Bishop Alastair came to Derbyshire from the Diocese of Lincoln where he was the Bishop of Grantham.

As the Suffragan (or 'number two') Bishop in the Lincoln Diocese, Bishop Alastair already had eight years' experience of bishop's duties and an impressive resumé of expertise and knowledge in the areas of theology, church history, social justice, training clergy and developing the spiritual life and faith of lay Christians.

As well as having a broad range of experience in these and other areas of Church leadership, Bishop Alastair is also an accomplished lecturer, teacher, speaker and writer of books and papers on a variety of Christian themes, including the recently republished 'Being Anglican', (ISBN: 0232526133).

In wider community circles he has volunteered for several roles throughout his ordained ministry, including work in night shelters for the homeless, working with Oxfam and Christian Aid, being a member of a steering group for regeneration in Lincolnshire communities and contributing to local radio, to name but a few.

In March 2005, at the time of his appointment as Bishop of Derby, he said: "In this day and age the Church recognises that it is important to be open to different ways of reaching out into the heart of community life, responding to human need at many levels. I have considered Derby's quite radical but realistic strategy for that mission and ministry in this part of the country, and this provides an excellent foundation on which to build. I am looking forward to following through with this work, while listening and learning at the same time. I am committed to a partnership style of working, so I am keen to come together with colleagues, fellow Christians and a whole host of people who want to make positive changes in Derbyshire."

Bishop Alastair is married to Caroline. He has two children, Elizabeth, 26, and Zoe, 24, from his marriage to his late wife, Jane. He enjoys walking and reading to relax.