The CELC Planning Committee, in communication with the Lutheran Church of Central Africa—Zambia, has set the dates for the 2026 international convention. God willing, the convention will be held in Lusaka, Zambia, on Friday, May 29, 2026, through Monday, June 1, 2026 (four days). Participants will be encouraged to arrive on Thursday, May 28, and leave on Tuesday, June 2.

The essay topics and essayists have also been selected. God willing, they will be:

• Exegesis of 1 Corinthians 14 | David Bivens (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod – USA)
• Baptism | David Kamwata (Lutheran Church of Central Africa – Zambia)
• Formula of Concord V: Law and Gospel | Kalyan Gollapalli (Lutheran Mission of Salvation – India)
• Pietism | Holger Weiss (Evangelical Lutheran Free Church – Germany)
• The Strategy and Success of Academia Cristo | Henry Herrera (Iglesia Cristo WELS Internacional – Colombia)

We invite you to begin making plans for this convention. Each CELC member church is encouraged to send two voting delegates. It would be wonderful if most, if not all, 34 CELC member churches would be represented at this convention, the first to be held in Africa.

More information will be shared as it is available in 2025. If you have immediate questions or concerns, please email the CELC President at president@celc.info. We on the Planning Committee are eagerly looking forward to being together again and enjoying the hospitality of the LCCA in Zambia.

Submitted by the CELC Planning Committee

      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

 

February 24, 2025, marked the three-year anniversary of the invasion of Russia into Ukraine. Recently, Bishop Vyacheslav Horpynchuk reported to WELS about the effects of the war on the Ukrainian Lutheran Church (ULC). His report is being shared here since the condition of the ULC is a concern for everyone in the CELC. 

Bishop Horpynchuk first reported on the size of the ULC. There are 14 congregations, 12 pastors, and 5 deacons, serving 655 members.

He then reported on how the war has dramatically affected life for everyone in Ukraine and in the ULC. There is widespread destruction, death, and deprivation. Three congregations of the ULC have had to temporarily suspend services due to attacks in their areas. The pastor for the congregation in Tokmak had to leave the city after Russians started arresting Protestant pastors, and many members left as well.

In the midst of this chaos, however, the churches of the ULC have had the opportunity to share aid received from WELS and others in the form of food, medicine, household supplies, clothes, and more. This humanitarian aid has brought many people into contact with churches of the ULC and provided opportunities for sharing the gospel of Jesus as the Savior of the world. 

There are some remarkable evidences of God’s Word at work, for which we can praise God. For example:

• In Kyiv, 90 people have joined the church, and 30 more are taking catechism classes.
• While services in Bereznehuvate had to cease temporarily, once Russian forces were out of the area, the congregation not only resumed regular worship but also started a mission in Snihurivka, with an average of 100 people attending each week.
• Throughout the ULC, there are about 150 new communicant members, and about 100 more are currently studying Luther’s Small Catechism. 

The entire unedited update from Bishop Horpynchuk can be found here. Everyone associated with the CELC can be encouraged to pray that God would graciously end the war, that he would watch over the members of the ULC, giving them comfort and strength through the good news of God’s love in Christ, and that he would continue to spread his kingdom through the faithful witness of our brothers and sisters in the ULC. 

Information shared first in the WELS Together e-newsletter

On Friday, January 31, 2025, theological educators of the CELC held an online conference hosted by GTEC—the Global Theological Education Commission. The conference was held from 6:00-8:00 am CDT, which put it in the afternoon in Europe and Africa, and in the evening in eastern Asia. 

About forty educators participated, representing about twenty different countries and church bodies. For the major portion of the meeting, participants were divided into five subgroups depending on their area of expertise—Church History, New Testament, Old Testament, Practical Theology, and Doctrinal Theology. 

The purpose of the meeting was to connect theological educators from around the world with others in the CELC who are doing the same thing in order to provide mutual support, growth, and encouragement. Each breakout group, led by a GTEC member, discussed topics pertaining to their area of expertise. 

The feedback received from participants will be considered by GTEC as it considers future events. It seems that participants appreciated the chance to interact with confessional Lutherans from around the world to discuss the blessed work of theological education together. 

Submitted by Prof. Bradley Wordell, Chairman of GTEC

What is the best Christmas song? According to one United States poll, the most popular Christmas song is “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (1994) by Mariah Carey. The most iconic Christmas song is “White Christmas” (1947) by Bing Crosby.

How the real meaning of Christmas is lost for many people!

For a Christmas song that presents the real meaning of Christmas, I suggest the following by our confessional Lutheran hymn writer Paul Gerhardt:

All my heart again rejoices
As I hear far and near sweetest angel voices.
“Christ is born!” their choirs are singing
Till the air everywhere now with joy is ringing.

Hear! The conqueror has spoken:
“Now the foe, sin and woe, death and hell are broken!”
God is man, man to deliver,
And the Son now is one with our blood forever.

See the Lamb, our sin once taking,
To the cross, suffering loss, full atonement making.
For our life his own he tenders,
And his grace all our race fit for glory renders.

Come, then, banish all your sadness!
One and all, great and small, come with songs of gladness;
We shall live with him forever
There on high in that joy which will vanish never.
(Christian Worship, 329:1,2,4,6)

What we celebrate at Christmas is God’s marvelous plan of salvation, which makes it possible for sinners like us to be reconciled to God and to live with him forever. This plan of salvation involves God becoming one of us in the person of Jesus—all so that Jesus can later die on the cross, taking the punishment of sin that we deserve. 

Here is a true reason to “rejoice” and to “banish all sadness!” Our eternal salvation has been accomplished by the grace of God who sent his own Son to earth as our Redeemer. On behalf of the CELC Planning Committee, I wish you and your church a blessed celebration of the birth of our Savior. May the good news of the gospel put joy in your hearts.

I also can share a few pieces of information about the CELC.

The dates for the 2026 international CELC convention have been set. God willing, we will meet in Lusaka, Zambia on Friday, May 29, 2026, through Monday, June 1, 2026 (arrive on Thursday, May 28 and leave on Tuesday, June 2). Mark your calendars, and look for more information in the new year.

The Global Theological Education Commission is planning an online conference for CELC theological educators on January 31, 2025. The registration form can be found here.

As announced earlier, we are looking for invitations to host the 2029 international convention. If your church is interested in being considered as the host, please let the CELC president know by September 2025.

God bless your Christmas and your new year.

Submitted by Thomas Nass, CELC President