▁Since ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁when ▁many ▁Protest ant ▁churches ▁in ▁Europe , ▁including ▁the ▁E K D ▁members , ▁concluded ▁the ▁Le uen berg ▁Ag re ement , ▁also ▁the ▁then ▁ 2 1 ▁E K D ▁members ▁introduced ▁full ▁commun ion ▁for ▁their ▁parish ion ers ▁and ▁min istry ▁among ▁each ▁other . ▁ ▁Since ▁also ▁the ▁regional ▁Protest ant ▁churches ▁in ▁East ▁Germany ▁had ▁signed ▁the ▁Le uen berg ▁Ag re ement , ▁thus ▁the ▁then ▁ten ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Federation ▁of ▁Protest ant ▁Church es ▁in ▁the ▁German ▁Democratic ▁Republic ▁pract ised ▁full ▁commun ion ▁with ▁the ▁E K D ▁members ▁too . ▁Ord ination ▁of ▁women ▁is ▁pract ised ▁in ▁all ▁ 2 0 ▁member ▁churches ▁with ▁many ▁women ▁having ▁been ▁ord ained ▁in ▁recent ▁years . ▁There ▁are ▁also ▁several ▁women ▁serving ▁as ▁b ish ops . ▁Mar got ▁K äß mann , ▁former ▁Bishop ▁of ▁the ▁Evangel ical ▁Luther an ▁Church ▁of ▁Han over ▁and ▁Chair person ▁of ▁the ▁Council ▁of ▁the ▁E K D ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁until ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁woman ▁to ▁head ▁the ▁E K D . ▁B less ings ▁of ▁same - sex ▁mar ri ages ▁is ▁pract ised ▁and ▁allowed ▁in ▁ 1 4 ▁of ▁ 2 0 ▁and ▁B less ing ▁of ▁same - sex ▁un ions ▁are ▁allowed ▁in ▁all ▁other ▁member ▁churches . ▁ ▁The ▁E K D ▁has ▁under g one ▁a ▁split ▁in ▁the