A man of many talents

David Hammond-Williams profiles the new Chair of the Diocesan Board of Finance

Tim Llewelyn is a busy man. It took a week to find a gap in his diary to talk about his new role as Chair of the Diocesan Board of Finance; a week of meetings, or preparing for them, be it in the church context or beyond.

Previously vice-chair, Mr Llewelyn, aged 60, said it was "an immense honour" to be asked to take on the role from his predecessor, Hazel Evans, following her retirement. "We all owe her a huge debt of gratitude," he said.

The new Chair comes from a banking background, having entered the profession straight from school, where the Bishop was a fellow pupil. Carmarthenshire born and bred, he attends St Peter's, Carmarthen, where he is also Treasurer.

And it was a chance encounter with his former schoolmate that led to his involvement in the diocesan affairs following his early retirement.

And how. It’s not just the DBF that occupies his time, nor even the diocese. At provincial level, he is a member of the Representative Body (RB) and chairs the Standing Committee of the Governing Body.

In addition, he chairs the management board of a local housing association and is a vice-chair of both the University of Wales Trinity St David and the University of Wales.

But he still makes room for himself within his busy schedule, and can be seen regularly travelling through the Carmarthenshire countryside aboard his latest passion, his electric bike.

Back at the DBF, he is under no illusions about the task ahead. "We are navigating challenging waters,” he says, “like any organisation that relies on the contributions of others.”

"We live in challenging times and are not shielded from the economic pressures facing us all. I am committed to ensuring that the monies entrusted to us are wisely spent on work that supports the mission and ministry of the diocese."

And that is where the new chairman’s focus will be in the years to come. “I would like to think the DBF could become almost ‘irrelevant’ in that we reach a point of financial stability that enables us to provide broader support to churches from within the skills board members have to offer, rather than just talking about finance, about keeping afloat.”

But it will take time, and the continued, invaluable, contributions of the many who give voluntarily of their time and expertise as well as their financial generosity . “I am very mindful that we trade big-time on them; we could not do what we do without them,”