The Revd Jo Winn-Smith
Contact the Bishops Chaplain
- Jo has been chaplain to the Bishops of Guildford and Dorking since October 2022.
- As chaplain, she is responsible for advising clergy on an array of issues on behalf of the bishops. This work includes support for chaplains, and managing pastoral, theological, liturgical, and disciplinary matters.
- Jo is an elected clergy member of General Synod.
- She is also the honorary chaplain to the Church Commissioners’ Mission & Pastoral and Closed Churches Committee, and she serves as a Bishop's Adviser on the Bishop’s Advisory Panel (BAP, which decides on ordination selection).
- Jo studied theology at Regent’s Park College, Oxford before working in various policy roles at the National Church Institutions for the first twelve years of her career.
- During this time, she also trained as a Licensed Lay Minister (Reader) in the Diocese of Southwark and was licensed in 2007.
- Moving to the Diocese of Guildford in 2011 and undertaking a second degree in psychotherapeutic counselling, in 2015 she became a tutor on the Guildford: Local Ministry Programme, training OLMs and LLMs.
- In 2017, she herself was selected for ordained ministry, and completed an MTh in Applied Theology whilst studying part-time at Ripon College, Cuddesdon. She served her curacy at St Mary’s, Thorpe.
- Jo continues to maintain her theological interests, particularly in feminist theology, and she is currently studying for a PhD, looking at the dual vocations of motherhood and ministry.
- She is also a trustee of OneBodyOneFaith.
- In her spare time, she enjoys running and keeping fit, the cinema, and cooking. She is married to Matthew, a barrister, and they have two secondary-school aged children.