Pastor Rolf Borszik at the 2012 ELFK Convention in Zwichau
On January 11, 2025, Pastor Rolf Borszik—a former president of the Evangelical Lutheran Free Church (ELFK) of Germany—was called to his heavenly home. He died at the age of 75 after a heart attack, and he was buried as a Christian in Nerchau, Germany, on January 20 with a large crowd in attendance.
Some in the CELC may remember him. Among other things, he attended the 2005 CELC convention in Japan, and several times he visited the Ukraine. With this obituary, we would like to take a brief look back on his life.
Rolf Borszik was born on September 22, 1949, in Chemnitz, Germany. After successfully completing his schooling, he first learned a technical profession at the East German State Railways (Deutsche Reichsbahn).
Originally, he was a member of the Evangelical Lutheran State Church. With God’s help, the children’s catechist of his parish succeeded in opening his heart to faith in Jesus. He was grateful for this throughout his life. Through his active participation in the church’s youth organization, Rolf decided to train as a deacon. From 1968 to 1972, he completed the corresponding training in Moritzburg near Dresden and then worked as a children’s deacon in the Meißen church district of the Evangelical Lutheran State Church. During this time, he married Rosemarie, who had also been trained as a children’s deacon. The couple was given six children.
Starting in 1976, Rolf Borszik worked as a deacon in the parish of Pomßen (near Leipzig) and after 1980 in Nerchau (near Grimma). There he met Rev. Karl-Heinz Stiehler, who opposed the increasing pluralism and decline of confessionalism in the Evangelical Lutheran State Church. Rolf Borszik shared this perspective, and in 1982, he and his family joined those who were beginning to leave. That is how he came to the Evangelical Lutheran Free Church (ELFK). Because he was no longer able to practice his profession as a deacon in the regional church, he worked as a handyman in the Farmers’ Trade Cooperative (BHG) starting in 1982.
In 1986, he applied to study theology and came to the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Leipzig. In 1988, he was able to complete the advanced courses (building on his deacon training) with the theological examination. He then worked as a vicar in Zwickau-Planitz and the Vogtland parishes. On January 10, 1989, he was ordained to the holy ministry in Lengenfeld by President Gerhard Wilde, and then he served as pastor of the ELFK in Lengenfeld and Plauen until his retirement in 2015.
His heart beat for the youth work of our church. He was always involved in retreats and other events for the whole church.
In 1994, the 80th Synod of the ELFK in Crimmitschau appointed him to the Synodal Council and elected him vice president. From 2002-2010, he served the Evangelical Lutheran Free Church as president. From 2007-2015, he also worked as a religion teacher at the Dr. Martin Luther School in Zwickau. He spent his retirement with his wife in his house on the outskirts of Grottewitz, near Nerchau. The last 20 years were overshadowed by illnesses, including a brain tumor. The temptations associated with this could not take away his childlike, cheerful faith. He was happy to bear witness to this when he recently reported vividly on his path to the ministry at the seminar day in Leipzig in September 2024.
He now sees what he had believed. The eternal light shines for him!
Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake:
some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens,
and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
(Daniel 12:2-3)
Submitted by Gottfried Herrmann and Michael Herbst
