Gender gap closes in church roles
REVEREND Gail Hagon became the first female in the Clarence Valley to take on the role of archdeacon when she was collated to the position during a special ceremony held at Grafton Cathedral on Saturday.
Rev Hagon was among three archdeacons to be collated by the bishop of Grafton, the Right Reverend Keith Slater, along with Rev John West of Port Macquarie and Rev Lee Shirval of Alstonville.
The ceremony included the commissioning of four additional mission support officers who will be scattered throughout the diocese, Rev Margaret Beach of South Grafton, Lisa Williamson of Nambucca Heads, Rev Eron Perry of Kingscliff and Rev Robert Ireland from Ballina.
Rev Hagon was the first woman in the valley to become a priest in 1995.
At the time she was assigned to the Anglican Parish of South Grafton.
She became the first woman in the diocese to be given the responsibility of her own parish - in Wauchope.
She said these days there was a lot more support for women to take up official roles within the church.
