Alan Thomas Lawrence Wilson was born on 27 March 1955 in Redford Barracks in Edinburgh, Scotland.

[4] Wilson was made a deacon at Petertide (1 July) 1979 by Eric Wild, Bishop of Reading, at St Peter's, Didcot,[5] and ordained a priest the Petertide following (29 June 1980) by Patrick Rodger, Bishop of Oxford, at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.

[6] From 1979 to 1981 he was an honorary assistant curate of Eynsham[1] (where he met his future wife) and also held an academic position funded by the University of Oxford.

[9] He was vicar of St Michaels, Sandhurst,[10] Rural Dean of Sonning and an honorary canon at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.

[14] In 2023, he was one of 44 Church of England bishops who signed an open letter supporting the use of the Prayers of Love and Faith (i.e. blessings for same-sex couples) and called for "Guidance being issued without delay that includes the removal of all restrictions on clergy entering same-sex civil marriages, and on bishops ordaining and licensing such clergy".