ABOUT two years ago, I visited Gladstone’s Library in Hawarden, researching the uncatalogued papers of Eric James for a chapter that I was contributing to a book on Anglican spirituality.

Eric was a product of what became known as “South Bank religion”. I got to know him when he was Canon Missioner at St Albans. He was a well-known broadcaster and, for many years, Chaplain to Gray’s Inn. I made a BBC film with him about the Faith in the City report when it came out in 1985.

I knew — everyone did — that Eric was gay. He came out publicly in 1990. Reading through his letters and diaries made me aware of the extreme loneliness and inner persecution that he went through during his years of ministry. He longed for companionship, but believed that it was beyond him. Yet he was a wonderful companion, a faithful priest, and a good friend.

Many gay clergy went through hell, even during the years after the law against male homosexual activity was lifted. The police often patrolled pick-up spots looking for incidents of gross indecency. Some gay clergy braved it out, accepting a call to celibacy; some married, while indulging in discreet gay affairs; others, though fewer as the AIDS crisis took hold, embraced a promiscuous lifestyle. Several whom I knew personally died.

Eric had hoped that Faith in the City might acknowledge the contribution of gay clergy to ministry, especially in areas of extreme urban deprivation, which were not attractive to many married clergy with young families. But there was no mention of this in the report.

All this needs to be borne in mind in the light of the House of Bishops’ decision last month to terminate the Living in Love and Faith process and to restrict the use of blessings for gay couples (News, 24 October). It is possible to be cautious about same-sex marriage while continuing to explore the use of same-sex blessings for all in long-term, faithful, stable relationships.

The Church of England has been served faithfully by gay clergy, not only for decades, but for centuries. It is difficult to read about the origins and progress of the Oxford Movement without getting the impression that it gave rise to a certain aesthetic church culture that was attractive to gay men. The writer Andrew Graystone has exposed well-concealed equivalents lurking in the background of certain conservative Evangelical ministries.

The Church of England has nothing to lose by repenting of past prejudice and acknowledging the dedication of gay clergy. After all, as I found in more than 20 years of teaching in theological and ministerial education, God continues to call gay people to serve the Church, and, as the summoning bell at Westcott House insists, “The One who calls is faithful” (1 Thessalonians 5.24).