The Lutheran Church has a number of Synods. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) is the most liberal. The name is a proper name and has nothing to do with evangelical movement. In 1975 there was a split from the Missouri Synod which was the second most conservative behind The Wisconsin Synod. The ECLA became more and more liberal as the years went by. The were the first Lutheran church to have female pastors and then gay pastors and finally this Transgender Bishop. Since 2009 the ECLA, due to these radical ideologies have been loosing member churches and some scholars believe by 2030 there will no longer be an ELCA.
Having said all that, the Lutheran Church is not the only church to be loosing members to the growing Evangelical Free movement. The older Institutional churches are dying a slow death.
You are welcome and Merry Christmas.
ImpBill, you implied that the ELCA existed in 1975. The ELCA was formed in 1988, because of the merger of the American Lutheran Church, Lutheran Church in America, and the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches.