Marie Jerge

{{Short description|American Lutheran bishop (born 1953)}}

{{Infobox Christian leader

| birth_place = Mineola, NY, United States

| term = 2002–2014

| church = Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

| diocese = Upstate New York Synod

| nationality = American

| ordination = 1978

| predecessor = Lee M. Miller

| religion = Lutheranism

| successor = John S. Macholz

| type = Bishop

}}

Rev. Marie C. Jerge (née Scharfe, born c. 1953) is a former bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

She graduated from Babylon High School in 1970{{cite news |title=Congratulations Class of '70, Babylon High School |url=https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn84031344/1970-06-18/ed-1/seq-16.pdf |work=Babylon Beacon |date=1970-06-18}} and earned a bachelor of arts degree from Smith College in 1974.{{cite book |title=Smith College Catalogue |date=1974 |publisher=Smith College |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/smithcat7475smit/page/n277 |chapter=Academic Degrees|page=271}} In 1978, she received a master of divinity degree from Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia{{Cite web|url=https://www.elca.org/News-and-Events/4586|title=Marie Jerge Elected Bishop of ELCA Upstate New York Synod|last1=Wineinger|first1=Amy|last2=Luisi|first2=Mary|date=2002-06-24|website=www.elca.org|language=en|access-date=2020-02-14}}{{cite web |title=Alumni Honors: Philadelphia |url=https://www.unitedlutheranseminary.edu/alumni/distinguished-alumni |publisher=United Lutheran Seminary |access-date=2020-02-16}} and was ordained as a minister.{{Cite news|title=Rev. Jerge Speaker at AAUW Meeting|date=1988-10-14|work=Dunkirk Evening Observer|page=8|via=NewspaperArchive.com}}

She was elected in 2002 to a six-year term as bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) Upstate New York Synod. She was the sixth woman to be elected as a synod bishop in the ELCA. Jerge (YER-gee){{Cite news|last=Jacobs|first=Jennifer|title=New Lutheran Bishop Makes Local History: Faithful Cheer Marie C. Jerge as CNY Leader of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America|date=2002-09-22|work=The Syracuse Post-Standard|page=B1, B5|via=NewspaperArchive.com}}{{Cite news|title=Syracuse gets first female Evangelical Lutheran Bishop|date=2002-09-27|work=Mount Carmel Daily Republican Register|page=1B|via=NewspaperArchive.com}} succeeded the Rev. Lee M. Miller, who did not seek re-election after serving as bishop of the synod for 10 years. She was installed on September 21, 2002.{{Cite news|title=Religion Briefs|date=2002-09-28|work=Del Rio News-Herald|page=5A|via=NewspaperArchive.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://buffalonews.com/2002/09/21/evangelical-lutheran-church-to-install-bishop-today/|title=Evangelical Luthern Church to Install Bishop Today |date=2002-09-21|website=The Buffalo News|language=en-us|access-date=2020-02-15}}

In her time as bishop, she oversaw 198 churches with over 150,000 congregants.{{Cite news|last=Gadoua|first=Renee|title=Lutheran Bishop cites challenges|date=2003-06-03|work=The Syracuse Post-Standard|page=B3|via=NewspaperArchive.com}} She requested the resignation of a pastor who was accused of sexual activity with multiple minors in 2004.{{Cite web|url=https://www.arcadeherald.com/articles/marilla-pastor-quits-amid-sex-allegations-2/|title=Marilla Pastor Quits Amid Sex Allegations |last=Goller|first=Robert Lowell|date=2004-02-12|website=Arcane Herald|access-date=2020-02-15}} In January 2009, during the Gaza War, she traveled with a delegation of American bishops to Israel and Palestine to meet with local officials.{{cite news |last1=Tokaz |first1=Jay |title=Lutheran bishop is visiting Israel and Palestinians |url=https://buffalonews.com/2009/01/05/lutheran-bishop-is-visiting-israel-and-palestinians/ |work=The Buffalo News |date=2009-01-05 |language=en-us}}

She led the final service at Christ Lutheran Church in Little Falls, New York.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wrvo.org/post/church-closures-become-sign-changing-times-demographics|title=Church closures become a sign of changing times, demographics|last=Chanatry|first=David|date=2014-02-13|website=WRVO|language=en|access-date=2020-02-14}}

Jerge has written on the benefits of immigration reform.{{Cite web|url=https://www.syracuse.com/opinion/2013/10/immigration_reform_will_benefit_upstate_new_york_commentary_from_bishop_marie_je.html|title=Immigration reform will benefit Upstate New York: Commentary from Bishop Marie Jerge|date=2013-10-03|website=Syracuse.com|language=en|access-date=2020-02-14}}

She received an honorary degree from Thiel College in 2006{{Cite web|url=https://www.thiel.edu/about/honorary-degree-recipients|title=Honorary Degree Recipients {{!}} Thiel College|website=www.thiel.edu|access-date=2020-02-15}} and an alumni award from Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in 2015.

After serving two terms, she was succeeded in 2014 by John S. Macholz.{{cite web|url=https://www.elca.org/News-and-Events/7673|title=John Macholz elected bishop of the ELCA Upstate New York Synod|last=Lensing|first=Jeremy|date=2014-06-03|website=www.elca.org|language=en}}