I grew up in the ELCA and now attend a non-dom church. If anyone could answer that question I would appreciate it. The LCMS seems conservative and biblically sound in their teachings.
I am a LCMS pastor, and the main issue with those denominations that have left the ELCA, such as CORE is doing, is with the LCMS’ position that only males can be pastors. The second issue is with closed communion. Thirty years ago the issue of women in the pastoral office would not have been a divisive issue, since none of the Lutheran denominations ordained women. It is like the old saw about once the horse gets out of the barn you cannot get it back. What the members fail to understand is that the same arguments for women’s ordination are exactly the same ones for accepting homosexuality. Once you ignore the Scriptures and tradition on one point, it opens to door to anarchy.
The newly dissident ELCA congegations are unwilling to give up their female pastorate.
I tried an LCMS church after giving up on the ELCA, didn’t care much for it. We now attend an AFLC congregation. If CORE is everything I think it could be, I might go back to that.