[muawiyah]

The ELCA was an "ecumenical" organization formed of several different ethnicities (and synods) of Lutherans. It's breaking up into a different form than it's origin.

I suspect a fair number of the remaining ELCA congregations will look around and tie up with the United Methodists (there being no essential difference between them).

The question of gay priests is peripheral to the dissolution of the organization. That would have happened anyway.

[MrB]

All Christians should understand that the most vehement persecution of the “remnant” will come from organizations like ELCA.

[dangus]

>> I suspect a fair number of the remaining ELCA congregations will look around and tie up with the United Methodists (there being no essential difference between them). <<

For the Methodists, it’s already happened throughout the rest of the old-line Protestant world:

Australia: Uniting Church in Australia, the 1977 union of Congregationalist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches

Canada: United Church of Canada, the 1925 union of Congregationalist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches (including Bermuda [1])

Germany: Evangelical Church in Germany, the 1948 federation of 10 Lutheran, 2 Reformed, and 11 United church bodies.

India: Church of North India, the 1970 union of Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Disciples of Christ, Presbyterian, Congregational, and the Church of the Brethren churches

India: Church of South India, the 1947 union of Anglican, Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian, and Reformed Churches.

the Netherlands: Protestant Church in the Netherlands, the 2004 union of the Dutch Reformed Church, the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands