Two leading German Protestant bishops have proposed the creation of a global alliance that they believe would strengthen the voice of worldwide Protestantism

* Two leading German Protestant bishops have proposed the creation of a global alliance that they believe would strengthen the voice of worldwide Protestantism. Margot Kaessmann from Hanover and Wolfgang Huber from Berlin made the proposal in November at the synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany.

At present the world's Protestant churches do not have their own umbrella body, but many belong to the World Council of Churches, which also has Orthodox, Anglican and independent churches as members. Kaessmann resigned from the WCC central committee in September, saying she was protesting key proposals intended to facilitate participation in the ecumenical body by disaffected Orthodox churches. She particularly objected to measures under which she believes it would no longer be possible to celebrate ecumenical worship at WCC events. But she advised waiting until the next assembly of the WCC in 2006 before taking any decision to set up a Protestant alliance.

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