Jerge re-elected bishop of the ELCA Upstate New York Synod

by Frank Imhoff, ELCA News Service

The Rev. Marie C. Jerge was elected June 9 to a second
six-year term as bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America (ELCA) Upstate New York Synod during the synod's
assembly June 8-10 in Rochester, N.Y. Jerge was re-elected
on the assembly's second ballot for bishop with 308 votes.
The Rev. Raymond N. Fitch, First Lutheran Church, Blasdell,
N.Y., received 120 votes on that ballot and the Rev. Kathryn
I. Love, assistant director for evangelism and director for
prayer and renewal, ELCA Evangelical Outreach and
Congregational Mission, Chicago, received four votes. There
were three candidates nominated.

Jerge, 55, was born in Mineola (Long Island), N.Y. She earned
a bachelor's degree from Smith College, Northhampton, Mass.,
and a master of divinity degree from the Lutheran Theological
Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP). LTSP is one of eight ELCA
seminaries. Jerge was pastor of St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran
Church, Mayville, N.Y., for 10 years. For the last five of
those years she was co-pastor of Zion Evangelical Lutheran
Church, Silver Creek, N.Y. In 1988 she became an assistant to
the bishop of the ELCA Upper (now Upstate) New York Synod. In
2002 the synod elected Jerge to succeed the Rev. Lee M. Miller
as bishop. Jerge is married to the Rev. James N. Jerge, regional
development director, LTSP.

The ELCA Upstate New York Synod includes more than 80,000
Lutherans in almost 200 congregations across 45 counties. The
synod office is in Camillus, N.Y.