ABSTRACT
Gay clergy face a variety of negotiations due to the coexistence of their profession/vocation, their sexuality, and the diverse outlooks and theologies present in the Church of England (Pickering 1998). Feeling called by God into the service of his Church, gay clergy have a very powerful motivation to follow their call, become ordained, serve the Church and undertake the requirements of the role. However, gay Anglican clergy remain in an institution which continues to question their appropriateness for office. Both the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion have had an uncomfortable history with regard to the ‘issue’ of gay clergy. Official statements on gay clergy emphasise that the institution requires celibacy from gay men and women who become clergy, rejecting the possibility of an acceptable ‘sexually-active’ homosexuality (House of Bishops 1991, 2005).