Alan Wilson (bishop)

This article is about the Anglican bishop. For other uses, see Alan Wilson (disambiguation).

The Right Reverend Alan Wilson
Bishop of Buckingham
Church	Church of England
Diocese	Oxford
In office	2003–2024
Predecessor	Mike Hill
Successor	Vacant
Orders
Ordination	1979 (deacon) by Eric Wild 1980 (priest) by Patrick Rodger
Consecration	9 October 2003 by Rowan Williams
Personal details
Born	(1955-03-27)27 March 1955 Redford Barracks, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Died	17 February 2024(2024-02-17) (aged 68)
Nationality	British
Denomination	Anglican
Spouse	​ ​ (m. 1984)​
Children	5
Alma mater	St John's College, Cambridge Wycliffe Hall, Oxford Balliol College, Oxford

Alan Thomas Lawrence Wilson (27 March 1955 – 17 February 2024) was a British Anglican bishop. He served as the area Bishop of Buckingham in the Diocese of Oxford from October 2003 until his death in February 2024.

Early life and education

Alan Thomas Lawrence Wilson was born on 27 March 1955 in Redford Barracks in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was educated at Sevenoaks School, then an all-boys private school in Kent. He studied history at St John's College, Cambridge, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1977; as per tradition, this was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Cantab) degree in 1981. From 1977 to 1979, he trained for ordained ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford.

Ordained ministry

Wilson was made a deacon at Petertide (1 July) 1979 by Eric Wild, Bishop of Reading, at St Peter's, Didcot, and ordained a priest the Petertide following (29 June 1980) by Patrick Rodger, Bishop of Oxford, at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. From 1979 to 1981 he was an honorary assistant curate of Eynsham (where he met his future wife) and also held an academic position funded by the University of Oxford. From 1981 to 1982, he was an assistant curate in the same parish, his academic position having ended. His Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) degree, for which he studied as a student of Balliol College, Oxford, was awarded in 1989. He had completed his thesis in 1988. The official title of his thesis is "The theology of church and party of some London ritualistic clergy and parishes, 1880–1914, with special reference to the Church Crisis of 1898-1906", although it bears the unofficial title "The authority of church and party among London Anglo-Catholics, 1880–1914, with special reference to the Church Crisis, 1898–1904". Wilson spent the following years of his ministry in a variety of positions, including as a prison chaplain. He was vicar of St Michaels, Sandhurst, Rural Dean of Sonning and an honorary canon at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.

Episcopal ministry

On 9 October 2003, Wilson was consecrated a bishop by Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Westminster Abbey. He then became Bishop of Buckingham, an area bishop in the Diocese of Oxford.

Death

Wilson died on 17 February 2024, at the age of 68. He had been married from 1984, and is survived by his wife, Lucy, and five adult children.

Selected works

• Wilson, Alan (with Rosie Harper) (2019), To Heal and Not to Hurt - A fresh approach to safeguarding in the Church. London: Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd. ISBN 978-0-232-53394-1

Styles

• The Reverend Alan Wilson (1979–1989)
• The Reverend Doctor Alan Wilson (1989–2002)
• The Reverend Canon Doctor Alan Wilson (2002–2003)
• The Right Reverend Doctor Alan Wilson (2003–2024)

See also

• Rosie Harper, chaplain to Wilson

External links

• Full text of doctoral thesis via Oxford Research Archive