Howard understood my situation and he ministered to me with kindness and encouragement, so as to allow me time to heal.
I believe that one gets the chance to witness authentic and genuine leadership very rarely.
In my experience, those examples of quality leadership came, in the main, from Christian men and women who knew of the balance which must be struck between their core faith and values and the responsibility they carry for those in their charge.
Howard exemplified that integrity of faith for me and I cannot properly express my gratitude for his amazing gift.
Howard made it possible for me to be at peace in all the rooms in my Father’s house.
When I joined ANGLICARE, I was interviewed for something over an hour by the entire Council of the day and I recall my referring to Micah 6:8 when asked to explain in that interview what my operational credo was: I was impressed that when Howard and I discussed the arrangements for this day a short time ago, he referred to the same passage as one of his own treasured texts.
Over the years, I gained some insight into the diffiult circumstances which surrounded Howard’s arrival at the AHMS. The magnitude of the task he had been asked to undertake required all of the sensitivity, emotional intelligence, mature judgment, sense of humour and integrity of leadership that I came to know as his daily fare.
His courage and resolve in reforming the very honorable but introspective AHMS was, and is, a credit to him: He began the process of growing AHMS into ANGLICARE so that it could become a modern, dynamic, Anglican agency: well able to articulate the message of the Risen Christ in a brutally secular and competitive world.
He was able to bring about a remarkable transformation and I do not believe that anyone else could have achieved that outcome in the circumstances of that time.
- Development and the refinement of the amazing National Church Life Survey as a real tool in church mission planning across Christendom.
- The major role he won in the Emergency Management and Drought Coordination efforts in NSW Premiers Department Launch and development of the first phases of the Chesalon Rebuilding Program;
- Construction of the current ANGLICARE headquarters – now fully occupied by active Anglicare services.
- Development of the Provincial Community Services Commission as a forum for co:operation and professional support across all the Dioceses in NSW;
- Development of the experimental PROM PRAISE FESTIVALS;
- Revitalization of the Chaplaincy ministry in Hospitals, Prisons, Mental Health Services and Juvenile Justice centres; and
- Leading the campaign for NSW Health to contribute to the cost of chaplaincy in Hospitals;
- We actually demonstrated that, when dealing with Government on almost any issue, all Christian denominations - and the Muslim Community as well - often do better as a team.
Fancy that……..
The weight of these burdens was his and he made it happen, with the support of the Members of Council and the Chairman, Martin Robinson, who were willing to risk change.
The emerging ANGLICARE is the direct result of the foundational changes he introduced gradually but with firm resolve. That strong move into genuinely strategic planning and priority setting made it possible for that great work to continue in the safe hands of the Anglicare Council through the Chair - Archbishop Peter Jensen, Peter Kell and the current Executive Team.
Even so, the challenge of being Executive Director and an active ordained Minister came at a high price: Howard’s vocation of Ministry and his primary focus on pastoral care were not always at peace with the role of CEO: a cross that he bore alone: apart from the tireless Aileen.
If Howard had a failing - and I doubt it - it might be his persistent commitment to see only the good in people, regardless of what they do: this sometimes made him vulnerable.
Lesser men, like me, are much more likely to judge others and their behaviour in ways he never did. Even so, his ministry of compassion, of vision and integrity as ANGLICARE’s Executive Director stands as testament to his respect for his people, his faith in God and The Lord’s message of love for us all.
The truth is, though, that we had such good fun as well.
Howard never did mention what was impossible. He simply encouraged all of us to "give it our best shot" and, so often, it worked.
Howard was not allowed to be aware of the circumstances of his being awarded Membership in the Order of Australia. As soon as the idea was proposed, the flood of enthusiastic support and affirmation was almost overwhelming. The abundance of people from all walks of life who wanted to be part of such well justified recognition is testament to the high esteem in which he has been universally held.
The rules forbid me to say more: though I have no doubt that there are many men and women "at arms" who know the same Chaplain Dillon that I do.
Howard has always been much loved and respected: Like St Paul, He has fought the good fight and he exemplifies the call, as he so often said to me on parting, to "keep the faith"
- Truly God’s Man - now safe in His arms
