Born in 1937 Alan GC Leighton was trained by The Pilkington Group as a Structural Insulation Engineer working in their Technical Department in London. He became an Associate Member of the Institute of Domestic Heating & Environment Engineers in 1968 and Member of the Institute of Marketing in 1971.

He founded the Friends of the Holy Sepulchre Church in the City and was for a time an honorary Verger of Westminster Abbey. He became a Freeman of the City of London in 1968. In 1973 he became Sales Director of BMS Plastics (Southern) Ltd. During this time he became an ordinand in the Church of England and studied at the Southwark Ordination Course. He has a BD and Cert PS at Kings College London University. Alan was Ordained a Deacon in 1976 and a Priest in 1977. He was a curate in Hastings for 3 years and after three years as Vicar of Christ Church, Eston he became Rector of Eston with Normanby until September 2002 when he retired at 65. He obtained his DD in 1994.

Happily married in 1965 to Merle, and they have two daughters Claire and Rachael. Merle and Alan have five grand-daughters, the oldest of whom was born in 1991.

He obtained his PhD on The Theology of the New Testament Church on the 25th day of June 2007. For the last four years he was a part-time Chaplain at James Cook University Hospital, part of which he was Acting Lead Chaplain retiring in March 2007.