The Protestant Church of Westphalia (german: Evangelische Kirche von Westfalen, EKvW) is a United Protestant Landeskirche, church body in North Rhine-Westphalia. The seat of the praeses (german: Präses, the head of the church) is Bielefeld. The EKvW emerged on 13 June 1945, when the ecclesiastical province of Westphalia within the Lutheran Church of the old-Prussian Union assumed its independence as church body of its own. The EKvW is a full member of the Protestant Church in Germany (EKD), and the Reformed Alliance and is a church whose bases are in a Prussian Union (Lutheran Christian Church), Union between parishes in Lutheran and Calvinistic traditions. The church is also a member of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe. ''Präses'' (president) of the EKvW is Annette Kurschus (2012), as its first female leader.

Präses (President)

* 1834–1835: Jakob von der Kuhlen * 1835–1841: Christian Nonne * 1841–1843: Bernhard Jacobi * 1844–1874: Wilhelm Diedrich Albert * 1874–1902: Ludwig Polscher * 1902–1914: Friedrich König * 1914–1927: Heinrich Kockelke * 1927–1949: Karl Koch (until 1934 Präses der Provinzialsynode, 1934–1945 of Bekenntnissynode, since 1945 of synode) * 1949–1968: Ernst Wilm * 1969–1977: Hans Thimme * 1977–1985: Heinrich Reiß * 1985–1996: Hans-Martin Linnemann * 1996–2004: Manfred Sorg * 2004–2012: Alfred Buß * 2012–: Annette Kurschus

Practices

The church permits the ordination of women. Blessing of same-sex unions in Christian churches, Blessing of same-sex marriages has been allowed from 2019.Neue Westfälische Nachrichten: Landeskirche von Westfalen stellt Homosexuelle vor Traualtar gleich
20 November 2019

References

External links

Evangelische Kirche von Westfalen
(in German)

(Evangelical Church in Germany, EKD)

{{Authority control Member churches of the Evangelical Church in Germany, Westphalia United and uniting churches, Westphalia Westphalia Christianity in North Rhine–Westphalia, Westphalia