I’ll bet if you go into the ELCA bylaws that it takes an act of congress to remove a name from the membership rolls.
“Membership” should never be used to evaluate a church’s size and reach. It should always be attendance (average weekly, monthly, annually...take your pick)
ELCA has three categories of membership:
Baptized = self explanatory. Includes all ages.
Confirmed = Baptized members who have received Confirmation.
Voting = Confirmed members who have made a Communion of record and a contribution of record within the current or past calendar year.
The “voting member” definition is entirely too minimalistic. One could Commune (filling out a record card) on Christmas Eve on alternate years and drop a check for $0.01 in the offering plate and be considered a “Voting Member”.