The ELCA is a merged denomination of several Lutheran church bodies, which were once sound and Christian. It has since been taken over by Satan and his minions.
There are many older members who are (or at least were) Lutheran Christians, who for various reasons are trapped in ELCA congregations. I (formerly ELCA, since 2008 Orthodox) pray for these people regularly, and others should do so, too!
And no, the ELCA is not the Missouri Synod. And there are also several spin-offs from the ELCA which have escaped from Satan’s clutches!
I know there is a difference. It seems I find all the articles on the one that has gone off the rails.
ECLA hasn’t been around that long, yet the media calls them mainline, though they are at best disgruntled spinoffs or Marxist mockeries of churches spawned for political purposes.
Meanwhile, the real church body Missouri synod and WELS are much older.