George Erdner, ALPB Online
I suspect there are more groups like this:
Faith Lutheran Church (Security), Colorado Springs, CO Status = Left ELCA Joined LCMC Baptized membership = 199
Bethel Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO Status = Left ELCA Joined LCMC Baptized membership = 1051
St Luke’s Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO Status = Left ELCA Joined NALC Baptized membership = 681
Black Forest Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO Status = Left ELCA Joined NALC Baptized membership = 599
Bethany Lutheran Church (Merged into Grace LC), Colorado Springs, CO Status = New ELCA Baptized membership = 233
Grace Lutheran Church (Formerly Our Savior LC), Colorado Springs, CO Status = New ELCA Baptized membership = 260
I'm not sure why the merger of Bethany and Our Savior's is counted here as among those "new" ELCA congregations which have emerged from congregations leaving, and why the new Grace Lutheran has two different numbers of baptized membership when it is now one congregation. These were two struggling congregations which merged in order to stay afloat. If anything it shows the decline of the ELCA in the area.
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GJ - Congregations below 100 have a difficult time keeping their bills paid and they do not contribute much to benevolence (synod staff salaries and deluxe trips, conferences).
Almost all benevolence money comes from the whopper congregations, the ones alienated so deftly by Mark Hanson, Neo-Pietist. He has transformed ELCA.
Some whopper congregations have been divided, so they have had to downsize everything while trying to remain in ELCA.
One new ELCA mission had a Gay Pride Sunday right from the start. Like the dreadful musical "Rent," that may play well in NYC, but not in Peoria.
