As the war effort ramped up, drafts and conscriptions were on the horizon for German men, and Bonhoeffer’s age-set was ordered to register for military service. Bonhoeffer explored various options, but ultimately chose to take a deferment while he pursued an opportunity to return to England. There, he reunited with Bishop George Bell and his friend Hildebrandt, who both urged him to accept an opportunity to work in the USA, thus putting him farther from the dangers enshrouding his position in Germany.

While Bonhoeffer felt that leaving the Confessing Church in its hour of peril was unfair, he also knew that he couldn’t fight for Hitler’s cause and that the alternative—giving himself up to execution as a conscientious objector—would bring further negative attention to the Confessing Church. Thus, upon receiving his draft notice, he decided to set sail for America. However, he could not escape a pang of regret there, as he restlessly sought God’s guidance and increasingly felt he may have made a mistake. In the end, he decided to return to Germany, having spent less than a month in America.