A new diocesan secretary for St Asaph has been appointed to lead the Diocesan Office team.

Olwen Lintern-Smyth, a fluent Welsh speaker, was born and brought up in mid-Wales, before moving to Oxford for University and then a career in publishing.

As Diocesan Secretary, she will lead the administration team to play its part in the formulation, development and delivery of diocesan strategy and policy to support mission and ministry in the Diocese of St Asaph which covers northeast and mid-Wales.

Olwen will begin in post on 3 July. Welcoming her appointment, the Bishop of St Asaph, the Rt Revd Gregory Cameron said: “We are delighted to announce Olwen’s appointment to this vital role in our diocesan life. Olwen is coming home to Wales and brings with her a lively faith and a breadth of skills that will make her an asset to our team.”

Olwen spent much of her career in publishing, before becoming Programme Director of the government-funded Global Learning Programme in England until 2018. Working on this programme inspired her to seek an ongoing career in the charity sector, which led to her working as a freelance consultant for a range of charities, alongside ongoing educational and publishing projects. Most recently, following on from setting up a digital inclusion initiative in Oxfordshire, she has been Chief Executive of a small e-learning charity.

Outside of work, Olwen loves singing and also enjoys playing the violin in an amateur symphony orchestra in Oxford, where she met her husband Vere, a trumpet-player from New Zealand.

Olwen is currently Chair of Trustees for two charities and is Church Warden of her local village church. She said: “I am excited to be coming home to Wales to lead the team at the Diocesan Office at St Asaph and play my part in furthering the work and mission of the Church. I have already felt the warmth of the welcome and am delighted that I will become part of the Teulu Asaph. I look forward to meeting people across the diocese over the coming weeks and months.”

Olwen will lead a team of 15 people, based from the diocesan office in St Asaph, who support the work of more than 200 churches across north-east and mid-Wales. She will be a member of Bishop’s Staff, the Bishop of St Asaph’s leadership team which includes the Cathedral Dean and Archdeacons.

The Diocese of St Asaph is one of the six dioceses of the Church in Wales, an autonomous Province of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is made up of 19 Mission Areas containing more than 200 churches, 68 stipendiary clergy and 50 Church in Wales schools.