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The Bishop’s Staff is a group of senior clergy and lay people within the diocese who advise the Bishop. The team currently includes:

The Very Revd Nigel Williams was installed as Dean of St Asaph Cathedral on Saturday 17 September 2011. A fluent Welsh speaker, Nigel was born in St Asaph and brought up in Llansannan before training for the priesthood at St Michael’s College, Llandaff and the University of Wales, Cardiff. He was ordained in St Asaph Cathedral in the mid 1990s and prior to his ministry in Colwyn Bay has served in the parishes of Denbigh & Nantglyn, and Llanrwst and Llanddoged. Between 2004 and 2009 he served as Area Dean of Rhos.

The Venerable Andy Grimwood was formerly the Vicar of Rhyl. He has two teenaged sons, is a Manchester United supporter and Star Wars lover. He has always worked in Wales, taking up his first job after graduation with British Gas in Cardiff. As a curate in the Diocese of Llandaff, he learnt Welsh. Andy moved to the Diocese of St Asaph in 2001 firstly to Rhyl, then to Newtown before returning to Rhyl in 2013.

The Venerable Dr Hayley Matthews moved from the Diocese of Leeds where she was the Director of Lay Training to be Archdeacon of Wrexham. She was ordained in the Diocese of Blackburn in 2006 and worked in the Diocese of Manchester before moving to Leeds. She has two children and she and her family enjoy the outdoors, reading and travelling.

The Venerable Gerwyn Capon, who is from Anglesey originally, was ordained in Liverpool Cathedral in 2003, following a career as a chartered surveyor. After his curacy in the Diocese of Liverpool he moved to the Church in Wales to become chaplain to the then Archbishop of Wales, Barry Morgan. He then returned to the Church of England as a parish priest in the Diocese of Blackburn. From 2014 until 2022, Gerwyn was Dean of Llandaff Cathedral.

Olwen Lintern-Smyth leads the diocesan staff team to play its part in the formulation, development and delivery of diocesan strategy and policy to support God’s mission and ministry. Olwen is a fluent Welsh speaker, who was born and brought up in mid-Wales, before moving to Oxford for University. She has worked for most of her career in publishing and education, and in a range of roles for charities, including most recently as Chief Executive of an e-learning charity.

Canon Michael Balkwill is Bishop’s Chaplain. Born and raised in Devon, Michael came to Wales to read Theology at the University of Wales in Lampeter and Cardiff. Ordained by Bishop Alwyn in St Asaph, Michael served in his curacy in Llandudno and its hinterland before moving to north Powys as Rector and later Area Dean of Llanfyllin. Alongside his role as Bishop’s Chaplain, Michael is Residentiary Canon in St Asaph Cathedral and assists with worship in Elwy Mission Area. Michael is a member of theFranciscan Third Order (TSSF) and is currently Formation Guardian for Wales.

Mike is the Director of Transforming Ministry. He is leading and overseeing discipleship, vocation and training, as well as new forms of ministry and church growth. He is working with the re-vamped Transforming Ministry Steering Group, previously known as the Developing Steering Group. He will be developing vocations and training, and implementing new models of lay and ordained ministry. Mike has a background in chaplaincy, vocation and training, and supporting lay and ordained ministry.
Diocese of St Asaph,High Street,St Asaph,Denbighshire,LL17 0RD