Many new congregations have been formed as they leave ELCA's Lavender Mafia in search of the straight and narrow.
Here are some.
Many have withdrawn from ELCA, their property intact:
Here is a list.
They have taken far too long to wake up to ELCA's agenda, which was clear enough during its formation in 1987.
The "conservative" Lutheran denominations will need to be something other than another version of ELCA if they want to last longer than a metropolitan newspaper.
Missouri, WELS, and the ELS have followed the same business model as ELCA, always a few years behind the cutting edge, thanks to the de facto merger created by Thrivent funding and joint efforts at various levels.
The exodus and new congregations show that people can be fooled for a period of time before they bolt, but they will respond eventually.
The best thing the Boomer clergy can do is retire, so they stop ruining the "conservative" Lutheran groups. But they won't because their greed knows no end. After exploiting all their opportunities to live off synod subsidies, grants, and related foundations, the same clergy want semi-retirement sinecures as well.
The Reformation model is to study and discuss Biblical doctrine and let the Sword of the Spirit do its work. That will not be attempted by those who trust their political skills, their DNA, and the protection of their apostate classmates.
