John Robert Gaden

John Robert Gaden (3 June 1938 - 27 January 1990 ) was an Australian priest and theologian, who came to prominence in 1976 for leading a campaign for the ordination of women in Australia.

Early life and career He was born in Leicester, England and emigrated to Australia as a child. He became a tutor in classics at the University of Melbourne in 1962, then studied theology and became a Church of England deacon (1963) and then was ordained as a priest (1964),

Gaden was assistant chaplain at Melbourne Church of England Grammar School (1972-73), chaplain at Monash University (1974-76), then became chaplain (1973-89) and secretary to the Anglican Church of Australia commission on doctrine (1975-89).

In 1977 he was appointed as director of Trinity Theological School and became the consultant theologian to the archbishop of Melbourne.

As a supporter of the ordination of women, Gaden was involved in some controversial events. Despite the support for the ordination of women by the relevant archbishops David Penman and Keith Rayner, Gaden had to make clarifying statements on both occasions. Preaching at an ordination service (of male clergy) in St Paul's Cathedral Melbourne in 1983, Gaden referred to the Holy Spirit as "she". Meanwhile, his wife, Janet Gaden, Moderator for the Movement for the Ordination of Women in Victoria, was quietly demonstrating with others outside the cathedral. Gaden had to make a statement about referring to the Holy Spirit as female. He finished his statement with this paragraph, Some women are called by the Spirit of Christ, as are some men, to give birth to new Christians, to nurture and teach them. The Spirit blows where she will and distributes her gifts without respect of persons. God grant our church the same freedom to respond.

Janet Gaden became one of the first women ordained as priest in 1992.