'Gay' clergy leads to membership drop

Russ Jones
OneNewsNow
8/17/2010

Another mainline denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), is reporting a decline in membership, joining a growing trend in mainline loses.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America -- the largest Lutheran body in the U.S. -- lost almost 91,000 members and 48 congregations last year (see earlier story). Mark Tooley, president of the Institute on Religion & Democracy, says other mainline denominations, such as the Episcopal Church and the United Methodist Church, have seen continuous decline as well since the mid 1960s.

In response to the loss in membership, which is accompanied by a nearly three-percent dorp in giving, the ELCA Church Council is revising its remaining 2010 budget as well as restructuring the church-wide organization in 2011. the rest