Like many pastors from the Basel Mission Society, Herlitz regarded all protestant denominations as having a common goal of following God's teachings. Accordingly, Herlitz strove for unity among the Australian Lutheran congregations and was disappointed that his work was sometimes regarded as drifting away from traditional Lutheranism. Herlitz advocated for the union of Lutheran synods in the General Synod while opposing the idea that union could only involve groups following the strict confessionalism of the South Australian Lutherans.
