Religion: Union v. Unity

Many denominations convene each year; the hardheaded, Bible-centered Lutherans of the Missouri Synod (membership: almost 2,000,000) meet only once in three years, and do a thorough job of it then. Last week they assembled in Houston for ten days of reports and plans.

One of the first things they did was to re-elect the Rev. John W. Behnken, 69, a veteran of 18 years in the job, as president of the Missouri Synod for another three years. Silver-haired President Behnken delivered an acceptance speech in which he spoke some pointed words about church union:

"There have been some people who have urged that the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod link up with other church bodies in order to have the strength of greater numbers. You hear the argument again and again that then there would be greater financial strength, or that you could make greater and more effective impacts on the community or the nation or the world.

"It is not wrong to seek union with other church bodies, but this can be done only on the basis of genuine doctrinal unity . . . God does not need great numbers. It is better to stand alone and remain small in numbers, but have God on your side, than to be linked up with many church bodies to have great numbers but to have offended God."