Alan Smith (bishop)
A steady-handed Anglican bishop who served as the spiritual voice for the diocese of St Albans and a thoughtful presence in the House of Lords.
Born 1957 (age 69)·British Anglican bishop and Lord Spiritual·Birthday: February 14·Baby Boomers
Biography
Alan Smith's path in the Church of England was one of gradual, dedicated stewardship rather than seismic change. Ordained in the early 1980s, he built his ministry in parishes across the Midlands and northwest England, known for a pastoral style that favored listening and bridge-building. His appointment as Bishop of Shrewsbury in 2001 placed him in the heart of a diverse, rural diocese, a role he approached with characteristic diligence. In 2009, he ascended to the historic see of St Albans, where for over 15 years he oversaw one of the Church's largest dioceses. As a Lord Spiritual, he brought the concerns of faith communities to Parliament, often speaking on social cohesion, rural affairs, and gambling reform. Smith retired in 2025, leaving behind a reputation not for flashy pronouncements, but for a consistent, quiet commitment to the everyday fabric of church and community life.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Alan was born in 1957, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1957
#1 Movie
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Best Picture
The Bridge on the River Kwai
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Alan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1957Born
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1962Started school
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1970Became a teenager
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Could drive
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1975Could vote
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Turned 21
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1987Turned 30
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 40
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 50
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 60
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 69 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the Bishop of St Albans from 2009 to 2025, leading a large and significant diocese in the Church of England.
- Held the role of area Bishop of Shrewsbury within the Diocese of Lichfield from 2001 to 2009.
- Sat in the House of Lords as a Lord Spiritual, contributing to parliamentary debates on social and ethical issues.
- Served as the Chair of the Church of England's Mission and Public Affairs Council for a period.
Did You Know?
He was educated at the University of Nottingham and later at St John's College, Nottingham, for his theological training.
Before his ordination, he worked briefly as a management trainee at Boots the Chemist.
His full name is Alan Gregory Clayton Smith.
He succeeded the Right Reverend Christopher Herbert as Bishop of St Albans.
“A bishop's role is to walk with people through the ordinary days of their lives.”
