It is exactly seven years since Dr Rowan Williams secretly called Jeffrey John to Lambeth Palace and forced the homosexual cleric to stand down from becoming Bishop of Reading. Having ordered him to sign a letter withdrawing his nomination, a distressed archbishop then knelt before his old friend and asked for his blessing.
The historic meeting has come to be seen as one of the defining moments of Dr Williams's time in office, showing he was prepared to sacrifice the liberal views of his past to preserve the unity of the Anglican Communion.
This week, however, the archbishop has an opportunity to rewrite how he is remembered as he helps determine the future of Jeffrey John's career once more.
The presence of the Dean of St Albans's name on the shortlist to be the next Bishop of Southwark offers him the chance to make amends for abandoning a friend and ally and to repair relations with the liberals who felt betrayed by his action.
Evangelicals, on the other hand, will be hoping the archbishop's desire to prevent a schism will prevail and he will argue against the appointment of a cleric who is in a civil partnership and has spoken strongly against traditional Church teaching on sexuality.
He will be only one of 14 members of the Crown Nominations Commission choosing the next bishop, but his guidance could help to sway the outcome of a highly sensitive vote.
The appointment comes at a particularly delicate time, with the Anglican Communion still coming to terms with the consecration of its first lesbian bishop in May and the imminent visit of Pope Benedict XVI, who is uncompromising in his opposition to homosexuality.
Furthermore, the General Synod, the Church's parliament, starts later this week and will be attempting to take a further step towards appointing women bishops, a move likely to lead to a number of traditionalist clergy defecting to Rome.
Appointing the homosexual dean as the next Bishop of Southwark, one of the most senior posts in the Church, would make the row over women bishops appear almost trivial by comparison.
Last time he was put forward for the bishopric of Reading, it caused one of the biggest crises in the Church's history, dividing parishes across the country and even causing the Queen to privately express her dismay at the rift.
Liberal and conservative bishops became locked in a public feud, the wealthy evangelical wing threatened to withdraw loyalty and financial support from the Church, and archbishops in Africa and Asia said it would split the Communion.
Making Dr John bishop not only risks reigniting these fires that have only recently begun to die down, but would strain relations with the Catholic Church only weeks before the Pope meets the archbishop.
Yet, despite the undoubted furore that would erupt from his appointment, it is highly likely that Dr John will become the Church's first openly homosexual bishop.
For a start, he was not blocked by either Dr Williams or Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, who also sits on the Commission, from being included on the shortlist.
Crucially, it is understood that many of the Commission believe that he is the best candidate. Articulate, pastorally sensitive as well as being an intellectual heavyweight, he is considered to have done an excellent job as dean of St Albans.
He knows the diocese well from his time as canon at Southwark cathedral, and would be a popular choice with its overwhelmingly liberal parishes.
Across the river in Westminster, the new Coalition Government has already signalled that civil partnerships could soon include key religious elements, making them more like traditional marriages.
It is likely to welcome the appointment of a bishop who is in a gay "marriage" as a sign of the more progressive society it says it is striving to create.
Earlier this year, David Cameron urged the archbishop to follow the lead of the Conservative Party in adopting a more inclusive attitude to homosexuals that "recognises full equality".
For many, this week's meeting to select the next Bishop of Southwark presents the Church with the perfect opportunity to do exactly that.
However, there will be just as many hoping the Church can resist the march of secular society. The outcome rests in the hands of 14 people.