Find out more about our team by using the images below: Hover or click for "About" or "Contact".
Superintendent Minister:
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Rev. Richard Byass
Circuit Superintendent Minister
Gedling Road, Sherwood and St. John's Methodist Churches
Richard was born in West Africa and spent much of his early life there. After secondary school back in the UK he thought he was going to go into architectural design, but God had other plans and as a result of responding to a distinct call on his life, he ended up first at Cliff College and then in training at Manchester before entering circuit ministry in 2004 in Cheshire.
Richard is married to Becca, who works for "All We Can", and they have two daughters, Elizabeth and Felicity.
Now in his third appointment (previously in North Herts.) Richard is still keen to bring an emphasis of pastoral care and welcome as well as seeking to enable people to grow together as church.
He recently graduated with an MTh. from the University of Aberdeen and hopes that that ongoing learning will encourage and develop the communities he is part of in the Circuit in mission, faith and fellowship.
Presbyters and Deacons:
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Rev. Jason McMahon-Riley
Probationer Presbyter
Aspley, Awsworth and Nuthall Methodist Churches
Jason was born in Preston, Lancashire and lived there for the first 27 years of his life before moving to Birmingham in 2020 to train for presbyteral ministry. Prior to training, Jason was a secondary school music teacher and as such music plays a big part in Jason’s life and ministry. He candidated for ministry in 2019 after sensing a deep call from God which only persisted after Jason trained for worship leading, and then local preaching.
Jason is married to Ben, who is a senior financial analyst for a national charity, alongside private consultancy work for charities and individuals. They have a plethora of fish and hope to own a dog soon!
Jason will complete his probation in the first 2 years of his appointment in the Nottingham North East Circuit as well as his MA in theology, ministry and mission. He is passionate about social justice and inclusion within the Church and seeks to enable all people to flourish within the love and fellowship of Church communities.
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Rev. Peter Powers
Presbyter
Arnold Methodist Church
I overheard a member of a previous congregation saying……."That's our new Minister. There's more to him than meets the eye you know. he makes bread, he plays drums and he does discos!"
Over 30 years of travel as a Methodist Minister I've learnt to enjoy becoming part of the communities I've served by helping create Christian Community. I have been fortunate that my hobbies and interests have added to that. Different things for different circumstances. I try to bring some smiles and delight to the lives of young and old, and everyone in between.
Whilst together we build community and invite others to join us on the journeys of the Christian life. It is true that life in all its fullness for me, as well as all the usual 'Minister things', includes starting Bread Churches and Pizza Churches. As well as facilitating Drum Circles and worship, I love to help people party, and my love of disco and karaoke helps in that too!
Outside work I have the joy of family life, including two late teen daughters who encourage me in my more recent music listening!
I'm looking forward to the new places and people God has in store for me, and to the next part of my journey.
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Rev. John Wiseman
Presbyter
Calverton, Hucknall Central, Hucknall East Side and Ravensworth Road Methodist Churches, and The Church on Rise Park
Born and brought up in the Promised Land ie Wigan, John is a former biochemist and physiotherapist who has lived and worked at a street clinic for destitutes in Calcutta, India and taught physiotherapy at a spinal injuries centre in Bangladesh.
His ministerial training took him to Manchester, Atlanta and Cambridge (where he trained alongside Andrew) before being posted to his initial appointment in Swansea followed by a further 5 years in Poynton.
John enjoys trail running at a sedate pace in the Peak District and local area, has an extensive film collection, enjoys live music and theatre and is the author of a daily, often irreverent, on line blog. In 2017 as part of his sabbatical, John walked 800km across northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route.
John enjoys looking for creative ways to make the gospel message contemporary and compelling to the world in which we live.
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Deacon Julie Morton
Deacon
Nottingham City Centre Pioneer, and Arnold Methodist Church
Julie has one daughter and two grandchildren who are 4 and 5 years old. She is originally from Barnsley in South Yorkshire and since leaving Barnsley has lived in a variety of places alongside her late husband Gordon, who was a Methodist Minister.
She was employed by the Health Service, mainly in HR, for the first 14 years of her working life and has had a number of different jobs since, including working for Action for Children where she was the Office Manager of a Sure Start programme, a
Recruitment Co-ordinator for a Job Skills programme, and later a Job Skills tutor.
Julie is passionate about being alongside people who find life tough, as she was on the Job Skills programmes, and helping them to see that they do have hope. It was this passion which first formed the basis of her call to the Diaconal Order.
Julie trained for the ministry part time at St John’s University in York whilst also working for the York Circuit. Her first appointment was in Telford where she spent 7 years doing pioneer work on a new housing development whilst also working with 5 Methodist churches.
She enjoys playing the Djembe drum when possible, doing bible journaling and walking her dog Big Mac!
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Deacon Helen Snowball
Deacon
Bestwood Park Church, Phoenix Farm and Sherwood Methodist Churches Also working with The Ark Community Centre, job club, foodbank and hopefully some projects in the future!
Deacon Helen Snowball was born and raised in Darlington, Co Durham, with two sisters and a labrador.
After 6 years working in London as a secretary, she returned to Darlington and worked for Lloyds TSB and then a Turkish property developer.
An accredited local preacher, she finally listened to God’s call, and candidated to become a deacon, and began ministerial training at The Queen's Foundation, Birmingham in September 2017.
She was stationed to Nottingham from September 2019, predominantly working with Gedling Road and Phoenix Farm Methodist Churches, and has felt very much welcomed in the circuit.
As a deacon, she enjoys being a member of the Religious Order and the daily rhythm of their rule of life and their daily prayers, but she also enjoys reading, eating out, watching movies and is especially enjoying her first years in ministry here in Nottingham.
Student Presbyter:
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Nikki Geeson
Student Minister working across the Circuit
Nikki joined our circuit in September 2022 and is on the circuit-based learning pathway at The Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham. Whilst with us she is looking forward to gaining lots of experience during her time here; meeting people, working alongside them, and generally getting involved!
Nikki is training to be a Presbyter and having completed her first year studying part time, whilst gaining experience in the Nottingham Trent Valley Circuit and continuing to work part time as a Teaching Assistant at her local primary school.
Nikki is married to Matthew, and they have 2 teenage children, Jacob and Rebecca. They live in Radcliffe on Trent and enjoy taking their rather lively foxhound Ollie on walks. Nikki enjoys being in nature, gardening, and open water swimming.
Lay Staff:
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Cath Smith
Circuit Administrator
Born in Sheffield, Cath remains a Yorkshire ‘Gal’ at heart despite living in the East Midlands since starting at Leicester University in 1983.
She met her husband Nigel there and they have been blessed with two grown up children and a new daughter-in-law. Cath feels that she is now at that point of life where she learns more from her children than they learn from her!
Part of the Methodist Church all her life it was a huge privilege to begin working for the church in 2014 as circuit administrator. To her great surprise*, Cath was accredited as a local preacher in 2014.
Cath sees her role as taking some of the burden of administration away from staff and local churches, freeing them up to bring God's Kingdom to this corner of Nottingham.
(*Editor's note: though no-one else's!)
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Marc Williamson
Circuit Youth Worker & Vision Co-ordinator
Marc works closely with young people through Nuthall and Hucknall East Side Methodist Churches, and supports a growing number of schools in the circuit through chaplaincy and assemblies (amongst other things). More recently Marc's remit has grown to include co-ordinating how the circuit achieves its stated vision.
Born and raised in East Anglia, Marc has worked for churches since leaving school, having spent time working for the Church of England in Buckinghamshire and The Church of Scotland and an independent church in Glasgow.
Returning to England after 10 years in Scotland, Marc moved to Nottingham North to work with the Circuit in September 2016 with his wife Suzanne and 2 children, Micah (born 2014) and Eliana (born 2016).
Marc enjoys music, film, reading, photography, computers and technology, sport, food, coffee and a whole host of other things!
Marc’s vision is to see the people of the circuit deepen their faith, get excited about worship, equipped for mission and ready to share the Gospel with their communities.
Local Ecumenical Partnership (LEP) Staff:
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Rev. Nikki Bates
Anglican Minister
The Church on Rise Park (and Bestwood Emmanuel and St Mark)
Nikki is married to Tony, and they have 2 grown up sons and 3 Persian cats.
Nikki came to faith in 2003 through the Alpha Course, and went from Alpha to Ordinand in 6 years, training for ordination at Trinity College Bristol. Tony gave up his work to go to Bristol and has volunteered at Nikki's side ever since.
They returned to their "home" diocese of Lincoln for curacy and Nikki's first incumbency at Christ Church Stamford.
Nikki and Tony started to discern God's calling to Nottingham in 2018, and are excited to be in Nottingham for "such a time as this," and to join with us all and with all that God is doing.