Something like that, I would say we are analogous to them.
There was a time when the WELS, the LCMS, and some of the churches which became the ELCA were in fellowship. It was after those churches became the ELCA, which at that time was still in fellowship with the WELS and LCMS, that the errors listed in a previous post began to creep in.
The WELS and I think the LCMS for a time worked with the ELCA to stop those errors but when it became apparent that the ELCA leadership wasn't going to repent the WELS broke fellowship with the ELCA.
The WELS continued in fellowship with the LCMS until it became apparent that because of their own internal issues and continuing fellowship with the ELCA it was necessary to break fellowship with the LCMS.
Breaking fellowship or refusing fellowship is a witness to the other Synod that they have adopted a wrong doctrine or practice that without repentance precludes fellowship. It is not a judgement of whether the other is Christian.
Some good news is that the LCMS did resolve to fix the internal problem they were having and did eventually break fellowship with the unrepentant ELCA.
That is a broad brush picture of what happened before my time.
@Bonnie may have more details or a slightly different perspective.