A problem of nomenclature

Of course the Lutheran church isn't dying.

But the ELCA is!

Losing one percent of its membership a year might enable it to exist for quite a while yet, but America's largest nominally Lutheran church is hemorrhaging members nearly as fast as it hemorrhaged substance since its founding in 1988.

In the latter respect, it has long since exsanguinated.

Of course, in no theologically meaningful sense whatsoever is the ELCA (like many other members of the Lutheran World Federation) any part of the Lutheran church at all!