The Bishop of Buckingham and former Premier trustee, Rt Rev Dr Alan Wilson, has passed away at the age of 68, prompting an outpouring of tributes on social media.
The Bishop of Oxford, Rt Rev Steven Croft, expressed deep sorrow, remembering Bishop Alan as a cherished friend and colleague within the Diocese.
The Bishop of Oxford said: “I will miss him as a friend and colleague. The Church has lost a wise, pastoral, and prophetic bishop."
Bishop Alan, who had recently started a sabbatical for retirement planning, had been a steadfast advocate for victims of abuse and a strong supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community.
He'd served as a trustee of Premier as part of his work as the Church of England's lead bishop for digital matters.
Tributes from various church leaders, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Rev Justin Welby, highlighted Bishop Alan's "prophetic spirit" and fearlessness in standing up for marginalised individuals.
“Bishop Alan was never afraid to stand up for those on the margins, those that felt they were being ignored by the church,” Archbishop Justin wrote on X. “He leaves behind a huge gap and an important legacy. We have much to learn from his life and his courage.”
Writing on social media, Martin Sewell, an advocate for survivors, said: “As we come to terms with the loss of our friend Bp Alan Wilson & prioritise prayer for him and his family, we should recognise that he was the only CofE Bishop fully trusted by the Survivor community. We must honour his memory by carrying on his work of living the love of Christ.”
LGBTQ+ campaigner Jayne Ozanne, also took to Twitter to pay tribute to Bishop Alan: “Shocked & saddened to learn of the sudden death of my dear friend @alantlwilson Bishop Alan was an absolute giant for all committed to an inclusive church. His prophetic witness cost him dearly, yet he remained undeterred.
“RIP +Alan, thank you for all you gave, inspired & led ✝️”
With a 20-year tenure as the Bishop of Buckingham and an entire ordained ministry within the Diocese of Oxford, Bishop Alan's service included roles as a curate in Eynsham, Vicar in Caversham and Sandhurst, Area Dean in Sonning, and ultimately as the Bishop of Buckingham.
Bishop Alan is survived by his wife, Lucy, and five adult children, Catherine, Stephanie, Stuart, Nick and Anna.