▁at roc ities ▁committed ▁by ▁Hitler ' s ▁regime ▁as ▁means ▁to ▁address ▁the ▁German ▁collect ive ▁gu ilt . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁the ▁Evangel ical ▁Church ▁in ▁Germany ▁was ▁organized ▁in ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁to ▁function ▁as ▁a ▁new ▁um bre lla ▁organization ▁for ▁German ▁Protest ant ▁churches . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁t ensions ▁between ▁West ▁and ▁East ▁Germany , ▁the ▁regional ▁churches ▁in ▁East ▁Germany ▁broke ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁E K D ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁following ▁German ▁reun ification , ▁the ▁East ▁German ▁churches ▁rejo ined ▁the ▁E K D . ▁ ▁The ▁member ▁churches ▁( G lied kir chen ), ▁while ▁being ▁independent ▁and ▁having ▁their ▁own ▁the ological ▁and ▁formal ▁organisation , ▁share ▁full ▁pul pit ▁and ▁alt ar ▁fellow ship , ▁are ▁un ited ▁in ▁the ▁E K D ▁syn od , ▁and ▁are ▁individual ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁World ▁Council ▁of ▁Church es ▁( W CC ) ▁and ▁the ▁Community ▁of ▁Protest ant ▁Church es ▁in ▁Europe ▁( CP CE ). ▁B ound aries ▁of ▁E K D ▁churches ▁within ▁Germany ▁partially ▁res emble ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁states ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁and ▁successor ▁forms ▁of ▁German ▁state hood ▁( to ▁the ▁most ▁part ▁ 1 8 1 5 ▁borders ), ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁histor ically ▁close ▁relationship ▁between ▁individual ▁German ▁states ▁and ▁churches . ▁ ▁As ▁for ▁church ▁govern ance , ▁the ▁Luther an ▁churches ▁typically