She says St Matthew's well known controversial billboards will continue.

"What kind of message we have on them we will have to look at. It is such an interesting church."

Jacobi is the first female vicar at St Matthew.

"It's quite surprising really because St Matthew is so liberal, they just haven't got around to it," she said.

She had been filling a temporary post in Auckland before accepting the permanent position at St Matthew's.

Ordained in the Diocese of Wellington in 1991, Jacobi was the first woman to become Dean of Waiapu Cathedral in Napier.

She served in this position for nine years, until 2013.

Before that she served as the vicar of St Luke's in Wadestown, Wellington.

Jacobi has also lived in Ottawa, Canada, and France where she was involved with Christian education and community ministry.

She also has experience in social work, and in social policy research.

Last year, she completed a three month stay in the USA where she was a scholar in residence at Virginia Theological Seminary.

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• Image: New Zealand Herald

The church removed the words from the billboard on Wednesday, replacing them with a quote from the Bible: 'Jesus heals every sickness and every disease - Matthew 4:23'.

"Once again, St Matthew's shows us that they have moved away from traditional Christianity, even though their hearts might be in the right place," she said.

"It is true that Christmas is real and celebrates a real pregnancy.

"It is also true that the anxiety and needs of young solo mothers today need to be addressed with compassion and care.

"But in making this point, St Matthew's ignores the gospel account of matters surrounding the pregnancy and birth of Jesus, in which Mary is not a shocked solo mother but a young woman who has given her assent and trust to God," She said