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The '''Evangelical Lutheran Church in America''' or '''ELCA''' was the largest Lutheran body in the United States, with 3.6 million full members in 2005, in 10,549 churches with 17,665 clergy. The 7900 Sunday Schools had an enrollment of 640,000. The ELCA membership is nationwide but is concentrated in rural areas of Pennsylvania and the Midwest.  Metropolitan areas have 42% of the churches; small and medium cities have 20%, and small towns have 37%. It is a [[Mainline Protestant churches|mainline Protestant denomination]]. The ELCA is losing members Churches and Sunday Schools to the [[North American Lutheran Church]] over [[homosexuality]] issues.

The '''Evangelical Lutheran Church in America''' or '''ELCA''' was the largest Lutheran body in the United States, with 3.6 million full members in 2005, in 10,549 churches with 17,665 clergy. The 7900 Sunday Schools had an enrollment of 640,000. The ELCA membership is nationwide but is concentrated in rural areas of Pennsylvania and the Midwest.  Metropolitan areas have 42% of the churches; small and medium cities have 20%, and small towns have 37%. It is a [[Mainline Protestant churches|mainline Protestant denomination]]. The ELCA is losing members Churches and Sunday Schools to the [[North American Lutheran Church]] over [[homosexuality]] issues<ref>https://sowhatfaith.com/2024/05/25/elca-membership-cut-in-half-2125/</ref><ref>https://truthscript.com/church/the-elcas-downfall-and-how-to-prevent-your-church-from-following/</ref><ref>https://protestia.com/2025/06/09/shocking-stats-elca-bishop-reveals-only-this-percentage-of-their-congregations-can-afford-a-full-time-pastor/</ref>.

The bishop of St. Paul, Minnesota, Rev. Mark S. Hanson was reelected in 2007 for another six-year term as ELCA presiding bishop.  The ELCA was created in 1988 after a very complex set of mergers that brought together most of the nation's Lutherans. The ELCA encompasses a very broad range of opinions and practices regarding theology, piety, and worship styles, as well as political and social views.  Many members are conservative Republicans; 95% are white.  ELCA is a member of the National Council of Churches and has a lobbying office in Washington called the Lutheran Office  

The bishop of St. Paul, Minnesota, Rev. Mark S. Hanson was reelected in 2007 for another six-year term as ELCA presiding bishop.  The ELCA was created in 1988 after a very complex set of mergers that brought together most of the nation's Lutherans. The ELCA encompasses a very broad range of opinions and practices regarding theology, piety, and worship styles, as well as political and social views.  Many members are conservative Republicans; 95% are white.  ELCA is a member of the National Council of Churches and has a lobbying office in Washington called the Lutheran Office