Doesn't "Mainline" (or "Mainstream" Or "Oldline" or even "Sideline") refer to those denominations which belong to the NCC and the WCC, who are theologically liberal, and who are abandoning the faith and morals of historic Christianity?
That would be, roughly, the UMC, the ELCA, the PCUSA, the Episcopal Church (EC), the American Baptist Churches (ABC), the United Church of Christ (UCC), and, I guess, the Disciples of Christ, and Reformed Church in America.
I think, though, that the relatively new, renewed, faithfully Christian organizations which are growing --- the WELS, the LCMS, the PCA, the various Episcopal/Anglican exiles and offshoots --- are not referred to, and do not call themselves, "mainline" Protestants.
So, yeah, the LCMS is Lutheran, but it isn't "mainline" Lutheran. The "mainline" Lutherans, ELCA, are the ones down the street with the rainbow banners, living on endowments from people now interred in the Lutheran graveyard.
Now I'm no expert on this type of taxonomy, so if I am wrong, please correct me.
You nailed it spot on.
>>I think, though, that the relatively new, renewed, faithfully Christian organizations which are growing -— the WELS, the LCMS, the PCA, the various Episcopal/Anglican exiles and offshoots -— are not referred to, and do not call themselves, “mainline” Protestants.
That’s what I was saying, that the mainline denominations are spawning a non-mainline/non-progressive version of themselves. When they do, the old mainline version goes into steep decline while the new, non-mainline version grows.
You got it right, Mrs. Don-o.