RTS E-Newsletter

RTS E-Newsletter iss.#137 April 30, 2013

5/1/2013 12:00:00 AM

NEW PRESIDENT IN WASHINGTON DC
DR. JOHN SCOTT REDD INAUGURATED ON APRIL 20

On Saturday night, April 20, there was a great celebration going on in Washington, D.C. Dr. John Scott Redd (pictured front center) was inaugurated as the first president of the RTS/Washington D.C. campus. The inauguration was held at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, Md.

Dr. Robert M. Norris, senior pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church (back row, second from left) gave the inaugural address. RTS Acting CEO Steve Wallace (bottom row, second from right) along with RTS Board Chairman Richard Ridgway gave the presentation and investiture. RTS/Orlando President Dr. Don Sweeting (bottom right) gave the charge to the president. Academic Dean Dr. Howard Griffith (left of Dr. Redd) gave the charge to the seminary. Congratulations to Dr. Redd!

April 30, 2013 | Issue #137

DATES TO REMEMBER

May 2 - National Day of Prayer

May 20-22 - OnePassion Conf. at RTS/Atlanta

Commencements:
May 18 - RTS/Jackson Commencement - FPC Jackson 10am

May 24 - RTS/Orlando Commencement - St. Andrews Chapel 7:30pm

May 25 - RTS/Charlotte Commencement - Christ Covenant Church - 11am

May 25 - RTS/Atlanta Commencement - RTS/Atlanta Campus - 10am

May 31 - RTS/Washington DC Commencement - McLean PC - 7:30pm

RTS/ORLANDO PRESIDENT LAUNCHES RADIO PROGRAM
This spring, WTLN 950 AM (Altamonte Springs, Fla.) began airing the new TAKE 5 radio program with Dr. Don Sweeting, president of Reformed Theological Seminary’s Orlando campus. The five-minute program is for the listener willing to take five minutes out of their day to contemplate how the gospel can help them cultivate a mind for truth and a heart for God.

The program, which can be heard daily at 6:55 a.m. before “Focus on the Family” and 5:55 p.m. after “Moving Forward” and before “Jay Sekulow,” reaches an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 Christians in Central Florida each week. Read more here.

VAN DIXHOORN TO JOIN RTS/WASHINGTON FACULTY
Dr. Scott Redd, president of RTS/Washington, D.C. is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Chad B. Van Dixhoorn as associate professor of church history.

“Chad brings an impressive mix of academic excellence in the area of church history and experience with faithful pastoral ministry,” Redd commented. “His addition to our residential faculty will greatly augment RTS/Washington’s work of equipping ministers and Christian leaders in the metropolitan area.” Read more here.

A PACKED CHAPEL FOR PIPER'S LECTURE AT RTS/ORLANDO

John Piper spoke at RTS/Orlando on "The Life and Ministry of Charles Spurgeon." to a record crowd in the RTS Pamplin Chapel on April 10. This was the inaugural message for the new lecture series for The Nicole Institute of Baptist Studies. The lecture was followed by Q&A from the audience, and a dessert reception and book signing in the fellowship hall. Watch the lecture here.

RTS BOARD ENGAGES SIMA FOR NEW CHANCELLOR SEARCH
RTS announces a search for our next chancellor/CEO. The board of trustees of RTS has authorized SIMA International and Dr. Tommy Thomas to coordinate a search for RTS’s next chancellor/CEO. Dr. Thomas, a leader in this industry, has conducted more than 150 executive-level searches.

If you or someone you know would be interested in this position, please contact Dr. Tommy Thomas via email at tthomas@simainternational.com or via phone at 615.261.4623. You may also contact Richard Ridgway, the RTS chairman of the board at rridgway@rts.edu or use this mailing address: 5422 Clinton Blvd., Jackson, MS 39209.

Please pray for the Lord to lead the right person to the seminary as a result of this search for a chancellor.

THE RTS BOOTH AND DISCUSSION PANEL AT THE GOSPEL COALITION IN ORLANDO


Stephane Jeanrenaud, admissions director of RTS/Charlotte (pictured behind table in black shirt) answers questions at the RTS booth at The Gospel Coalition. Tim Trouten, admissions coordinator for RTS/Orlando is pictured far left talking to Jim Song (RTS/Washington D.C. student, who also worked at the RTS booth.)

From the faculty discussion panel, pictured (L to R) is Dr. John Currid (Charlotte), Dr. Mike Kruger (Charlotte) and Dr. Chuck Hill (Orlando).

Pictured (L to R) above are admissions directors Matt Koehn (Atlanta) and Stephane Jeanrenaud (Charlotte) and applications coordinator Dave Veldkamp (Orlando). Matt Stahl, assistant to the executive director (Houston) is behind them (red shirt). RTS/Global admissions director Jim McAlhaney is pictured far left speaking with Ministry & Leadership editor Paul Schwarz.

Jim McAlhaney, admissions director (RTS/Global) (pictured right). Kevin Collins, admissions director (Orlando) is behind them.

JOHN OLIVER RETIRES
With deep appreciation for his labors in training ministers of the gospel, Reformed Theological Seminary announces that Dr. John Oliver will retire from his position as the Robert Strong adjunct professor of homiletics and practical theology effective May 31, 2013. Dr. Oliver has taught at the RTS/Charlotte campus since 1999 in the areas of preaching, worship, sanctification and missions.

Prior to his time at RTS/Charlotte, Dr. Oliver had served in the pastorate for nearly 35 years, with 29 of those years as senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Augusta, Ga.

Dr. Michael Kruger, president of the Charlotte campus, said, “There are few professors that have shaped the Charlotte campus like John Oliver. His passion for faithful expository preaching, his love of Christ-centered worship, and his heart for missions has transformed an entire generation of pastors. He will be deeply missed.”

To thank him for his many years of service, a lunch reception for Dr. Oliver will be held on the RTS/Charlotte campus on May 7 at 11:30 a.m. in the chapel.

TWO NEW ONLINE DEGREE PROGRAM OPPORTUNITIES
Until recently, RTS offered one online degree, the Master of Arts (Religion). Now RTS will offer three, fully online-degrees: the Master of Arts (Biblical Studies), the Master of Arts (Theological Studies), and the Master of Arts (Religion). In addition, RTS will now offer a significant percentage of the Master of Divinity degree online. M.Div students can now take up to 67% of their courses via distance education. Read more here.

RTS COMMENCEMENT INFORMATION
RTS/Jackson - Saturday, May 18, at First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, Miss., at 10:00 a.m. The speaker will be Sean Lucas, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Hattiesburg, Miss.

RTS/Orlando - Friday, May 24, at St. Andrews Chapel in Sanford, Fla., at 7:30 p.m. The speaker will be the Hon. Bill Armstrong, president of Colorado Christian University and former Colorado senator.

RTS/Atlanta - Saturday, May 25, on the RTS/Atlanta campus at 10:00 a.m. The speaker will be Dr. Sam Larsen, professor of missions emeritus.

RTS/Charlotte - Saturday, May 25, at Christ Covenant Church at 11:00 a.m. The speaker will be Dr. T. David Gordon, professor of Religion and Greek at Grove City College in Grove City, Pa.

RTS/Washington D.C. - Friday, May 31, at McLean Presbyterian at 7:30 p.m. The speaker will be Dr. Richard Gaffin, Jr., professor of biblical and systematic theology emeritus at Westminster Theological Seminary.

MELISSA KRUGER TALKS CONTENTMENT
Melissa Kruger has written The Envy of Eve (Christian Focus, 2012) and was recently interviewed on the 700 Club on CBN TV about her book where she talks about contentment. Listen to her interview here during the first part of this program.

The publisher says, "The Envy of Eve guides readers to understand how desires grow into covetousness and what happens when this sin takes power in our hearts.

Covetousness chokes out the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, allowing discontentment to bloom. The key to overcoming is to get to the root of our problem: unbelief-a mistrust of God's sovereignty and goodness. An ideal resource for deeper study or group discussion." Melissa serves as the women's ministry coordinator at Uptown Church in Charlotte, NC, and is married to Dr. Mike Kruger, president of the RTS/Charlotte campus.

Michael Aitcheson (M.Div. '11)
Mike was ordained in mid-April at Lake Baldwin Church in Orlando, Fla., and is currently serving as church planting apprentice. Michael Tilly (M.Div. '97) serves as senior pastor there and Fritz Schalmo (M.Div. '12, MAC '12) serves as pastor of youth and families. Josh Bales (current RTS student and singer-songwriter of five albums) serves as director of worship and communication.

John Burke (M.Div. '11)
John is teaching theology courses in Latin America. He traveled to Costa Rica and Colombia last year to teach at seminaries in those countries. He is also working with MINTS, a world-wide pastor training organization based in Miami, Fla., to help provide impoverished pastors with higher quality resources and training. Currently, he is developing a course on 1 Thessalonians. He appreciates the Reformed perspective he gained at RTS and finds it distinct and valuable in providing Christ-centered education.

Phil Davis (M.Div. '03)
As a church planter of Faith Community Church in Prague, Czech Republic, Phil is currently on Home Mission Assignment in the U.S. They've enjoyed reconnecting with churches and supporters and taking some fun trips. They plan to travel to Spain the last 2 weeks in May for World Harvest Mission's mission-wide conference. They are looking forward to seeing their Prague team again.

David Fisher (RTS Washington DC Student)
David wrote an article in World magazine's March 22 edition titled "Old Lives, New Lives." Read the article here.

Rod Miles ( M.Div. '04)
Rod is the founding pastor of Grace Church of Marin in San Anselmo, Calif, which opened in 2006. This year they celebrated their first Easter as a "particular church" with a great crowd, welcoming new members and celebrating the resurrection. Please pray for continued growth of the church and for the finances of the church to support staff levels, and a possible new venue to accommodate more people. Rod is scheduled to begin a three-month sabbatical with his family beginning May 11.

Lisa Repair (MA '10)
Lisa is currently serving with Mission to the World in Bangkok,Thailand at New City Church. She teaches English to the church on a regular basis as a service. They are currently seeking a full-time Thai pastor. Her church has a strong connection to New Beginnings, a restorative home for girls who have left prostitution. Please pray for their team/staff retreat in early May.

Jolly Rimai (D.Min./ICS '05)

Jolly (pictured above) serves as the mission secretary for the Manipur Baptist Convention affiliated with the Council of Baptist Churches in North East India. In early April he encouraged believers at Louphong Baptist Church during their Jubilee celebration. He then went to the Garo Baptist Convention where they had their mission consultation on streamlining the mission of the church. He asks for prayer as he has many more engagements coming up in the next few months.

Cynthia Ruble (MATS '00)

In April, Cynthia gave a speech in Japanese at a meeting about a new adoption law in the building of the Japanese Diet (Parliament).The new law will make adoption even more rare and difficult there. She also introduced her adopted son Micah. Please pray for her in her work with this effort.

Jemar Tisby (M.Div. '07)

Jemar wrote an article in ByFaith titled "The Joyful Pursuit of Multiethnic Churches: It's a good thing, but it's not easy." He is also pictured above working the RTS booth at The Gospel Coalition in Orlando. Thanks, Jemar!

ALUMNI & FRIENDS: DON'T MISS OUR MEAL EVENTS AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLIES!

BREAKFAST AT ARP SYNOD
Join us on Wednesday, June 12, at the ARP Synod for the RTS Alumni & Friends Breakfast at 7:00 a.m. The breakfast will be held at the Bonclarken Convention Center in Flat Rock, NC. RSVP not required.
RTS/Charlotte President Mike Kruger will speak at this event.

NEW! LUNCH AT PCA GA
Join us Thursday, June 20, at the PCA General Assembly for the RTS Alumni & Friends Lunch at noon at the TD Convention Center, Room 202A (room subject to change) in Greenville, SC. RSVP not required. Seating is limited.

BREAKFAST AT EPC GA
Join us on Friday, June 21, at the EPC General Assembly for the RTS Alumni & Friends Breakfast at 7:00 a.m. The breakfast will be held in the Park Ridge Ballroom AB at the Marriott Denver South, 10345 Park Meadows Drive, Littleton, CO. RSVP not required. Seating is limited.

RTS E-Newsletter iss.#136 April 9, 2013

4/9/2013 12:00:00 AM

JOHN PIPER TO SPEAK AT RTS/ORLANDO
INAUGURAL SPURGEON LECTURE

Dr. John Piper, founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary, will speak on "The Life and Times of Charles Spurgeon" to kick off the inaugural Spurgeon Lecture at RTS/Orlando on Wednesday evening, April 10. Contact Sarah Vacca for ticket info. RTS/Orlando recently implemented the Nicole Institute of Baptist Studies this semester and it will include an annual lecture. Next year's speaker will be Al Mohler. For more information, click here.

April 2, 2013 | Issue #136

DATES TO REMEMBER

April 8-9 - RTS Faculty Discussion Panel at the Gospel Coalition in Orlando, Fla.

April 10 - Dr. John Piper to speak at the Inaugural Spurgeon Lecture at RTS/Orlando

April 20 - Inauguration of Dr. John Scott Redd, Jr., President, RTS/Washington, D.C.

April 22-26 RTS course to be taught in Central Iowa

May 20-22 OnePassion Conference at RTS/Atlanta

SUMMER REGISTRATION OPENS APRIL 1
Sign up now or even audit one of our Summer Term classes. Here is a taste of the classes being offered:

Charlotte June 24-28 Richard Pratt Hermeneutics
July 8-12 D.A. Carson Exposition of Hebrews
July 15-19 Frank James Reformers and Ministry
Houston May 31 - June 1 John Crimmins Communication
Orlando Aug. 5-9 Scott Redd Isaiah to Malachi
June 10-14 Steve Brown Radical Grace
Wash DC June 24-28 James Anderson Intro to Pastoral and Theological Studies
June 17-18 Chad Van Dixhoorn Classics of Personal Devotions
Jackson June 3-Aug. 16 James Hurley Paul and Personal Relationships
Atlanta July 5-6 William Davis The Church and The World

ALUMNI & FRIENDS MEAL EVENTS
You are cordially invited to the RTS Alumni & Friends meal events at the General Assemblies!

BREAKFAST AT ARP SYNOD:
Join us on Wednesday, June 12 at the ARP Synod for the RTS Alumni & Friends Breakfast at 7:00 a.m. The breakfast will be held at the Bonclarken Convention Center in Flat Rock, NC. RSVP not required. RTS/Charlotte President Mike Kruger will speak at this event.

NEW! LUNCH AT PCA GA
Join us Thursday, June 20 at the PCA General Assembly for the RTS Alumni & Friends Lunch at noon at the TD Convention Center, Room 202A (room subject to change) in Greenville, SC. RSVP not required. Seating is limited.

BREAKFAST AT EPC GA:
Join us on Friday, June 21 at the EPC General Assembly for the RTS Alumni & Friends Breakfast at 7:00 a.m. The breakfast will be held in the Park Ridge Ballroom AB at the Marriott Denver South, 10345 Park Meadows Drive, Littleton, CO. RSVP not required. Seating is limited.

DON'T MISS ONEPASSION CONFERENCE
Steve Lawson (D.Min. '90), president of OnePassion Ministries and the senior pastor of Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mobile, Ala., will speak on "Preaching with Precision and Power" on May 20-22 at RTS/Atlanta in partnership with Ligonier Ministries. See the schedule here and register here. R.C. Sproul and John MacArthur will be joining via live feed for Q&A sessions.

RTS BOARD MEMBER RECEIVES AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
RTS board member, the Hon. Scott Redd, Sr., received the Distinguished Graduate Award from the United States Naval Academy Friday, March 22, in Annapolis, Md. This award came from his fellow USNA alumni in acknowledgment of an extraordinary career of service to the United States of America. Redd has given 40 years of his life to public service. As vice admiral, he launched two organizations critical to US national security: Read more here.

JOHN MUETHER APPOINTED DEAN OF LIBRARIES
Reformed Theological Seminary is pleased to announce that John Muether, who established the library at RTS Orlando and has served as chief librarian for the past 24 years, will be assuming new responsibilities for the institution as of June 1. He will become the Dean of Libraries, which includes greater oversight of the development and resource-sharing of the RTS libraries among the six campuses. He will serve as the editor of the new online theological journal that RTS plans to launch with a tentative start date in Spring 2014. Read more here.

KRUGER LECTURES IN ATLANTA NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES
Dr. Mike Kruger, president of RTS/Charlotte and professor of New Testament, gave lectures on "New Testament Canonization" at RTS/Atlanta. The lectures are now available here on RTS on iTunes U.

BRIARWOOD LOOKING TO SEND PCA GRADS TO CHURCH PLANTS IN IRELAND
Briarwood Presbyterian Church, in Birmingham, Ala., has been working with Westminster Fellowship of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland in sending summer ministry teams to conduct the "Embers to a Flame" conference with them for church revitalization. Stated supply men are needed for a church plant in Cushendall, County Antrim, a replant in Kilmore, County Down, and a new mission in County Donegal, all in Northern Ireland. If you are interested or know of someone interested in this opportunity, please contact Tom Cheely at Briarwood.

GEOFF SACKETT TO TEACH COURSE IN IOWA
We would like to make you aware of a special course being offered in Central Iowa this spring. From April 22-26, Reformed Theological Seminary will offer "History of Philosophy and Christian Thought" at Westkirk Presbyterian Church near Des Moines. This course will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will explain the main ideas that shape worldviews and will consider how to defend Christian truth from a Reformed perspective. The church is located at 2700 Colby Woods Drive, Urbandale, Iowa. Read more here.

NORTONS FEATURED IN WORLD MAGAZINE
Former RTS/Charlotte professor Will Norton and his wife Colene were featured in the March 9 issue of World Magazine. Their 73 year marriage is getting World attention! Congratulations!

CHANCELLOR'S NEW SINGLE
Chancellor Michael Milton, who recently retired from RTS, has released a new single titled "A Promise Is Stronger Than Blood." A download is available for free here.

SCOTT SWAIN'S ARTICLE IN CREDO MAGAZINE
"The Mystery of the Trinity" is Dr. Scott Swain's article in the new issue of Credo magazine. Click here, then click on the magazine to view the article on p. 26.

Alumni in Uganda for Spiritual Emphasis Week

Pictured (L to R) is Fred Greco, Henry Morris, Bentry Mhango and Bob Penny.

Spiritual Emphasis Week was held at African Bible College Uganda March 18-22. Rev. Fred Greco (M.Div. '06), senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Katy, Texas, and Rev. Henry Morris (M.Div. '91), associate pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Dothan, Ala., were featured speakers.

Also present were ABC professor Bentry Mhango (M.Div.M. '07) and ABCU visiting professor Dr. Robert Penny (M.Div. '70), recently retired VP for development, RTS Jackson. ABCU visiting professor Rev. Tim Kay (M.Div. '94), formerly associate pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, Ga., was also there.

Laura Armstrong (MABS '09)
Laura, currently serving as library services assistant at RTS/Orlando, will become the senior library assistant on June 1. She has worked for RTS/Orlando for three years. She is also quite the artist and has painted a picture of the Orlando campus seen hanging near the administrative offices.

Michael Farrell (MATS '99)
Michael, the associate librarian at RTS/Orlando, will now become the library director beginning June 1, assuming the responsibilities that have been held by John Muether. Farrell has worked at RTS/Orlando for nine years and is ordained as a deacon at Reformation Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Oviedo and is the author of the forthcoming book Modern Just War Theory: A Guide to Research (June 2013, Scarecrow Press).

Chad Grindstaff (M.Div. '05)
Chad serves as church planter of Living Hope, currently meeting at Fairfield East Elementary School in northwest Cincinnati. He shares some of his sermons from a recent series titled "Words of the Cross: Reflections and Christ's Seven Sayings from the Cross." Listen here. He and his wife Erin have three children: Reed, Meredith and Anna, and they are in the process of adopting a foster child. Please keep them in your prayers.

Jake Hunt (M.Div. '07)

Jake is the assistant pastor of Faith Community Church in Prague, Czech Republic. He reports that his sending church, Uptown Church in Charlotte, NC, sent them a great team to encourage and help the staff, working in music, children's ministry, long-range planning and problem solving. They ask for prayer for a situation with the building contract where they are holding services. Jake and his wife Melissa have three children: Sam, Foard and Eliza.

Danny Iverson (RTS Student)
Danny, who plans to graduate this spring, is excited about being called as a church planter-in-residence at Perimeter Presbyterian Church in North Atlanta. He plans to plant a church in a low-income community. Danny is married to Kimberly and they have five children.

Brett Rayl (M.Div. '12)
Brett was recently named director/team leader for Christ Bible Institute in Japan, replacing Michael Oh who is now director of Lausanne.

Lance Wallace ( MATS '07)
Lance was featured in the Tampa Bay Times recently. He is the new priest of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Spring Hill, Fla. Read the article here.

RTS E-Newsletter, iss. #135 March 12, 2013

3/12/2013 12:00:00 AM

A CHRONIC ILLNESS AND A COMPASSIONATE RESPONSE: CHANCELLOR MILTON RETIRES FROM RTS (JACKSON, MS) - March 12, 2013 – The executive committee of RTS has announced the retirement of Dr. Michael A. Milton from his office of chancellor and CEO of Reformed Theological Seminary. Dr. Milton explained that he has suffered from a debilitating illness that the physicians confirmed could not be remedied without sustained rest. They also confirmed that upon sustained rest, and a period of recovery, he could resume his pastoral duties. In light of this, and for the sake of recovery from a chronic illness and to seek future, long term ministry in the church for Mike, the executive committee of RTS has recommended a compassionate retirement from his position of leadership effective May 1, 2013. Continue reading here.	March 12, 2013 \| Issue #135 DATES TO REMEMBER March 26-27 - Biblical Theology Conference at RTS/Jackson with Dr. Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. April 10 - Inaugural Spurgeon Lecture by Dr. John Piper at RTS/Orlando April 20 - Inauguration of Dr. John Scott Redd, Jr., President, RTS/Washington D.C. April 22-26 - RTS Course to be taught in Central Iowa

RTS FACULTY DISCUSSION PANEL AT THE GOSPEL COALITION APRIL 8-9 Eight of the RTS faculty will participate in a Faculty Discussion Panel at the Gospel Coalition on April 8-9. The seminars are titled "Having Confidence in the Scriptures" and "Seeing Christ in the Old Testament." Justin Taylor (MAR '12), vice president of editorial at Crossway, will facilitate the first seminar and David Mathis, RTS Student and executive editor at Desiring God, will facilitate the second seminar. See the faculty participants here. The conference will be held at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando. ARE YOU IN THE IOWA AREA? RTS is offering "History of Philosophy and Christian Thought" at the Westkirk Presbyterian Church near Des Moines, Iowa April 22-26. Read more here SUMMER COUNSELING COURSE IN CHARLOTTE Dr. Tim Lane will teach "Counseling in the Local Church" at RTS/Charlotte July 22-25, 2013, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Read more about the course and about Dr. Lane here. CHOIR SINGING RISES ABOVE CHANTS Ric Cannada, chancellor emeritus of RTS, and his wife Rachel (seated left front)traveled to Indonesia with a group from Belhaven University, with hosts James and Aileen Riady. They enjoyed listening to the children's choir singing at the Evangelical Reformed Church in Jakarta, against the background of Muslim chants and prayers over loud speakers in the neighborhood. They also visited schools and hospitals in Manado. Richard Pratt, along with staff members from Third Millennium and Sandy Willson of Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis along with a missions pastor there, will soon join them. Pictured on the back row; Jonathan Parapak, rector/chancellor of UPH University, Niel Nielson, former president of Covenant College and colleague to Ric in this ministry in Indonesia, and Phillip Nash from Australia, the head of the SPH school system. Pictured on the middle row; James and Aileen Riady the hosts and founders of UPH and the SPH school system, Mari and Dan Fredericks from Belhaven where Dan is provost. Pictured on the front row beside Rachel; Melissa Hause, professor of art history at Belhaven (granddaughter of Dr. John Reed Miller, Ric's pastor at FPC while he was growing up in Jackson) and Budi Legowo, executive director of the Riady Foundation overseeing their ministries. MISS IT? LECTURE FROM KALS IN ORLANDO NOW ON ITUNES Dr. Michael W. Goheen's lectures from the Kistemaker Academic Lecture Series at RTS/Orlando, are now available on iTunes. "The series is titled The Church and Religious Pluralism: Living Faithfully Amidst the World Religions." JOHN CRABB, STEPPING IN AS INTERIM DIRECTOR OF RTS/JACKSON LIBRARY John Crabb, Library Technical Services, will step in as the interim director of the RTS library in Jackson as Ken Elliott, assistant professor of theological bibliography and director of the library is leaving Jackson after 32 years of service. He has taken a job at Belhaven University as dean of adult studies. RTS/Jackson President Guy Richardson said, "We are grateful for Ken's faithful service to our work for all of these years and we wish him all the best in his new work." AN EVENING WITH STEVE BROWN IN ATLANTA On Tuesday, April 9, at 7:00 p.m., Steve Brown will speak at RTS/Atlanta during a special dessert reception. Click here for more info. The event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP by April 1 to Tom Campbell at tcampbell@rts.edu. ADDICTIONS: GAMING AND TECHNOLOGY Sharon Hersh will talk with RTS/Orlando president Don Sweeting on "Addictions: Gaming and Technology" at the President's Forum on March 13 at noon. Sharon is an author, counselor and adjunct professor of counseling at RTS/Orlando. The public is invited. HAROLD BROWN LECTURES AT RTS/CHARLOTTE WITH DEREK THOMAS NOW ON ITUNES Listen here on iTunes to Dr. Derek Thomas' lecture on "Anything Less than Exposition is Tyranny" at the Harold O.J. Brown Lectures at RTS/Charlotte in February. DR. JOHN PIPER TO GIVE INAUGURAL SPURGEON LECTURE IN ORLANDO The Nicole Institute of Baptist Studies at RTS/Orlando is sponsoring a Spurgeon Lecture Series. The inaugural lecture will be held April 10, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. Dr. John Piper will speak on "The Life and Ministry of Charles Spurgeon." The public is invited and the lecture is free.	Rodney Barton (M.Div. '09) On March 3rd, Arcadia Presbyterian Church in Kingsport, Tenn., voted to call Rodney Barton as pastor and he has indicated his acceptance. Justin J. Hilliard (MATS '12) Justin J. Hilliard has been offered a call to be the senior pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church in Paris, Texas. Josh Kitchen (M.Div. '12) Josh and his wife Sarah and children are now in Papua New Guinea learning the language. They will be living in a village for 5 weeks beginning March 22. Pictured is Josh and his family and another family helping them to adjust to life in the village. Josh will be serving as a field coordinator for The Seed Company. Follow their blog here where they tell of their new experiences in this new place. Catherine Larson (MABS '00) Catherine has written a new book for expectant mothers titled Waiting in Wonder: Growing in Faith While You're Expecting. The book is due out in April. Steven Lawson (D.Min '90) He serves as president of OnePassion Ministries and is also the senior pastor of Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mobile, Ala. He has 30 years of pastoral ministry and has authored 18 books, his newest being The Heroic Boldness of Martin Luther. His new ministry, One Passion, makes available his preaching, teaching, and writing ministry through a comprehensive website. He will speak at a OnePassion conference at RTS/Atlanta in partnership with Ligonier Ministries May 20-23. Pedro Tarquino (M.Div.M. '90, MCE '91, Ph.D. ICS '04) Pedro is chairman of the Foundation to Educate for a New Society (FENS). He invites you to visit his Web page, which is in Spanish and English. The mission of FENS is to "contribute to the transformation of Colombian society to achieve coexistence with justice, fairness, respect and social responsibility, through the formation of leaders trained with biblical principles, to the glory of God and the extension of His kingdom."

RTS E-Newsletter iss.#134, February 21, 2013

2/21/2013 12:00:00 AM

SPIRITUAL LIFE CONFERENCE AT RTS/JACKSON NEXT WEEK
LEADING FROM THE HEART

The Spiritual Life Conference will be held Feb. 27-28 at RTS/Jackson. The theme is "Leading From the Heart."

Rev. Nate Shurden (M.Div. '07) will speak on Feb. 27 at 11 a.m. and lunch will follow. Shurden served at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Miss., for three years and then planted Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Franklin, Tenn., in 2010.

Dr. Harry Reeder (D.Min '02) will speak on Feb. 28 at 11 a.m. with lunch and Q&A session to follow. Reeder serves as senior pastor of Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Ala. Reeder has a degree in history and Bible from Covenant College, a Master of Divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry degree from RTS.

February 21, 2013 | Issue #134

DATES TO REMEMBER
Feb. 21 - Preview Day at RTS/Washington D.C.

Feb. 23 - Presentation by Dr. Michael Kruger at RTS/Atlanta

Feb. 26 - The Harold O.J. Brown Lectures at RTS/Charlotte

Feb. 27-28 - Spiritual Life Conference at RTS/Jackson:

March 15 - Dr. Milton to speak at Reagan Ranch Center
-RSVP Required.

Apr. 20 - Inauguration of Dr. John Scott Redd, Jr., RTS/Washington D.C.

RTS AT THE GOSPEL COALITION IN ORLANDO
The theme for The Gospel Coalition 2013 National Conference this year is "His Mission: Jesus in the Gospel of Luke." It will be held April 8-10 at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando. This event features 80 speakers from around the world aiming to stir your affections for Jesus Christ, equip you to live faithfully in this world, and spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. Two panel discussions will be held during the event featuring RTS faculty. More info to come soon.

NEW ON RTS ON ITUNES U - COURSES FROM PRESIDENT KRUGER AND PROFESSOR KELLY
New highlights include Dr. Kruger's Hebrews - Revelation. Click here to see this content listed under "all courses".

Also listen to Doug Kelly's Medieval Theology here and his History, and Theology of the Puritans here.

2013 BIBLICAL THEOLOGY CONFERENCE AT RTS/ JACKSON
The 2013 Biblical Theology Conference, March 26-27, will feature Dr. Richard B. Gaffin Jr., professor of biblical and systematic theology, emeritus at Westminster Theological Seminary. Dr. Gaffin will speak on "Biblical Theology and Current Issues in Reformed Theology." Click here for the schedule.

EPC JUMPER SCHOLARSHIPS NOW BEING RECEIVED
Applications are now being received for the Andrew A. Jumper Scholarship. M.Div. students in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) may qualify. Obtain an application form with instructions from your admissions office (or for students at RTS/Jackson, obtain the form from the development office). Deadline to apply is March 1, 2013.

Criteria:

1. Full-time study in the Masters of Divinity program at any campus of Reformed Theological Seminary. Full time status consists of a minimum of twelve (12) credit hours in each of the fall and spring semesters.

2. Continued demonstration of and progress in exemplary Christian character and potential for ministry

3. Continued good standing as a member in a particular church of the EPC and as a candidate under care of a presbytery of the EPC. At the time of application, applicants must be under care of an EPC presbytery or be committed to coming under care at the earliest opportunity.

4. Submission to the Committee of a report, at least annually, on the recipient's academic, personal and ministry progress. This may include a transcript if requested by the Committee.

REQUEST INFO FROM RTS ABOUT NEW TAX LAW CHANGES
Chuck Frost in our Planned Giving Department of RTS has a booklet he can send to you titled "Planning After 2013 Tax Law Changes." If you are interested, please email him at cfrost@rts.edu.

HEIDELBERG CONFERENCE ON REFORMED THEOLOGY IN JULY
"Our Only Comfort: The Heidelberg Catechism at 450 Years" is the theme of this year's Heidelberg Conference, to be held at Molkenkur Hotel Heidelberg in Germany July 18-21. RTS alumnus Jon Payne (MATS '98, D.Min. '04) is one of several speakers scheduled to speak there.

MILTON INTERVIEWED ON FAITH RADIO
Chancellor Milton talks about his new book Silent No More with host Bob Criddenton. Click here to listen to the interview.

FACULTY SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Is our faculty speaking in your area? Dr. Mark Futato is leading a conference in Vero Beach, Fla. Dr. James Anderson will speak at a men's retreat in Midlothian, Va. Dr. Mike Kruger is speaking in Atlanta and Charlotte. Dr. Andy Peterson will speak in Abilene, Texas, and Chicago, Ill. Click here rts.edu/facultytravel for more.

MILTON'S BOOK LAUNCH AT THE REAGAN RANCH CENTER
Dr. Milton will speak on "What Ronald Reagan's Legacy Has to Say to the Church Today" at the historic Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, Calif., on March 15, 2013. He will launch his book Silent No More: A Biblical Call for the Church to Speak to State and Culture. RSVP by March 8 to AmyB@reaganranch.org due to limited seating.

If you are unable to attend and would like to listen in, tune into thewileydrakeshow.com at 4pm PST or 7PM EST.

GOHEEN SPOKE AT LECTURE SERIES IN ORLANDO
Dr. Michael Goheen, professor of missiology at Calvin Theologcial Seminary, spoke on "The Church and Religious Pluralism: Living Faithfully Amidst the World Religions" at RTS/Orlando on Tuesday and Wednesday for the Kistemaker Academic Lecture Series. The lectures will soon be available on RTS on iTunes U.

TWO RTS STUDENTS LAUNCH THE REFORMED AFRICAN AMERICAN NETWORK
Jemar Tisby and Phillip Holmes launched Reformed African American Network (RAAN) and it is rapidly expanding. Read more about it here.

Tom Bost (M.Div. '10)
Tom and his wife Sarah Jane have moved to Advance/Bermuda Run, N.C., to plant Church of the Good Shepherd. Tom was ordained to the presbyterate in Nov. 2010 and has been the associate of church planting at Christ Church in Winston-Salem, N.C. He asks for your prayers in this new endeavor.

Rocky McElveen (M.Div. '82)
The 20+ year professional veteran master Alaska fishing guide and registered Alaskan hunting guide will speak at the wild game banquet at First Baptist Church in Sumter, S.C. on March 8. Reservations required due to limited seating.

Stuart Mills (M.Div.M '06)
Stuart has received a call to serve as associate pastor of Christ the Restorer Presbyterian Church in the Arévalo neighborhood of Trujillo, Peru. He has been serving with Peru Mission in Trujillo since 2010 and was just ordained by Southeast Louisiana Presbytery to work "out of bounds" as a teaching elder in Peru. The ordination service was at Plains Presbyterian Church on Feb. 17. Stuart and his wife Megumi are currently in the U.S. raising support to return to Peru in August. Also they are excited to announce the birth of their third child Ezra Mizuki Mills, born on November 3, 2012. Congratulations! Follow their blog here.

Matt Newkirk (M.Div. '08)

Matt and his wife Caroline and daughter Lydia have moved to Brisbane, Australia, where he is serving as visiting lecturer of Hebrew and Old Testament at Queensland Theological College. He formerly served as assistant pastor at St. Paul's Presbyterian Church in Orlando from 2011-2012 overseeing the ministries to youth and families, seminary interns, and missions. He is scheduled to defend his Ph.D. dissertation in Old Testament at Wheaton College this April. It is titled "Just Deceivers: An Investigation into the Motif and Theology of Deception in the Books of Samuel." Also he is scheduled to teach at RTS/Orlando next winter and spring. He and Caroline are expecting a son in June. Congratulations!

Jon D. Payne (MATS '98, D.Min. '04)
He will soon transition from minister at Grace Presbyterian Church in Douglasville, Ga., to church planter of Christ Church Presbyterian in Charleston, S.C. He plans to launch the church in June. He is also a visiting lecturer in practical theology at RTS/Atlanta. He asks for prayer for the sale of his home, and for a smooth transition. A public informational meeting is planned on Monday, March 25 at 7:00 p.m. at the South Carolina Society Hall in downtown Charleston. He is also a speaker at the Heidelberg Conference in Germany in July.

David F. Ridenhour (M.Div. '08)

He has been called as senior pastor of Metrocrest Presbyterian Church in Carrollton, Texas, effective March 1. He is presently working toward the completion of his Doctor of Ministry in Christian Worship through Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Mo. David has served as associate pastor of Lake Oconee Presbyterian Church in Eatonton, Ga., for the last six years. He and his wife Jennifer have a son Nathaniel.

RTS E-Newsletter iss.#133 February 5, 2013

2/7/2013 12:00:00 AM

KISTEMAKER ACADEMIC LECTURE SERIES
THE CHURCH AND RELIGIOUS PLURALISM

Dr. Michael Goheen, professor of missiology at Calvin Theological Seminary will give the lectures at the Kistemaker Academic Lecture Series at RTS/Orlando Feb. 19-20, 2013 from 11:00am to 12:00 noon and 1:00pm - 2:00 p.m. on both days. He will speak on "The Church and Religious Pluralism: Living Faithfully Amidst the World Religions."

The Kistemaker Academic Lecture Series (KALS) is named in honor of New Testament Professor Emeritus Simon J. Kistemaker, Ph.D. These annual lectures offer scholarly insight into diverse topics in biblical and theological studies as well as practical theology. Read more about the event here.

February 5, 2013 | Issue #133

DATES TO REMEMBER

Feb. 5 - Understanding Islam with Dr. Michael Youssef at RTS/Atlanta

Feb. 19-20 Kistemaker Academic Lecture Series - RTS/Orlando

Feb. 23 - Presentation by Dr. Michael Kruger at RTS/Atlanta

Feb. 26 - The Harold O.J. Brown Lectures at RTS/Charlotte

April 20 - Inauguration of Dr. Scott Redd, Jr. at RTS/Washington DC

RTS GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND!
The Department of Defense and the North Carolina Employer Support of the US Armed Forces National Guard and Reserve have awarded RTS the "Above and Beyond Award." The award will be presented March 9 at a special gathering in Raleigh. Dr. Milton will give a few words at the gathering.The award was based on a special committee's recommendation that RTS deserved higher recognition of its outstanding support of the US Armed Forces Guard and Reserve.

INAUGURATION FOR JOHN S. REDD, JR., PH.D.
Reformed Theological Seminary announces the inauguration of Dr. John S. "Scott" Redd, Jr., as president of RTS/Washington D.C. The ceremony will be held on April 20, 2013 and will begin at 6:00 p.m. at Fourth Presbyterian Church, 5500 River Road, Bethesda, MD 20816. A reception will follow in the Upper Room. Dr. Robert Norris, the senior pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church, will offer the message. Norris has a Th.D. and Ph.D. from the University of St. Andrews. The public is invited.

SUMMER INSTITUTE FOR BIBLICAL LANGUAGES
RTS/Jackson offers Biblical Languages in an 8-week immersion environment, June 24 to August 16, 2013. The faculty at RTS Jackson have discovered that perhaps the best way to learn the biblical languages is in an immersion environment.

In summer 2013, RTS Jackson’s Summer Institute for Biblical Languages (SIBL) will offer 6 hours of Hebrew (satisfying the RTS requirements of Hebrew I & II), 6 hours of Greek (satisfying the RTS requirements of Greek I & II), and 3 hours of Aramaic. Affordable seminary housing is available for visiting students. For more info, click here.

PREVIEW DAY AT RTS/WASHINGTON DC
If you have a friend who is thinking about seminary, be sure to invite him or her to Preview Day at RTS/Washington DC, Feb. 21, 12:00-1:30 (followed by a visit in the course Isaiah-Malachi, from 1:30-2:30). RSVP to cvida@rts.edu.

RTS/VIRTUAL WILL BE REPRESENTED AT THE 2013 DESIRING GOD CONFERENCE FOR PASTORS
The 2013 Desiring God Conference for Pastors will be held in Minneapolis, MN., Feb. 4-6 and the theme is "Brothers, We Are Still Not Professionals: Reclaiming the Centrality of the Supernatural in Ministry." Stop by and say hello to our RTS/Virtual staff.

READ AND LISTEN TO INTERVIEWS OF DR. MILTON ABOUT HIS NEW BOOK SILENT NO MORE
Ben Shapiro, editor-at-large of Breitbart News, and author, interviewed Chancellor Milton (pictured left) about the threat to religious freedom under the Obama administration. He discusses religious freedom, gay marriage, abortion, economic liberty. Milton wrote Silent No More, calling on the church to not be silent on these important matters. Read the interview here on BreitBart.com. Dr. Milton was also interviewed by Steve Deace. Click here to listen to the radio interview. Janet Mefford interviewed Milton in February. Click here to listen to this radio interview.

THE WOMEN'S CONFERENCE AT RTS/CHARLOTTE IS FULL
On April 26, Nancy Guthrie will speak at the conference for the Women of RTS in Charlotte. Nancy speaks at conferences around the world, and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Covenant Theological Seminary. She and her husband David are the co-hosts of the GriefShare video series used in over 8,500 churches around the country and host Respite Retreats for couples who have experienced the death of a child. Registration has ended and the conference is full.

APPLY NOW FOR EPC-JUMPER SCHOLARSHIPS
Applications are now being received for the Andrew A. Jumper Scholarship. M.Div. students in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) may qualify. Obtain an application form with instructions from your admissions office, (or for students at RTS/Jackson, obtain the form from the development office.) The deadline to apply is March 1, 2013.

Criteria:
1. Full-time study in the Masters of Divinity program at any campus of RTS. Full-time status consists of a minimum of 12 credit hours in each of the fall and spring semesters.

2. Continued demonstration of and progress in exemplary Christian character, and potential for ministry

3. Continued good standing as a member in a particular church of the EPC and as a candidate under care of a presbytery of the EPC. At the time of application, applicants must be under care of an EPC presbytery or be committed to coming under care at the soonest opportunity.

4. Submission to the Committee of a report, at least annually, on the recipient's academic, personal and ministry progress. This may include a transcript if requested by the Committee.

DON SWEETING BLOGS ABOUT INAUGURATION DAY FOR BARACK OBAMA
In January, RTS/Orlando's president, Dr. Don Sweeting, blogged on four gifts he will continue to give to our President. He writes, "Another inauguration is upon us. Our president will take his second oath of office. While I did not vote for Barak Obama for a second time, I am struck by the convergence of events at this year’s inauguration. The public inauguration will take place on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This will be the second time that this federal holiday has coincided with a presidential inauguration (the first was in 1997). America’s first black president will deliver his address looking out across the National Mall toward the Lincoln Memorial, where 50 years ago King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. And overlooking where King spoke is the statue of Abraham Lincoln looking out toward the U.S. Capitol where the inauguration will take place." Click here to read the entire blog.

RIC CANNADA TO DO CONSULTING WORK IN INDONESIA
Chancellor Emeritus Ric Cannada, with the encouragement and endorsement of Chancellor Mike Milton, has agreed to represent RTS and serve as a part-time consultant with a group in Indonesia seeking to reach that country in a variety of ways with the gospel of Christ. As part of the agreement, Ric and Rachel Cannada will spend two months in Indonesia each year, including their next trip from Feb. 19 - March 27. The group in Indonesia has a goal of over 1,000 Christian k-12 schools with a Reformed theology and worldview and a Reformed church developed in each of the schools. In addition, the group in Indonesia is developing 75 modern hospitals throughout that country and they want help to establish Christian hospital chaplain ministries in each of those hospitals. For more information on this effort, contact Ric Cannada at rcannada@rts.edu.

FORMER RTS FACULTY PASSES AWAY
Dr. Richard Allen Bodey, 82, died on January 26, 2013, in Fredericksburg, Va. He was a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. He was a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary (1955) and served a number of pastorates in the Presbyterian Church (USA). In 1966, when Reformed Theological Seminary began in Jackson, Miss., he was a part of the initial faculty, serving as professor of practical theology. He was best known at RTS for his preaching classes. Later he joined the faculty of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Ill. Dr. Bodey is survived by his wife Ruth and daughter Bronlynn Spindler, and son, Richard Bodey, Jr.

RTS CHANCELLOR WROTE INAUGURAL PRAYER FOR BARACK OBAMA
Chancellor Milton wrote, "Almighty and everlasting God, our Father and our Lord: we gather our hearts, hopes, and dreams from across this nation to give thanks for the freedom that comes only from Thee, and is expressed in the Constitution of these United States, and invested in this inaugural service of the President of the United States." Click here to read the entire prayer.

NEW BOOK BY GUY WATERS
Originally published in 2010, Christian Focus has republished A Christian's Pocket Guide to Being Made Right with God: Understanding Justification by Guy Waters with a whole new look. Waters is a professor of New Testament at RTS/Jackson. Aaron Messner, college chaplain at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Ga., says, "Waters offers a concise yet extremely helpful treatment of what Scriptural justification is, its practical value in the Christian life and how the doctrine is being challenged in our present day. I won't hesitate to give this little book to the university students under my pastoral care." Order the book here.

CAMERON STRANG OF RELEVANT MAGAZINE TO JOIN THE PRESIDENT'S FORUM FEB. 6
Cameron Strang, editor of RELEVANT magazine and founder of Relevant Media Group, will be talking with Dr. Don Sweeting at the President's Forum, on Feb. 6 at 12:00 noon in the fellowship hall at RTS/Orlando on "Reaching 30-Somethings." Believing that Christ is relevant to the 20- and 30-somethings in our culture, Cameron Strang founded RELEVANT magazine in 2003 when he was 24. Today that online, iPad and print publication group reaches 800,000 passionate young adults monthly. Who is RELEVANT? They are “Christians seeking God and striving to impact the world around us. Read more here.

Alumni: Have you written an article that you would like to publish on the RTS Web site?
RTS will post alumni articles on our Web site. Send the articles here to be posted on the front page of our Alumni section here.

Ken Aldrich (M.Div. '95)

Ken is pastor of Covenant Life Church in Sarasota, Fla. Steve Jeantet (M.Div. '07) is executive pastor of the church. Scott Mawhinney (M.Div. '04) is the pastor of discipleship and mission there. Recently Leigh Swanson, associate dean of students at RTS/Orlando was the speaker for the women's retreat for Covenant Life Church which was held in
Ruskin, Fla. Leigh is on the back row looking forward on the right. In the front seated are (L to R) Amy Aldrich (Ken's wife), Beth Saxsma (RTS Orlando student and director of women's ministry at the church) and Kim Jeantet (Steve's wife). The women were laying hands on them to pray for them.

William "Bill" E. Hicks (D.Min. '09)
He currently serves as senior pastor at 4Towns Community Church in Deltona, Fla, where additional staffing has been added to extend ministry. God has also granted Bill additional ministry as an adjunct professor in practical studies at both Baptist College of Florida and Belhaven University, Orlando campuses.

Mike Kuhn (M.Div. '00)
He is currently serving with his wife Stephanie in Lebanon. He has written Fresh Vision for the Muslim World. Follow his blog here. He asks for prayer for continued peace among the diverse groups there, unity and vision within the church, equal representation in the new electoral decisions that are being voted on soon and for laborers to work in the growing harvest. He will speak at the Second Presbyterian Missions Conference in Memphis, Tenn., Feb. 21-24.

Kevin Labby (D. Min. student)
On January 6, 2013, Kevin was installed as the new senior pastor of Willow Creek Presbyterian Church in Winter Springs, Fla. Formerly, he served as the senior pastor of Murrysville community Church in Murrysville, Penn.

John Lehner (RTS Charlotte student)

John (red shirt in middle) with the World Witness team. John will soon be looking for opportunities to gain more ministry experience through preaching and teaching in churches in Charlotte. Then, he will be headed to Asturias, Spain along with a few other couples to plant churches. They hope to be fully funded by the spring of 2014. Then they will go to language school in Costa Rica. He and his wife Judy (seated center with daughter Abigail) are expecting a baby boy in June.

Phil Luther (M.Div. '07)
He is serving as a church planter with Mission to the World, along with his wife Kay in Greece. He shared in his prayer letter that "Greece is reported to be the most corrupt nation in the EU. It has one of the highest rates of abortion in Europe, over 400,000 registered annually. There are 10,000 legally registered prostitutes in brothels with an estimated 30,000+ illegal prostitutes on the streets. The bastion of Greek culture is the Orthodox church with which 97% of Greeks are affiliated, although only about 2% regularly attend services. The church remains virtually silent on the moral issues permeating the social structure of the nation." A critical need in the evangelical church is leadership training and discipleship. They ask for prayer for godly men and women to be servant leaders in the body of Christ and effective witnesses in their communities.

Jennifer Su McIntyre (MABS '08)
Jennifer and her husband Thomas are church-planting missionaries with OMF International and the EPC's World Outreach. In January, she wrote an article on thegospelcoalition.org titled "Check Your Motives for Missions." She writes, "Because we were heading off to a truly unreached area, we painted the image of throngs of people who suffered from such emptiness that they would greet our message with eager arms." Read the full article here. She has also recently written Unbound: Entagles in Addiction, Abuse and Idol Worship, Three Women Seemed Beyond Hope (July 2012) available here on Kindle.

Lauren S. (MATS '10)
She is serving in Africa and is studying Arabic and working in women's development, specifically with women who have been abused.

Jemar Tisby (RTS/Jackson student)
He wrote an article that was posted on TheGospelCoalition.org titled "5 Factors in the Rise of Reformed Theology Among African Americans."

Jonathan Ross Williams (M.Div. '10)
He completed CH-BOLC (Chaplain Officer Basic Leadership Course) in April of 2012 and has been serving with the 1182nd DDSB (Deployment Distribution Support Battalion) in Charleston, SC. His ministry includes preaching/leading worship services, teaching, counseling, advising his commander on matters of soldiers well-being, but mostly "ministry of presence" where he spends time with soldiers going wherever they go. He says, "Serving as a chaplain in the Army Reserve has been a joy and is a place where I have been able to flourish in ministry for Christ Jesus' sake."

CORRECTION:
In the last issue of the RTS E-Newsletter, in the caption for the photo of CH (COL) Pete Sniffin's promotion, Tim Huehy should have read CH (LTC) "Chip" Huey. We apologize for this mistake.

RTS E-Newsletter iss. #132 January 17, 2013

1/31/2013 12:00:00 AM

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013! DR. DON SWEETING BLOGS ABOUT TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA "Triskaidekaphobia? It means the fear of 13. This being the year 2013, it’s an issue. It’s not just the Romans and the Vikings who were spooked by 13. Many people will not live in a house with the number 13, build a 13th floor, or even sit 13 people down for dinner. They prefer to jump from 12 to 14. But that we can’t. Ready or not, we must do 13—2013 that is, together. It is a year that will be filled with great challenges and all kinds of assorted fears. But for the Christian, it will be filled with gospel hope." Click here to read more.	January 17, 2013 \| Issue #132 DATES TO REMEMBER February 4,5 or 6 - Classes begin for Spring Semester on most RTS Campuses February 26 - The Harold O. J. Brown Lectures at RTS/Charlotte April 20 - Inauguration of Dr. Scott Redd, Jr., President, RTS/Washington D.C.

SPECIAL PRESENTATION BY DR. MICHAEL KRUGER AT RTS/ATLANTA On Saturday, Feb. 23, RTS/Atlanta will host a special presentation with co-sponsors The C.S. Lewis Institute Atlanta and The Aeropagus at 9 a.m. The guest speaker will be Dr. Michael Kruger, president of RTS/Charlotte and professor of New Testament. Dr. Kruger is the author of Canon Revisited: Establishing the Origins and Authority of the New Testament Books and The Early Text of the New Testament. The morning presentation is entitled "Why These Books and No Others? The Canonization of the New Testament." Read more here. DR. MICHAEL YOUSSEF TO SPEAK AT RTS/ATLANTA Dr. Michael Youssef, the founding pastor of Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, will speak at RTS/Atlanta on Feb. 5 to kick off the new class Christian Encounters with Islam from 6-9 p.m. (Dr. Lowe will regularly teach the class on Tuesdays from 1-4 p.m.). Dr. Youssef is a world renowned expert on Islam, specifically "Muslim Zealots and the West." His groundbreaking Ph.D. on this subject is highly regarded, being published by the prestigious academic publisher E. J. Brill. His expertise continues to be recognized. Recently during the so-called "Arab Spring," Dr. Youssef appeared on CNN to offer opinions. Daily his sermons go out through Leading the Way TV and radio programs and The Kingdom Sat, a 24/7 satellite TV channel, reaching millions of Muslim people. Dr. Youssef himself is a native Arabic speaker who grew up in Egypt. This event is free and open to the public. NEW YEAR, NEW ASSISTANT Carolyn Airing is President Mike Kruger's new assistant and director of communications at RTS/Charlotte. Carolyn has the kind of background in both business and non-profit work that makes her a great fit for this role. Most recently, she has served on the Board of Trustees at Covenant Day School, where she was the chairperson of the development committee and worked to build strategic relationships with key constituents and donors. In addition to an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia, she has a law degree from George Mason University. She has worked as an attorney and also as a law clerk to Judge Warren King on the D.C. Court of Appeals. Carolyn is a member with her husband Brad at Christ Covenant and has three children, David, Sarah and Benjamin. DEEP SOUTH REGIONAL FOUNDERS CONF STARTS TODAY This years conference is Jan. 17-19 and is entitled God's Covenant with Dr. Sam Waldron as the main speaker. He is academic dean at Midwest Center of Theological Studies and professor of Systematic Theology. There will be a friendly debate, Covenant Theology vs Dispensationalism, on Thursday night between Dr. Waldron and Dr. Elliott Johnson from Dallas Theological Seminary. For more information go to the website, http://deepsouthfounders.com/ or call Pastor Thomas Winn at Grace Baptist Church in Jackson, Miss., at 601-573-1072. The conference is free to seminary students, but they must register. LETTER TO STUDENTS FROM DR. MICHAEL MILTON Read Dr. Milton's letter to students, "The Best: A Charge to Our Married Men in Seminary and a Letter to All. Read the letter here. ARTICLE ON CHANCELLOR IN CHARLOTTE OBSERVER "When Michael Milton left his boyhood Louisiana home to study in California, 'I went out there with a guitar on my back,' he says. "Milton, 54, now chancellor of Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, worked for some time as a linguist with Navy Intelligence. But on the side, he played and wrote music that had a 'sort of Southern California, late ’60s-early ’70s kind of folk sound,' in the vein of Neil Young and Dan Fogelberg." Continue the article here. RTS/CHARLOTTE WOMEN'S CONFERENCE The Women of RTS/Charlotte will hold a conference on "Part of the Plan" April 26-27 on the Charlotte campus. The speaker is Nancy Guthrie. Contact Tari Williamson to sign up. The cost is $50. LISTEN TO INTERVIEW ON NEW BOOK BY MICHAEL MILTON Dr. Milton recently released Silent No More: A Biblical Call for the Church to Speak to State and Culture (Fortress). The book is available here. Silent No More is a collection of thoughtful essays that create a singular concern that the gospel is applied to every area of life, including the power structures that often are labeled "off limits!" by the media, the intelligentsia, and too often even believers. “Michael A. Milton has written a book that might deal with the most important question of our time 'Silent No More.' It is a must read if we are to save our nation.The Church must take the lead in this effort and if they do not then there is another quote from my father and it talks about Communism ending up on the ash heap of history. This time however it might well be us. Please pray for our nation.” Michael Reagan, national Radio Talk Show Host, Author, columnist, son of U.S. President Ronald Reagan In January, Dr. Milton discussed his new book Silent No More with Tim Wildmon and his co-host on American Family Radio. Dr. Milton responds to a statement made from Wildmon, "Is it a waste of time to convince secular people to behave moral?" Click here to listen to the interview. (Note: The interview is not the full version.) FORMER FACULTY RECEIVES AWARD FROM CIU Dr. H. Wilbert Norton, Sr., who taught at RTS as professor of missions from 1989 - 1997, received an honorary doctorate for his lifetime achievements as a pioneer missionary, educator and author at Columbia International University's winter commencement. Norton and his wife Colene have been married for 73 years. HAROLD O. J. BROWN LECTURE SERIES The Harold O.J. Brown Lectures will be held on Tuesday, February 26, 2013, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at RTS/Charlotte. The speaker is Dr. Derek Thomas, professor of systematic and historical theology at the RTS/Atlanta campus, and minister of preaching and teaching at First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC. For more information, click here. DR. MILTON'S BOOK SUMMARIZED ON CROSSWALK.COM Whitney Hopler contributed an article summarizing Dr. Milton's new book, Finding a Vision for Your Church: Assembly Required (P&R, November 2012) on Crosswalk.com. Hopler wrote, "Start with spiritual hunger. Begin by respecting the powerful forces for good that are already in place at your church and confessing your dissatisfaction with what’s not working well there..." Read the full article here. READ THE DIGITAL M&L MAGAZINE Sign up here to receive our digital version of the Ministry & Leadership magazine. Click here to read the latest digital issue. Our latest issue includes an interview with Dr. Al Mohler, inauguration pictures, and articles on our students and graduates.	Rob Callison (D.Min '12) He is working with Equipping Leaders International to coordinate the organizations' teaching efforts with the Miami International Seminary. He will be in India in January and Nigeria in March, teaching and working with Christian pastors who are working to develop Christian leaders in those areas. Roddy Caughman (M.Div. '09) He and his wife Becky are short-term missionary candidates with Grace Ministries and have a heart for the Deaf community in Zambia. He shared that recently a group called the Zambikes came to the church there in Zambia with numerous bicycles. They have trained the Deaf to build bikes to provide income and also a service to the community. Roddey asks for prayer that God will use this ministry to break the cycle of dependency so these men and women will know the blessings of hard work. Read more about the Caughmans here. Esaie Etienne (M.Div. '04) As director of Living Stone Reformed Mission and with Mission to the World as a missionary to Gonaives, Haiti, he and his wife Natacha have seen 20 lives saved at the school in Docine. The Christian Academy there has a new building and the attendance is 286, with 161 kids sponsored. Three medical teams have provided care to more than 2000 people and two construction teams have helped. The planning of the children's home is moving forward. They ask for wisdom in leadership, strengthening of their leaders in the faith as they are learning more and more the many aspects of Reformed Theology. Duane Griffin (MABS '07) He has just written a new book titled From Eden to the Ends of the Earth. It is also available on Kindle. The book helps the reader understand the big picture of what God is doing in the world. Duane is a student administration functional specialist at Seminole State College in Sanford, Fla. He and his wife Lisa live in central Florida with their three daughters. Read more about him on his Web site here. F. Douglas Hudson (M.Div. '83, D.Min. '05) As a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America, Doug is currently involved in a church planting ministry to military members near U.S. bases overseas. He is currently expanding the ministry to the military to include military bases in the States. It will be modeled after RUF. He wants to plant a TE on major installations to do evangelism and discipleship. They will partner with local reformed congregations to bring those they reach into the body of Christ. Eric N. (M.Div. '12) On January 18-19 he will go before the "floor" and preach a sermon and have his final exam for the ordination process. Upon confirmation of ordination on the 19th, there will be an ordination service on Jan. 26 at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Harrisonburg, Va., at 5:30 p.m. Peter Sniffin (former D.Min. student) Dr. Michael Milton was in attendance for the promotion of Peter Sniffin to Colonel. Peter is also a member of the Chaplain Ministry Institute Advisory Council. He is standing in the back row to the right of Dr. Milton. To the right of Peter is Chaplain (BG) Douglas Lee, who is over all Presbyterian and Reformed chaplains in the United States Armed Services and on the Chaplain Ministry Institute of RTS. L-R Back Row: CH Gary Sexton, USA (Ret) / Dr. Milton / CH (Col.) Peter R Sniffin, USA RTS / CH (BG) Douglas E. Lee, USA (Ret) / CH Bush USA RTS L-R Front: CH (Capt.) Britten Price USA / CH (LTC) "Chip" Huey USA / CH (Lt. Col.) Paddy USA Crawford Stevener (current RTS student) He will be the new RUF minister at Duke University after graduation this spring. Kim Trouten (MAC '10) She is currently serving as a registered mental health counselor intern at Redeemer Counseling at University Presbyterian Church in Orlando, Fla. She and her husband Tim Trouten (M.Div. '12, MAC '12) have a one-year-old son named Xander. Tim currently serves as the admissions coordinator at RTS/Orlando. Rebecca Valentine (MAC '09) She is currently serving at Redeemer Counseling at University Presbyterian Church in Orlando, Fla., as a registered mental health counselor intern.

RTS E-Newsletter iss.#131 December 19, 2012

12/19/2012 12:00:00 AM

Issue #131

December 19, 2012

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE RTS FACULTY STAFF AND STUDENTS
The RTS campuses of Jackson, Orlando, Charlotte, Atlanta, Washington, Memphis, Houston and our Virtual Campus celebrate with you the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. THIS is why we are here--to tell of the miraculous birth of our Lord and to teach all nations about Him. Many of you recently received our Christmas greeting in which Dr. Milton sings the very simple but powerful words, "Jesus came." We celebrate his birth, his presence and his coming. Have a blessed Christmas.

MOSAIC OF MINISTRY VIDEO
RTS/Charlotte M.Div. student and videographer Matt McQuade traveled to all of the RTS campuses to develop an RTS video. It is posted here and we call it the "Mosaic of Ministry." If you attended the inauguration, you saw this prior to the ceremony. Learn about all of our campuses and extensions and hear from our students, professors, executive directors, presidents and our chancellor.

WOMEN OF RTS AT RTS/ATLANTA
The first gathering of the Women of RTS at RTS/Atlanta took place this fall. It was an encouraging time where they learned of each other's calls to ministries of all kinds, from adoption work in the U.S., to anti-trafficking work abroad, to teaching Bible studies. They are looking forward to future events.

MICHAEL MILTON BLOGS ABOUT CONNECTICUT SHOOTING
We at RTS are also so sad to see the loss experienced in Newtown, Conn. This is why we exist--not only to tell others about Christ but also to comfort others in their time of need. As we send out pastors, missionaries, counselors and teachers all over the world, we pray they can help to bring healing to hurting communities such as these. We at RTS are also praying. Chancellor Milton blogs, "Father, you were not absent from the chaotic scene in Connecticut nor are you removed from the void that is in the hearts of dear parents, brothers, sisters, children, husbands, wives, grandparents, teachers, and the community of grief — that Patmos in Connecticut." Read the full blog here.

RTS WOMEN'S CONFERENCE IN APRIL
The Women of RTS/Charlotte will hold a conference on "Part of the Plan" April 26-27 on the Charlotte campus. The speaker is Nancy Guthrie. Contact Tari Williamson to sign up. The cost is $50.

NEW RELIEF RECEPTIONIST IN JACKSON
RTS/Jackson is pleased to welcome Sarah Barnes, serving as relief receptionist. With the responsibility of handling not only Jackson calls but also calls for RTS/Washington D.C. and for RTS/Orlando, the relief receptionist must know the ins and outs of these campuses. Sarah comes to us from Monroe, La., and is a gifted pianist and teaches piano. She graduated from the University of Louisiana. She is married to first-year student Nicholas and they are expecting their first child in July of 2013. Welcome!

NEW EMPLOYEE IN ORLANDO
Well, she has been here since July - sorry Kim! High time we announced her as she has been hard at work. Kim Sutter is the student life coordinator & accounts payable coordinator at RTS/Orlando. She assists Executive Vice President Bob Emeott processing accounts payable as well as miscellaneous projects. She also assists Dean of Students Bob Orner facilitating student life events on campus such as the Fall Kick-Off, the annual Christmas party, graduation banquet, community lunches and president’s forums. Kim has a background in interior design from Seminole State in Oviedo, Fla. She is married to her high school sweetheart Kendall and they have two adult children. She attends Metro Life Church in Casselberry and has served in various capacities there, including worship team, home school organization, conferences, retreats, children's ministry, hospitality team and hosting small groups.

NEW BOOK PUBLISHED BY MICHAEL MILTON
Finding a Vision for Your Church: Assembly Required was expected in October but released in November 2012. Dr. Marvin Olasky, editor-in-chief of World magazine says, "The church is not just a building; it is an assembly of people who need a vision. Here is inspiration for a radically biblical vision that will both minister to and involve your church’s assembly." Order the book here.

A NEW RTS E-NEWSLETTER COMING IN JANUARY
The RTS E-Newsletter will have a new look next year. We hear a lot of comments on how you especially enjoy reading the alumni snippets and keeping up with our graduates, so the snippets will now be on the side instead of at the bottom. Also we'll have a new look altogether. We hope you like the changes.

ALUMNI SNIPPETS
Joseph "Josh" Carmichael (M.Div.M '01), pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro, Ala., graduated Dec. 7 from Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky., with a Ph.D. in church history. His dissertation is titled "The Hymnody of Anne Steele in John Rippon's Selection of Hymns: A Theological Analysis in the Context of the English Particular Baptist Revival." Click here to read it. He and his wife Betsy have six sons: Fulton (13), Morris (10), Milledge (8), Henry (6), Thomas (2), and Joseph (3 months).

Bassam Chedid (M.Div.M. '98, D.Miss. '97) is working on the Arabic Study Bible and after five years he is coming to the final phase and working toward the printing for worldwide distribution. Please keep him in your prayers as his wife Norma who also worked on this book, passed away in October.

Doug Domin (M.Div. '85), pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Concord, NH, you may remember, had 30 days this past summer to be out of the place his church had been renting for 2 years. Their former meeting place has now become Buffalo Wild Wings Sports Bar. On June 24, the congregation voted to purchase a 4,000 sq. ft. building on two acres of land. Doug says, "God pushed us out and enabled us to trust Him to provide a new temporary location to worship in, though only on Sunday morning, and the funds to purchase this facility which had been dropped in price $50,000. Since that congregational meeting God has provided the $299,000 and we closed on the property this past Monday." They now will begin the next phase of renovations and transformation of the building.

Andre Gazal (M.Div. '95) serves as professor of historical theology at Northland Graduate School, at Northland International University in Dunbar, Wis. He and his wife Agata have one son. Andre has also published his dissertation (Ph.D. Trinity Evangelical Divinity School: supervisor Scott Manetch). It will be released this January by Edwin Mellen Press. The title of the book is Scripture and Royal Supremacy in Tudor England: The Use of Old Testament Historical Narrative.

Abraham George (MAC '09) and his wife Romila are with India Campus Crusade for Christ. He recently helped lead a training designed to build powerful ministry teams and help strengthen the system of coaching. They also held a Christmas outreach among students, a program with skits called "Hope - Jesus Is", on December 15. The team is also hoping to take the program to "closed" college campuses that would allow a quality Christmas program.

Mark Green (M.Div. '11), retired from Exxon Mobil and in August was named the new president and COO of the White Horse Inn, a multimedia catalyst for reformation. White Horse Inn is home to the White Horse Inn radio broadcast and Modern Reformation magazine. The name White Horse Inn is based on a a tavern of the same name in Cambridge, England on the campus of King's College, where in 1520, a small band of English scholars began to meet regularly to discuss the German Reformer's writings, along with Erasmus' recently completed Greek New Testament. See the announcement and picture of Mark here.

Greg Joines (M.Div. '12) tells us that Solomon Kim (M.Div. '09) has decided to partner with them in establishing a church and RUF in Corvallis, Oregon, home to Oregon State University. Learn more on their Web site here. Greg has participated in several events on campus and continues a dialogue with students. He has been preaching at several churches in the area. They are expecting a child this month which will make them a family of five.

Michael Lee (M.Div. '05) and his wife Tricia are serving with Mission to the World in Mexico. They recently moved the location of their office near the Metrorrey (Monterrey's mass-transit light rail system) to be closer to downtown. A reporter for the L.A. Times wrote an article about the work they are doing in Monterrey here.

Also Michael and others have discussed theological training for the Northern Mexico Church Planting and Multiplication Movement and have made significant changes in order to prepare new church planters. At first they offered classes on nights and Saturdays due to the financial hardship of working and attending seminary, and now they offer week-long, all-day intensive classes that they call the "incubator". The first one was held in August, and it was the first of four scheduled over the course of the next two years.

They are also proud to announce that their daughter Hannah married Buddy Snelling on Oct. 6 and are excited to have been able to attend the wedding in Clover, SC.

Ryan McVicar (M.Div. '07 ) is planting a church, New City Presbyterian, in the Royal Oak area of Detroit. “People at New City don’t just see each other on Sunday," says Ryan. Read an article on his church in the local paper here.

Jennifer Miller (MABS '07) and Louisa McCullough Tremann (MABS '95) work in the home office of Mission to the World. They have teamed up to train new missionaries about support raising. Louisa and Jennifer served as missionaries with MTW (to Ukraine and East Asia, respectively) and now are bringing their own experience and research on this topic to others. In early 2013, they will be part of Raising Support Successfully – A Team Approach to Ministry. This two-day intensive event will be open to all those raising support in the greater ministry community. Click here to learn more.

Chris Peck (MABS '08) taught Greek, Hebrew and Old Testament in Papua New Guinea, and is now back and living in Orlando with his family awaiting some final words on a new calling. Essentially, Chris’ vision is the teaching of Scripture to groups of businessmen at their office, where Christians and non-Christians come and listen and learn. More of the vision includes going on mission trips and teaching people about missions and praying with groups.

Joel Pelsue (M.Div. '98), founder and president of Arts and Entertainment Ministries, recently wrote "The Power of Beauty" on his Web site. "It ought not to surprise us that God starts and ends the Bible with beauty. He begins with a beautiful garden, ends with a beautiful city,..." says Pelsue. Read the full article here.

Greg Salazar (M.Div. '12) and his wife Christie are currently serving in England, and assisting the founder of Frontiers, Dr. Greg Livingstone with a new book. They welcomed new daughter Catherine-Claire Annabelle Salazar into the world on Nov. 28. They call her "Catie-Claire." Everyone is doing well. However, on a sad note, Greg's dad passed away the next morning unexpectedly. His dad was a talented painter. They plan to have a memorial service in June in Asheville, NC. Please keep this family in your prayers.

Greg has also been accepted to the University of Cambridge to the M.Phil. Early Modern History Program and will be working on a thesis in the field of English Puritanism in October 2013.

Louis Surprenant (RTS/Charlotte M.Div. student), is stepping down as the director of college ministry at Friendly Hills Church, which meets at Guilford College in Jamestown, NC. Also serving with Mission to North America, in January, he will pursue the call to plant a church. He has accepted a church-planting apprenticeship at Christ Church Greensboro. Keep up with Louis and his wife Jamie here.

Jemar Tisby (RTS/Orlando M.Div. student) recently wrote an article that was posted on Gospel Coalition titled "The Joyful Pursuit of Multi-ethnic Churches." Read the article here.

Anthony Turner (MAR '09) recently published an ebook devotional celebrating an examining the season of Advent. The devotional is called The Advent of the Messiah: Finding Peace, Love, Joy and Hope in a Modern World. Turner and his wife live in Springfield, Mo., where he is the lead pastor of Northbridge Church. Read more about the book or purchase it here.

Ministry and Leadership Winter 2012

12/11/2012 12:00:00 AM


	Ministry & Leadership Winter 2012 Edition Digital Version Now Available The Ministry & Leadership magazine is now available in a digital format. Click here to view the magazine. In the future, look for extended articles in the digital version, as this version allows us to extend the content of the articles beyond what we are able to do in print form. Click here to view online.

Christmas 2012

12/5/2012 12:00:00 AM

RTS E-Newsletter iss.#130 November 15, 2012

11/16/2012 12:00:00 AM

Issue #130

November 15, 2012

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE RTS FACULTY STAFF AND STUDENTS
Thanks to our many donors and friends who support us and pray for us. We are blessed and encouraged by your friendship and financial help. We give thanks and praise to the Lord this upcoming day of Thanksgiving as we gather together with family and celebrate God’s blessing and provision. May we also remember through prayer those people in the northeast who have gone through a rough time following Hurricane Sandy with no power for weeks. May you have a warm, safe and blessed Thanksgiving holiday.

NEW ZONDERVAN BOOK SERIES EDITED BY SWAIN AND ALLEN TO BE A RESOURCE FOR SEMINARY STUDENTS, PASTORS AND OTHER CHRISTIAN LEADERS
New Studies in Dogmatics, a major new 15-volume series, commissioned by Zondervan Academic and edited by Dr. Scott Swain of RTS and Michael Allen of KTS, promises to provide essential resources for seminary systematic theology courses or advanced college-level systematic theology electives. Pastors and other ministry leaders who seek to deepen their theological understanding will also be drawn to the series. Read more here.

NEW ACADEMIC DEAN AT RTS/CHARLOTTE
Reformed Theological Seminary is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Richard Belcher, Jr., (Ph.D., Westminster Theological Seminary) as academic dean for RTS/Charlotte. Dr. Belcher is the professor of Old Testament at RTS/Charlotte and takes on these new responsibilities as former Academic Dean Michael Kruger transitions to president of RTS/Charlotte. Read more here.

RTS/ATLANTA KOREAN LECTURE
On Friday, Nov. 2, RTS/Atlanta was pleased to host Dr. Hyung Yong Park for a breakfast lecture on “Paul's Theology of Resurrection and His Method of Preaching.” Dr. Park’s lecture was well attended and given in the Korean language for our Korean brothers and sisters as an expression of RTS’ global vision.

One participant thanked RTS/Atlanta for “serving the community” by hosting this lecture, while another said, “through this lecture on ‘Resurrection Theology’ and an examination of the Bible again I have confirmed my ‘resurrection faith’ and regained strength to proclaim the gospel confidently.”

Dr. Park’s lecture will be broadcasted by the Christian Broadcasting System, a Korean television news channel. Dr. Park received his Doctorate of Sacred Theology from Emory University and his Master of Divinity from Chongshin Theological Seminary in South Korea. He is the former chancellor of Seoul Bible Graduate School of Theology, and former chancellor and professor at Hapdong Theological Seminary.

CCM MAGAZINE LIKES MILTON'S "IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME" SONG
In the latest Christ Community Music (CCM) magazine, RTS Chancellor Michael Milton's Christmas album is reviewed in the New Reviews and Releases section as "perfect for the upcoming Christmas season." Click here to see the magazine. (Click on the magazine to bypass the ad). A free download will be included in the December issue.

RTS NICOLE INSTITUTE OF BAPTIST STUDIES APPOINTS NEW INTERIM DIRECTOR
RTS/Orlando is pleased to announce the appointment of Rev. Barry Peterson as the interim director of the Nicole Institute of Baptist Studies (NIBS) effective November 4, 2012. This institute, established in 2011, exists to impart the riches of reformed theology and piety to students while also conveying a robust Baptist vision of the church in its ministry.

Academic Dean Dr. Scott Swain said, “Barry’s strong relationships with various Reformed Baptist networks in Florida puts him in an excellent position to serve the Nicole Institute’s vision of cooperating with confessional Baptist churches in training future ministers of the gospel. We are grateful to have him on board.”

Peterson was ordained through the Christian Ministry Alliance and has 12 years of ministry experience. Peterson is currently the pastor at Maranatha Fellowship Church in Winter Park, Fla., and has a Master of Divinity degree from RTSO. Read the full release here.

BELCHER REVIEWS ECCLESIASTES
The September 2012 issue of the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (JETS), Vol. 55, No. 3, contains a review by Dr. Richard Belcher on Ecclesiastes by James Bollhagen. Belcher calls it a "conservative, confessional approach, from a Lutheran perspective."

NEW BOOK EDITED BY DR. CHUCK HILL AND DR. MIKE KRUGER
Dr. Chuck Hill co-edited with Dr. Michael J. Kruger The Early Text of the New Testament (Oxford University Press, September 2012). Dr. Hill contributed the chapter "In These Very Words: Methods and Standards of Literary Borrowing in the Second Century." Dr. Kruger contributed the chapter "Early Christian Attitudes Toward the Reproduction of Texts." Click here to order the book.

REGISTER NOW FOR THE WINTER TERM AT RTS
Click here to see the winter courses being offered at RTS/Washington D.C. Select your desired campus for classes on other campuses and select winter term. Some of the courses being taught include "The Christian Life", taught by Dr. Steve Brown Jan. 15-17 and Dr. Elias dos Santos Medeiros will teach "Christian Encounter with Islam" Jan. 3-5 at RTS/Washington D.C.

Dr. Bruce Baugus will teach "The Reformed Faith in China" at RTS/Jackson Jan. 2-4.

Dr. Thomas Nettles will teach "Baptist Confessions" as part of the Nicole Institute of Baptist Studies at RTS/Orlando Jan. 14-18 and Dr. Willem VanGemeren will teach "Biblical Theology of the Old Testament."

CORNERSTONE TV TO AIR INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL MILTON NOV. 23
RTS Chancellor Milton was interviewed on Cornerstone TV. The program is scheduled to air on Friday, Nov. 23, 2012, at 1:00 PM and 8:00 PM and will be live streamed here.

RUN JIM RUN!
Jim McAlhaney, (M.A.R; M.S.), director of admissions/student services for the RTS/Virtual campus will run the Kiawah Island Marathon in South Carolina on December 8. This is a 26.2 mile race to raise additional scholarship funds for RTS/Virtual students. He calls it the 26.2 Virtual Campus Scholarship Fundraiser. Jim is an RTS/Virtual alumnus and staff member. He says, “When I was a student with RTS/Virtual, I was also the recipient of a scholarship to help lower my tuition cost. Without this, I could not have finished seminary.” If you are interested in supporting Jim in this effort, he is hoping to have many pledge $1 per mile for a total contribution of $26.20 per supporter, but a larger pledge is welcome, of course.

Also, Jim is seeking to qualify for the 2014 Boston Marathon by running better than a 3:25 at Kiawah. If Jim does qualify for the Boston Marathon, would you consider an additional $10 or more donation to the RTS Virtual Scholarship fund?

If you can commit to the 26.2 Scholarship Fundraiser, email Jim at jmcalhaney@rts.edu. If you would like to mail your contribution, make the check payable to: Reformed Theological Seminary and mail to Reformed Theological Seminary Virtual Campus, Attn: Jim McAlhaney, 2101 Carmel Road, Charlotte, NC 28226. Note: Please put: 26.2 Virtual Scholarship in the memo line of your check.

If you choose to make a contribution for this cause online, you can do so here, and be sure to put 26.2 Virtual Scholarship in the notes area of the online form. Your donation is tax-deductible and you will receive a receipt.

DR. MICHAEL MILTON AND DR. ANDY PETERSON TO PRESENT AT THE 2012 SACS COC ANNUAL MEETING
Dr. Michael Milton and Dr. Andy Peterson will present a paper entitled: "iLearn: Online Training for Professional, Graduate-level Degrees" at the 2012 SACS COC Annual Meeting on December 11, 2012 in Dallas, TX. The conference theme is Higher Education in 2020: Emerging Trends in Pedagogy, Technology, and Student Learning.

NEW EMPLOYEES AT RTS/ORLANDO
Rebekah Kubik began in a new position created on the RTS/Orlando campus called creative director. In December 2011, Rebekah graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Magazine Journalism from the University of Central Florida. While there, she participated in the creation and launch of UCF’s first university magazine, Centric, where she wrote and photographed the lead story. Rebekah has also interned for two magazines located in the Orlando area, Orlando Home & Leisure and Babytalk. Rebekah enjoys working as a freelance photographer and can occasionally be found creating large chalk paintings in local festivals.

Sarah Vacca has been hired as development coordinator, assisting Executive VP Robert Emeott. She is married to RTS/O student Andrew Vacca (Certificate) and is originally from Montreal, Canada. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Clearwater Christian College and later became involved in academic research on neurological disorders and published a paper with the Georgia Neurosurgical Institute, Macon, Ga., on epilepsy clinical trials. She also worked as a clinical research coordinator for neurological clinical trials in Tampa. Sarah and Andrew moved to Oviedo for Andrew to attend RTS, and she first started working at RTS in January 2011 as a receptionist. Sarah and Andrew are involved with many disability ministries and just ran the 2012 Chicago Marathon.

RTS/ATLANTA LIBRARY UPDATE
The library at RTS/ATLANTA continues to grow by leaps and bounds. They have received several great donations that they are working hard to get into the collection. They appreciate everyone who has donated resources and time to helping the library in their building project. They are currently working to expand the space of the library, as they have nearly reached maximum capacity in their current space. This new addition will allow for current growth needs. They are also planning to have a book sale in November to benefit the library.

RTS/ORLANDO LIBRARY ASSOCIATE REVIEWS BOOK
Michael Farrell, associate librarian at RTS/O, reviewed the seminary's One School One Book choice titled The Crescent Through the Eyes of the Cross. The author spoke at the seminary this week and held a Q&A session during a lunch. Read the review here.

RTS/C STUDENTS HEAR FROM CHAPLAIN AT CMI
Chaplain (LTC) Alan Pomaville, head of the Reserve chaplain support faculty at the Chaplain School teaches a Chaplain Ministries Institute (CMI) briefing at RTS/Charlotte.

RTS VIRTUAL WILL BE AT THE ASSOCIATION OF CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
RTS Virtual will be represented at the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) Conference in Anaheim, Calif., Nov. 19-20, 2012, with an exhibit for promotion of the MAR for Christian educators.

ALUMNI SNIPPETS
Kent Muhling (M.Div. '01) and his wife Yoko are currently serving in Sendai, Japan, with Asian Access through SIM. They recently moved into an apartment and are grateful to the Lord for his provision.

Micah Ngussa (MATS '09) and his wife Happiness are serving at the Tanzania Children's Rescue Centre (TCRC). He shares some news of a boy whose parents divorced when he was young and his father tortured him. His sister ran away and died of illness. He finally ran away with his brothers and they became street kids. He was saved in 1999 at a TCRC meeting and was invited to live there. He went back to the streets on three different occasions, but eventually came back and settled there. Recently he graduated from Bible College and came to work at TCRC. He was married this year. He is pictured here with Micah who performed the wedding ceremony.

Micah also tells us the construction of the girls' dorm is going well along with the construction of the classrooms for Secondary School. He also talks about the continued famine in the area due to the drought driving up the cost of food. Micah is also a graduate of Nassa Theological College. Please keep them in your prayers.

Celia G. Klots, 60, of Oviedo, Fla., passed away on October 24, 2012. She was a registered nurse and was actively involved as an ambassador at the RTS/Orlando campus when she attended there.

Paul May (M.Div '07, MAC '07) is planting a church in Sioux Falls, S.D., and Grace Presbyterian recently held its first Sunday morning public preview worship service on October 28. They are planning additional preview services about once a month through the beginning of 2013, while the church continues to meet for Bible study and grows steadily. Paul and Meaghan are also eagerly anticipating the arrival of their third child any day now! You can sign up to receive periodic updates about the church plant here.

James McManus (M.Div. '06) has been called to be the pastor of Bethel Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Winnsboro, SC. The installation service will be held Sunday, Dec. 2, at 6 pm, with a reception following the service. The address is 101 North Zion St., Winnsboro, SC 29180. He and his wife Beth have two daughters, Maggie and Hannah.

Joseph Minich (MAR '12) reviewed Kingdom Through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of Covenants by Gentry and Wellum. The review was posted here on The Calvinist International, a forum of Reformed Irenicism.

Ruth Moran (former RTS student) after a difficult battle with cancer, passed away on Nov. 12, 2012. She is survived by her husband Tim. The funeral will be held at Carolina Presbyterian Church in Locust, NC, on Friday, Nov. 16 at 4:00 p.m. with viewing at 3:00 p.m. Her journey was captured here on CaringBridge.

Andres Garza (M.Div. '06, D.Min student) who works with the Center for Church Planting, was featured in an LA Times article titled "Americans Ready to Risk Lives to Save Souls in Monterrey, Mexico." Richard Fausset wrote, "American Christians--called to the mission fields of norther Mexico-believe the need for their services has never been greater. But they have to be realistic about the risks." Click here to read the article. RTS Chancellor Michael Milton said, "This is a story of how partnerships are key to our expansion of ministry to get the gospel out to the ends of the earth."

Bob Bjerkaas (Th.M. '05), pastor of Church in the Canyon in Calabasas, Calif., was featured in an article in the local paper, Thousand Oaks Acorn. At 17, he was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease while trying to enlist in the Marine Corps, but it inspired him to place God at the center of his life. He went on to earn two master’s degrees. Church in the Canyon sponsored a group of teenagers who went to City Heights, an underprivileged San Diego neighborhood to build a play area and host a sports camp for elementary school children. Also, they hosted a cancer awareness event featuring guest speaker Joni Eareckson Tada. Joni says, “Although the church may be small by California’s standards, it is warm, homey and inviting to people who are looking for a church home where they can use their gifts.” Bjerkaas and his wife, Kerrie, have four children between the ages of 7 and 13. Read the article here.

Daniel Kang (M.Div. '03) is pictured (right) with Chancellor Michael Milton at the U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School. He served in Afghanistan.

Nathan Parker (M.Div. '09) reports he has completed the work for his Ph.D. The title of his thesis is "Proselytisation and Apocalypticism in the British Atlantic World: The Theology of John Flavel." He completed it in just under two years at Durham University, England.

Cynthia Ruble (MATS '00) was recently featured in The Japan Times, a major Japanese publication here. We have reported on her as she has made these transitions opening a homestay for pregnant women in Japan who needed a place to stay which ultimately led to being a crisis pregnancy center. She is pictured with her adopted son Micah in the article. At the end of the article she is quoted,"Overall, we'd love for the government to make healthy families a major initiative and focus for the country, as that is the only way for Japan to have a bright future."

Jan P. Werson (M.Div. '88) will be installed as the new associate pastor of Marco Presbyterian Church on Oct. 28 at 10:30 a.m. Werson is a former naval flight officer and flight instructor, who has 27 years in the ministry including 12 as a navy chaplain.

Ren Zepp (MAR '09) was recently ordained in the Presbyterian Church in America as pastor of congregational care/mercy ministry/sherpherding for Pinewood Presbyterian Church in Middleburg, Fla. He formerly worked with the Navigators organization.

RTS E-Newsletter iss. #129 October 23, 2012

10/24/2012 12:00:00 AM

Issue #129

October 23, 2012

NEW PRESIDENT AT RTS/CHARLOTTE
RTS announced on October 4, 2012, the appointment of Dr. Michael J. Kruger as president of RTS/Charlotte effective January 1, 2013. RTS also expressed its sincere thanks to Dr. Rod Culbertson for stepping in as the campus executive director to oversee operations when Dr. Milton began his transition into the chancellorship of RTS. We are grateful for Rod's selfless service. He will now return to the classroom to teach.

Dr. Kruger is currently professor of New Testament and academic dean at RTS/Charlotte. He will continue his teaching responsibilities, but a new academic dean will be appointed. Dr. Kruger received a B.S. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary in California, and a Ph.D. from University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Read more here.

GOSPEL COALITION 2013 NATIONAL CONFERENCE
This conference will be a five-day event running April 6 to 10, including a weekend world missions conference and three-day main conference focused on the mission of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. Both events will be held at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Fla. You are encouraged to attend both conferences but may also register for them separately. Overall the event features 80 speakers from around the world aiming to stir your affections for Jesus Christ, equip you to live faithfully in this world, and spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. Eight plenary addresses and one panel will re-introduce you to Jesus as recounted by Luke and explore together the dramatic progression from Jesus' birth to ascension. Register here.

PROFESSOR CHUCK HILL'S BOOK NOW IN PAPERBACK
Who Chose the Gospels? Probing the Great Gospel Conspiracy by Dr. Chuck Hill, professor of New Testament at RTS/Orlando, is now available in paperback. The description states, "The Bible contains four Gospels which tell the story of Jesus of Nazareth. And yet, many more Gospels once existed. Who, then, determined which Gospels would, for the next two thousand years, serve as the main gateways to Jesus and his teaching? Who Chose the Gospels? examines the great (and ongoing) controversy about how to look at ancient books about Jesus. How the four Biblical Gospels emerged into prominence among their competitors is a crucial question for students interested in understanding the historical Jesus and the development of the Christian church." click here to order the book.

RTS FACULTY, STUDENT AND FORMER STAFF PUBLISHED IN THE WASHINGTON POST
Articles by several of our RTS/Washington D.C. folks have recently been published in the Washington Post. President Scott Redd's article on the D.C. governor debacle titled "Vincent Gray Drama Has Become About Ethics" is posted here and his article on the value of ancient texts titled "The Bible Museum and the Importance of Appreciating Religious Textual History" is posted here. RTS/Washington student John Bourgeois' article on debt and morality titled "Presidential Debate: Morality, the Deficit and Jim Lehrer" is posted here. Hugh Whelchel, former executive director of Washington/DC wrote an article on jobs and the Christian theology of seeking welfare of community, titled "Presidential Debate: Obama, Romney Job Rhetoric Misses True Value of Work" is posted here.

NEW STATION TO BROADCAST FAITH FOR LIVING
WZKR-FM (103.3), a station on the Mississippi News Network will be airing Faith For Living on Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m. Faith For Living is an outreach ministry of Reformed Theological Seminary with host Dr. Michael Milton.

OPEN HOUSE AT RTS/WASHINGTON D.C.
An open house for prospective students will be held Nov. 9 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at RTS/Washington DC. Learn about campus life and meet with President Scott Redd, the faculty and staff. Visitors are welcome to stay for our "Missions" course with Dr. Sam Larsen starting at 7:00 p.m. Contact Geoff Sackett via email or call 703-448-2293 to reserve a spot. We look forward to meeting you!

BREATHEcast REVIEWS MILTON CHRISTMAS ALBUM
Neshell Hogan, of BREATHEcast, recently reviewed Dr. Milton's new Christmas album When Heaven Came Down, and said, "It's refreshing to see a Christmas album that is completely original lyrically and musically." Read the complete review here. Purchase a copy for yourself or a friend here and support scholarships for RTS students at the same time.

RUNNING 26.2 FOR STUDENTS
Jim McAlhaney, (M.A.R; M.S.), director of admissions/student services for the RTS/Virtual campus will run the Kiawah Island Marathon in South Carolina on December 8. This is a 26.2 mile race to raise additional scholarship funds for RTS/Virtual students. He calls it the 26.2 Virtual Campus Scholarship Fundraiser. Jim is an RTS/Virtual alumnus and staff member. He says, “When I was a student with RTS/Virtual, I was also the recipient of a scholarship to help lower my tuition cost. Without this, I could not have finished seminary.” If you are interested in supporting Jim in this effort, he is hoping to have many pledge $1 per mile for a total contribution of $26.20 per supporter, but a larger pledge is welcome, of course.

INAUGURATION PICTURES NOW AVAILABLE ON RTS FACEBOOK
Click here to view pictures from the inauguration of Dr. Michael Milton on September 14, 2012.

RTS/JACKSON INTERNATIONAL POTLUCK
The annual international dinner at RTS/Jackson, sponsored by the Student Cabinet and coordinated by Christina Jeong, was held at Patterson’s Porch on Sept. 21. Students from around the globe brought home-cooked dishes from the countries they represent—Brazil, Canada, China, Guyana, India, Ireland, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, and Taiwan. There was singing of songs in a multitude of languages, led by Matheus Santos. A panel of international students fielded questions, both serious and humorous: What do you miss most about your country? What foods are eaten in your country that seem weird to Americans? How would you like the RTS family to pray for your country? Laughter, music, delicious and adventurous food, rich fellowship in Christ… a special evening for new friends and old.

VIRTUAL CAMPUS ORIENTATION SEMINARS
RTS/Virtual M.A. (Religion) students are required to complete an orientation seminar on an RTS campus near the beginning of their degree work. However, the orientation seminar is much more than just a requirement. Orientation is an invaluable opportunity for students to visit an RTS campus, hear lectures from RTS professors, visit a top-notch theological library, meet with personal advisors from the RTS/Virtual staff, and network with other students. To register, contact Alice Hathaway, RTS/Virtual's registrar. Upcoming dates for orientation seminars are October, 29-31 (RTS/Charlotte).

WOMEN IN MINISTRY VISIT WYCLIFFE
The Women in Ministry (WIM) of RTS/Orlando visited the Wycliffe Bible Translators headquarters on Friday for a Scripture celebration, where they celebrate many new translations of the Scriptures. Special guest speaker Jon Arensen, who has served Wycliffe mostly in Sudan and Kenya, spoke during the celebration. Wycliffe calls the celebration a beginning. "As the Word enters the hearts of people who begin to grasp its depths for the first time in their own tongue, the Holy Spirit used it to deepen the transformation process, first in individuals and then in whole communities." Several of the RTS Staff were also in attendance.

FORMER RTS FACULTY PASSES AWAY
Rev. Elmer Dortzbach, 90, of Penney Farms, Fla., passed away on September 16, 2012. He pastored at five churches over the course of 25 years (Franklin Square, NY, Park Hill in Denver, Redeemer in Atlanta, Immanuel in Thornton, Colo., and Grace in Fall River, Mass.) He was a former professor of pastoral care at RTS/Jackson from 1977 until 1984. His memorial service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 2:30 p.m. at Penney Memorial Chapel.

PRESIDENT'S FORUM AT RTS/ORLANDO
RTS/Orlando will host Bob Creson, president of Wycliffe, who will speak on "Bible Translation for Muslim Cultures" on Oct. 24 at noon in the fellowship hall. Lunch will be served for a nominal fee, or you can bring your own. To RSVP for lunch email Kim Sutter at ksutter@rts.edu. The public is invited.

CHANCELLOR INTERVIEWED ON CORNERSTONE TV
Tom Hollis, director of broadcast service at Cornerstone TV, in Wall, Penn., interviewed Dr. Michael Milton on his testimony, the role of the church in the world today, his calling to ministry and how one knows when they are called to the ministry, his book Silent No More and the role of pastors and the cultural issues we face today. The interview will air in a few weeks across more than 120 affiliates throughout the U.S.

ALUMNI SNIPPETS
William Benjamin Gresham, Jr., (M.Div. '76, D.Min '93) 61, died on September 14, 2012. He started Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) at Auburn University, which now serves over 500 students, and was campus minister for nine years. He was a missionary in Belize for several years, and taught history at Briarwood Christian School in Birmingham, Ala. He served as pastor of McDonald Presbyterian Church, in Collins, Miss. A memorial service was held at Lake Crest Presbyterian Church on September 17 in Hoover, Alabama. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to RUF, 1700 N. Brown Road, Suite 104, Lawrenceville, GA, 30043. Read the entire obituary here. Read an extensive reflection on the life of Bill Gresham from Teaching Elder Billy Joseph, in The Aquila Report, here.

Greg Joines (M.Div. '12) passed his exams and has been officially ordained in the Presbyterian Church in America. Also, he will be a church planter in Corvallis, Oregon. Follow their blog here.

Rob Maeder (MDiv, ‘12) received a job as youth director of Crossroads Community Church in Hillsborough, New Jersey. He will be working as their youth director and pursuing ordination in the Metro New York Presbytery. Crossroads is a church plant of the Presbyterian Church in America, located in an important area for gospel ministry due to predominantly Catholic surroundings.

James McManus (M.Div. '06), currently the associate pastor of White Oak Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Moreland, Ga., has accepted the call to be the pastor of Bethel Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Winnsboro, SC. His last day at White Oak will be November 11th and first Sunday at Bethel will be November 18th. They ask for prayers as they prepare for this move and begin to settle into a new ministry and town. He and his wife Beth have two daughters, Maggie and Hannah.

Steffen Mueller (M.Div.'05) sent in an update on their church launch in Munchen, Germany. He reports that nearly 120 people attended.

Harold B. Probes, Jr. (M.Div. '74), 74, of Wesley Chapel, died Oct. 2, 2012. Probes served as the minister of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Tampa for 25 years. His funeral was held on Oct. 6. Read more here.

Jason Tippetts (M.Div. '11), his wife Kara and four kids moved back to Colorado in January as Jason took a call to plant a church called Westside Church, a church plant for Village Seven Presbyterian Church, in Colorado Springs. In June they moved into their new house then were evacuated 10 days later because of the Waldo Canyon fire. Please keep his wife Kara in your prayers as she is dealing with a medical condition. Follow her blog here. Jason passed his ordination exams in Rocky Mountain Presbytery and will have his ordination service October 28th at Village Seven. Jason and Kara haver four children, Eleanor (11), Harper Joy (8), Lake (5) and Story (3).

Willie Van Der Merwe (D.Min. '10) and his wife Caren are serving with GodSpeed Services in Swakopmund, Namibia, Africa, where they offer membercare services for those serving in that area of the world . He attended the 30th International Congress of Psychology in Cape Town during July. He reports there were over 5500 delegates from all over the world in attendance. He has also had meetings with groups of pastors from different denominations in Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. In November he will attend the Global Leadership Summit. His wife Caren passed her physiotherapy/physical therapy board exam in July and has started to work part time helping people in need.

Brian Waters (M.Div. '08) is pastoring a new church plant, Providence Presbyterian Church, in Christiansburg, Va., which opened their doors on August 12. He and his wife Danielle have four children. Read an article on them here.

Christmas CD from Michael Milton

10/2/2012 12:00:00 AM

All proceeds go to the RTS Scholarship Fund for needy students.

Dr. Michael Milton, chancellor of Reformed Theological Seminary has produced his first Christmas CD. Click here to order the CD for yourself or a few for your friends.

"When Heaven Came Down" came as an encouragement from a colleague at RTS to write a song about the Incarnation," says Milton. "That one song led to a wonderful time of reflecting and composing 14 other new songs for Advent and Christmas. The album reflects the moods of Christmas, seeks to convey the glorious truths of Christmas, and, finally, prays for a sense of awe and wonder of Almighty God coming down from heaven to His own creation, in the throne room of a cattle shed. From simple ballads to orchestral movements to English madrigals, the album seeks to draw the listener in to the holy splendor of the season that hits our hearts more than any other. May God bless all who hear and may all who hear find wonder."

RTS E-Newsletter iss. #128 September 25, 2012

9/25/2012 12:00:00 AM

Issue #128

September 25, 2012

FREE BREAKFAST AND KOREAN LECTURE AT RTS/ATLANTA
Our Korean brothers and sisters are cordially invited to the Atlanta campus of Reformed Theological Seminary, located at 1580 Terrell Mill Rd., Marietta, GA., on Friday, Nov. 2 at 8:00 a.m. for a free breakfast and lecture by Dr. Hyung Yong Park on "Paul's Theology of Resurrection and His Method of Preaching." Dr. Park received his Doctorate of Sacred Theology from Emory University, his Master of Theology from Westminster Theological Seminary, and his Master of Divinity from Chongshin Theological Seminary in South Korea. He is the former chancellor of Seoul Bible Graduate School of Theology and former chancellor and professor at Hapdong Theological Seminary. If interested, please RSVP to Soyon Kim by Friday, October 26 at skim@rts.edu or by calling 770.952.8884 (ext. 114). This event will be in the Korean language, as a service to our Korean-speaking Christian brethren, and as an expression of RTS’ global vision.

NEW VIDEO ON INTERNSHIPS AT RTS/JACKSON
Click here to view the new video on internships at RTS/Jackson.

REPORT ON AALDR WEEKEND AT RTS/JACKSON
The African American Leadership Initiative at RTS/Jackson partnered with Mission to North America (MNA) and Redeemer Church, Jackson, to host the African American Leadership Development and Recruitment (AALDR) weekend in Jackson, Miss., in late August. There were more than 80 in attendance from all over the U.S. even as far as London, England. Topics were addressed pertaining to ministry by and among African Americans in a Reformed and Presbyterian context. Speakers included Elbert McGowan, Roy Hubbard, Mike Campbell, Randy Nabors, Mike Jones, Carl Ellis, Reddit Andrews and Wy Plummer. The target audience for the weekend was African American seminary students and those who are considering ministry in the future to explore opportunities within the PCA. To listen to the sessions, click here. See pictures from the event here.

CHANCELLOR EMERITUS TO SPEAK AT FPC IN JACKSON
Dr. Ric Cannada will speak at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Miss., on Sunday evening, Oct. 7 on "The Great Invitation" from Matthew 11:25-30.

PROFESSOR SHARES HEBREW WITH FOURTH GRADERS
Dr. Miles Van Pelt recently spoke to an enthusiastic group in a fourth grade classroom at a Christian school in Ridgeland, Miss. The students learned about Hebrew, the origin of the Bible, and looked at the oldest complete Hebrew manuscript in existence. Van Pelt is the Alan Belcher professor of Old Testament and biblical languages, and academic dean at RTS/Jackson.

ONE SCHOOL ONE BOOK
The Orlando campus of RTS is reading The Crescent Through the Eyes of the Cross by Dr. Nabeel T. Jabbour for their One School One Book event, which seeks to generate discussion and cultivate greater community life through corporate reflection on a book of mutual interest and benefit. Read more about the author and the book here. Dr. Jabbour will give a lecture on the book on Monday, Nov. 12, from 7-8:30 p.m. at RTS/Orlando. A book signing will follow. The public is invited. For more information, contact Laura Armstrong at 407-366-9493 or larmstrong@rts.edu.

DESIRING GOD NATIONAL CONFERENCE
RTS/Orlando student Dave Veldkamp and RTS/Charlotte admissions director Stephane Jeanrenaud will represent RTS at the Desiring God Conference in Minneapolis, Minn., Sept. 28-30 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Stop by and say hello! The theme of the conference is "Act the Miracle: God's Work and Ours in the Mystery of Sanctification." The mission of Desiring God is "celebrating the truth that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him; we exist to produce and distribute resources that spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ."

RTS/JACKSON BEGINS THANK-A-THON
Scholarship recipients at RTS/Jackson will be calling donors during their Fall Thank-a-Thon, Sept. 24-26. RTS is grateful to all who give to the students scholarship fund to enable needy students to take classes at RTS while in many cases, also supporting their family. If you would like to give a gift toward this fund, click here and indicate your preferences in the special notes section.

INAUGURATION MESSAGE AND SCHOLAR'S FORUM
Dr. Michael Milton was inaugurated on Sept. 14, 2012. Please click here to read the inauguration message from Dr. Milton. Click here to listen to the message and to listen to the speakers from the scholar's forum.

FORMER RTS FACULTY PASSES AWAY
Dr. Rev. Samuel F. Rowen, Sr., 78, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Friday, September 21, 2012 in Ft. Myers, Fla. Rowen, an ordained EPC minister, served at Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Cape Coral, Fla., and most recently attended New Hope Presbyterian Church in Fort Myers. He spent most of his life in missions serving primarily in Michigan, China and Argentina. He was also a former professor of missions at RTS/Jackson. He will fondly be remembered for never letting the truth stand in the way of a good story! Rowen is survived by his wife Ruth, three children, Lisa Seay and her husband Chris of Houston, Texas, Pam Rowen – Herzog and her husband Robert of Penngrove, Ca., and Sam Rowen, Jr. and his wife Soon Hee of North Palm Beach, Fla; a brother, David Rowen of Cape Coral; as well as eight grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at New Hope Presbyterian Church, 3825 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers, FL, on Oct. 27 at 10:00am, followed by a light reception. Memorial contributions can be sent to Global Outreach International, PO Box 1, Tupelo, MS, 38802, for the ministry of Marcelo Robles in Argentina. Friends are invited to send condolences via the on-line guest book which can be found at www.MullinsMemorial.com.

ALUMNI SNIPPETS
Lalzuala Khiangte (MAMIs '86), director of Set Free Ministries (SFM) in India, reports that they are counseling and preaching to inmates. He says, "The main purpose of visiting jail inmates is to share Christ with them, and by God's grace more than 1000 inmates have accepted Christ." According to the prison superintendent, suicide rates are down since they have been working in the system. Recently, three ex-prisoners are newly appointed as missionaries outside the Mizoram state. He asks that we pray for Set Free Ministries India, so that the true Light may shine among the inmates.

Josh Kitchen (M.Div. '12), currently in Dallas, Texas, will be seeking ordination in the Presbyterian Church of America. He has begun studying for the six written tests and two oral exams. He and his family plan to go to Papua New Guinea in January serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators for a 16-week orientation course. Josh will be serving as a field coordinator for The Seed Company. Follow their blog here. See the Seed Company video showing the reaction of the Gamo people when the Jesus Film was translated into their language here.

Edna Robfogel, wife of Bill Robfogel (M.Div. '76) working with Serving in Mission (SIM) updated us on the flooding situation in Niger (Western Africa) after the devastating rainfall within 24 hours in late August. She tells us that official reports estimate that "over 12,000 households were affected and over 9,000 homes destroyed. For SIM, the floods have resulted in two compounds now being part of the Niger River: Sahel Academy, international school for MKs and community children and The CBN compound (Centre Biblique de Niamey) - home to ESPriT (the Bible school), a church, Child Evangelism Fellowship, Emmaus Bible Correspondence School, and the Navigators. All these ministries need to find new locations from which to work.

"Predictions indicate the river will not return to its boundaries until March or April 2013 – which means temporarily relocating both schools, as well as finding housing for 53 missionaries and children who lived on those two compounds. The folks there have worked long, hard hours salvaging books, computers, and other valuable supplies as well as helping numerous Nigerien staff, Bible school students, colleagues and friends, many of whom have lost their homes and livelihoods." You can see some of the photos here. Since this report, you can see some of the positive things that have come out of this disaster by clicking here.

James Kim (M.Div. '11) is serving as the executive director of Pioneers Canada. In June 2012, he was ordained by the Evangelical Church Alliance. Since January, he has learned a lot about Canadian culture. Some studies say that Canada has between 6% to 12% evangelical Christians, but a prominent pastor in the area says it could now be as low as 3%. Secularism is growing rapidly. There are about 9,000 Tibetans living in a section of Toronto. There is only one known believer among them. Also, they have connections back in China and Tibet, not to mention countries like the U.S., India, and other places that have taken in Tibetan refugees. Reaching a particular unreached people has truly become a global endeavor. Please pray for James, his family, and Pioneers as they seek to reach the unreached people around the world.

RTS E-Newsletter iss. #127 September 11, 2012

9/14/2012 12:00:00 AM

Issue #127
September 11, 2012

THIS WEEK: THE INAUGURATION OF DR. MICHAEL MILTON
This week on Friday, September 14, RTS will inaugurate a new chancellor. As part of the RTS Succession Plan, Dr. Michael Milton began leading the Seminary on June 1, 2012, upon Dr. Ric Cannada's retirement. Milton's office manager Wendy Simmons has been working hard on the ceremony and all of the details. We are grateful for her hard work and that of other staffers and students. The complete RTS faculty will be in attendance. A scholar's forum is also scheduled prior to the inauguration with these Christian leaders: Dr. Robert C. "Ric" Cannada, Jr., Dr. Bryan Chapell, Dr. Ligon Duncan, Dr. W. Robert Godfrey, Dr. George Grant, Dr. Peter Lillback, Samuel T. Logan, Jr., Ph.D., Dr. Albert Mohler, Mr. John Muether, Dr. Mike Ross and Dr. Derek Thomas. Read more about the forum here.

FALL PREVIEW DAYS : COME VISIT US
You’re invited to get a glimpse of RTS Charlotte on Tuesday, November 13th from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. where you can discover how accessible graduate studies at RTS can be. During our Preview Day, you’ll have a chance to interact with faculty, staff and current students, worship, tour the campus, and hear from pastor-scholars about calling and God’s Kingdom and how you fit into it all. Best of all, the Preview Day is FREE! There is an optional event in the evening if interested. Location: RTS Charlotte, 2101 Carmel Rd Charlotte, NC 28226, RSVP: hgregory@rts.edu or call 800.755.2429, ext. 2101.

The RTS/Orlando campus will host their Fall Preview Days on October 2 beginning at 4:30 p.m. and ending October 3 at 3:00 p.m. By attending the Preview Days, you will enjoy dinner in your honor, meet the president and faculty, tour the campus, attend two classes, participate in the weekly chapel service, experience the weekly community lunch, and receive valuable information about the degree programs, financial aid, and seminary life. BONUS: All attendees will receive a $150 voucher to apply to their first semester’s tuition! For more information or to RSVP, contact Tim Trouten at 800-752-4382 (ttrouten@rts.edu).

CHINA'S REFORMING CHURCHES CONFERENCE
A conference on “China’s Reforming Churches,” sponsored by Reformed Theological Seminary, will be held on January 2 - 4, 2013 at Wallace Presbyterian Church in College Park, Md. The conference is being organized by Bruce P. Baugus, associate professor of philosophy and theology at RTS and Dave Holmlund, organizing pastor of Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Dover, NH. This conference will gather key ministry leaders from both sides of the Pacific, including representatives from Presbyterian and Reformed bodies across North America, Reformed scholars and experts on Christianity in China, among others. For further information, including a for-credit option, please contact Bruce Baugus at bbaugus@rts.edu.

RTS VIRTUAL PRESIDENT HAS A NEW BLOG
Dr. Andy Peterson, president of RTS/Virtual, has begun a new blog for students and supporters. It is titled "Biblical Life Today" and will deal with topics such as how the Bible transforms reality in education, counseling, seminary, business and healthcare. Beginning in September, the focus will be on Christian education topics. The blog is available on RTS on iTunes U here with the most recent messages at the top. Get started on RTS on iTunes U here.

WOMEN IN MINISTRY (WIM) AT RTS
WIM in Jackson
The fall semester of Women in Ministry for the RTS/Jackson campus began with a brunch attended by over 50 women students, student wives, and faculty wives. In a festive atmosphere of food and fellowship, they were welcomed to the seminary by Melissa Ridgway, a Jackson, Miss., native, and wife of RTS Board Chairman Richard Ridgway. She blended scriptural texts, winsome wisdom, and urged the women to “buckle up,” hold on to each other in friendship, and together enjoy the God-given adventure of seminary life. Pictured left is The WIM Cabinet in Jackson.

WIM in Orlando
RTS/Orlando Women in Ministry is excited to welcome all new and returning women to campus and to start this academic year off strong. Their first event of the semester was a brunch which provided an opportunity to meet and get to know others. Over 50 women attended and were encouraged by Leigh Swanson, RTS alumna and new associate dean of students in Orlando, who spoke about pilgrimage with God as seen in the Psalms. They have also started a women’s small group which will be reading The Pilgrim’s Progress this semester. Future events include a lunch on campus on Sept. 11 and a fall retreat Sept. 28-29. Their hope is that all women affiliated with RTS in Orlando will truly feel connected and grow here this year, becoming more equipped for the place God has called them to serve in his kingdom.

Women of RTS in Charlotte
On August 20, the Women of RTS Charlotte had their "Fall Kick Off" dinner. Student wife, Lauren Wenzler, spoke about her struggles and ultimate reliance on God during her first few months as a new wife, in a new city. Catrionia Anderson, wife of Dr. James Anderson, associate professor of theology and philosophy, encouraged the women with thoughts on Psalm 16. Tari Wiliamson, dean of women, closed the evening with an unveiling of the events for the coming semester. These events include monthly care nights, mentoring with faculty wives, the fall retreat to the mountains at the end of September, and a brunch and hike in November.

NEW BOOK BY CHANCELLOR MILTON
In October, a new book written by Dr. Milton titled Finding a Vision for Your Church: Assembly Required will be released. It will also include study questions.

RTS PHONE-A-THON RESUMES THIS FALL
Are you interested in partnering with RTS in support of scholarships for some of our needy students? Our students will soon begin calling on you to ask for a gift to support this effort. So many of you are supporting RTS in big ways and in small ways and we deeply appreciate each and every gift. If you would prefer to make your gift online, you can make a gift donation online here and specify "student scholarship gift" to direct your gifts to our students in need. Many of our students are also supporting their families and working multiple jobs to help out as well. Please give as you are led. We look forward to speaking with you.

ALUMNI SNIPPETS
Hunter Brewer (M.Div.'03), minister of teaching at Madison Heights Church reports that on Sunday, September 16th, they will move into their new church home. They have been meeting in a Catholic school since their inception. On that day, they are commissioning Josh Kines (M.Div. '07) and Nathaniel "Nate" Bonham (M.Div. '11) to the mission field (they leave two days later to go to Colombia). Josh and Nate have been on staff at MHC from the beginning. Thus, the creation/building of the church and their call to the mission field involves three RTS graduates as Hunter is also currently working on his D.Min.

Robert Griffith (M.Div. '09) is currently serving as a church liaison officer at Third Millennium Ministries in Orlando, Fla. He and his wife Christi are the proud parents of a new baby boy named Caedmon (pictured right), who was born February 6, 2012. Christi homeschools their other two children and teaches voice lessons.

Jake M. Hunt (M.Div. '07) and his wife Melissa, after recently visiting the States, have a special prayer request. They received a letter from the foreign police threatening to suspend Melissa's visa application due to "unresolved defects." They will have a visa attorney write a letter explaining their situation. Jake asks for prayer in this situation. Follow their blog here.http://huntsinprague.com/. Jake and Melissa had a new baby girl on August 20, 2012. Her name is Elizabeth Jenkins Hunt. Congratulations! Their son Sam is starting kindergarten and son Foard will start preschool this school year.

W. Wallace Hostetter (M.Div '79, D.Min '85), this past March, accepted a call to head up a mission agency in Detroit, Mich., called EACH (Everyone a Chance to Hear). EACH will attempt to give everyone in their region (over 3.5 million people) a chance to hear the message of Christ and to take the ‘next step’ in their spiritual journey. Hostetter was formerly at St. Giles Church in Charlotte. As the executive director of EACH, Hostetter works with a board of seven pastors. They are working with over 500 churches and have enrolled over 350 pastors in the EACH Pastor's Network. You can check out their work here. Also, check out the Web site they created called 2wordstory with videos of testimonies to help people share their faith.

Robert Jolly (M. Div. '11) was ordained and installed as pastor at Sardinia Presbyterian Church in Sardinia, SC, on Aug. 12, 2012.

Steffen Mueller (M.Div. '05) is currently serving in Munich, Germany, as pastor of Gospel Church Munchen. On September 9, they held their first worship service in Grunwald. They will have the official opening service on October 14. Keep them in your prayers.

Correction: Butch Barkman is stepping down as the JAARS president. Sorry for the incorrect spelling of his name in the last RTS E-Newsletter.

You are Invited to a Scholar's Forum Hosted by Dr. Michael Milton

9/4/2012 12:00:00 AM

SCHOLAR'S FORUM
"Minds and Hearts Aflame:
How the Seminary Must Serve the Church Today."

Reformed Theological Seminary invites you to be our special guest at our Scholar's Forum on Friday, September 14, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, N.C. Dr. Robert Cara, the chief academic officer of RTS, is the coordinator of this event and has gathered the entire RTS faculty to be present at the forum. Take a moment to review our special speakers below. We look forward to having you there. Please RSVP to Linda Dixon by September 10.

	Dr. Robert C. "Ric" Cannada, Jr. President/Chancellor Emeritus Reformed Theological Seminary		Dr. Bryan Chapell Chancellor Covenant Theological Seminary
	Dr. Ligon Duncan Senior Minister First Presbyterian Church Jackson, Miss.		Dr. W. Robert Godfrey President Westminster Seminary/California
	Dr. George Grant Pastor Parish Presbyterian Church Franklin, Tenn.		Dr. Peter Lillback President Westminster Theological Seminary
	Samuel T. Logan, Jr., Ph.D. International Director World Reformed Fellowship		Michael A. Milton, Ph.D. Chancellor & CEO Reformed Theological Seminary Host of Scholar's Forum
	Dr. Albert Mohler President The Southen Baptist Theological Seminary		Mr. John Muether Professor of Church History Reformed Theological Seminary
	Dr. Mike Ross Senior Pastor Christ Covenant Church Matthews, NC		Dr. Derek Thomas Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology Reformed Theological Seminary

RTS Chancellor Michael A. Milton will host these leaders in the Christian community. The inauguration service of Michael A. Milton, Ph.D., will follow the forum at 1:30 p.m.

RTS E-Newsletter iss. #126. August 30, 2012

8/31/2012 12:00:00 AM

Issue #126

August 30, 2012

CHANCELLOR'S CHRISTMAS CD NOW AVAILABLE
You may remember the song, "When Heaven Came Down," that Dr. Michael Milton composed and we sent out as our "gift" to you during Christmas last year. Now, Milton's first Christmas CD featuring that same song is available for sale here. Milton said, "'When Heaven Came Down' came as an encouragement from a colleague at RTS to write a song about the Incarnation. That one song led to a wonderful time of reflecting and composing 14 other new songs for Advent and Christmas." This is Milton's third CD.

RTS ALUMNUS BOOK FEATURED ON STEVEBROWNETC.COM
Chris Probst (MABS '02), who recently wrote Demonizing The Jews: Luther and the Protestant Church in Nazi Germany (published in June 2012, Indiana University Press), was interviewed on SteveBrownEtc. Luther wrote, "If we wish to wash our hands of the Jews' blasphemy and not share in their guilt, we have to part company with them. They must be driven from our country."- Martin Luther (Jews and Their Lies). This aided the Nazis in justifying the Holocaust.

Probst poses a question and answer, "Are you aware of the anti-semitism in this world? We should be gracious and loving by opening up dialogue with Jewish friends." You can listen to the full interview here, Click on the start button in the paragraph below where his book is listed on the Web site. Dr. Probst is a professor at Saint Louis University where he teaches courses in modern European history, including Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. In 2008 he was a Charles H. Revson Foundation Fellow at the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

FALL LECTURES WITH DR. MARK NOLL - RSVP BY SEPTEMBER 18
The Fall Lectures with Dr. Mark Noll will be held on Tuesday, September 25, 2012, from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at the Charlotte campus of Reformed Theological Seminary, located at 2101 Carmel Rd. in Charlotte. Dr. Noll will speak on "The Enduring Contribution of Charles Hodge, BB. Warfield, and their 'Old Princeton' Colleagues."

Two lectures will be given. Lecture 1 is titled "The Historical Importance and Theological Weaknesses of 'Old Princeton.'" Lecture 2 is titled "The Enduring and Edifying Example of 'Old Princeton.'"

Noll is the Francis A. McAnaney professor of history at the University of Notre Dame. He has written a number of books and articles on the history of Christianity in the United States and, more recently, around the world. His works on the theologians of “Old Princeton” include the edited collection, The Princeton Theology 1812-1921: Scripture, Science and Theological Method from Archibald Alexander to Benjamin Warfield (Baker, 2nd ed. 2001); an edition of Charles Hodge’s The Way of Life and Other Writings (Paulist Press, 1987); two books edited with David N. Livingtstone, Charles Hodge’s What is Darwinism?And Other Writings on Religion and Science (Baker, 1994), and B. B. Warfield: Evolution, Science, and Scripture—Selected Writings (Baker, 2000); and several articles, including the entries on Joseph Addison Alexander, Charles Hodge, and B. B. Warfield in American National Biography.

The cost of the lecture is $20 and includes lunch. To reserve your spot, please contact Tari Williamson by email or call 704-366-5066. Please RSVP by September 18.

RTS/JACKSON CAMPUS CLOSED TODAY
There are no main issues at the Jackson campus, but our maintenance crew is keeping an eye on our buildings there due to the storm. RTS/Jackson will be closed today as the other schools in the area are also closed. Please keep them in your prayers as well as our friends in Louisiana and those along the Gulf Coast as the storm (Isaac) moves through.

CHANCELLOR'S BLOG
Dr. Milton posted his convocation message "Opportunities and Adversaries" today. Click here to read his message.

FAITH FOR LIVING STUDIO AUDIENCE CALL
You have the opportunity to participate as a live audience member for Dr. Mike Milton’s TV program Faith for Living. If you are interested, please arrive at Westminster Presbyterian Church (1300 India Hook Road, Rock Hill, SC) at 9:15 am on each of the dates below. The filming will start promptly at 9:30 am. There will be a light breakfast and coffee provided. You should be finished with the filming by noon. Dates: Aug 31, Sept 10, Oct 22, Oct 26, Nov 12, Nov 30.

JONI AND FRIENDS CONFERENCE
The 2012 Southeast Disability Ministry Summit will be held at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, NC, on October 5-6, 2012. Joni will be one of the keynote speakers! Register online here or call 704-841-1177. You will learn practical training designed to equip churches for disability ministry. They plan to have over 25 workshops.

NEW BOOK BY CHANCELLOR MILTON
Dr. Milton has written Silent No More (Tanglewood Publishing, US, Evangelical Press, UK) due September 2012. The publisher writer, "Pastors have an obligation to speak prophetically to the culture by identifying national sins and sounding forth the warning of national judgment. If a pastor does not warn the people, and if any die without repenting, God says: "I will hold the Watchman responsible for the bloodshed of the unwarned sinner." (Ez. 33:6, The Message). Dr. Mike Milton is saying to all pastors that they cannot remain silent. Their solemn duty is to be that Watchman whatever the cost."

COMING UP SOON - 2012 RTS JACKSON ANNUAL WORLD MISSIONS CONFERENCE
The RTS/Jackson Annual World Missions Conference will be held Sept.11-12. The keynote speaker is Rev. Dr. Jack Chinchen, founder and chairman of the board of African Bible Colleges. Dr. Chinchen will give a message during lunch at Sam Patterson's Porch at RTS/Jackson on Tuesday, Sept. 11 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. His message on Wednesday will be given in the chapel from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. with lunch to follow.

Dr. Chinchen was a missionary to Africa for over 40 years. He established the first evangelical Christian colleges in Liberia in 1976, in Malawi in 1989, and in Uganda in 2005. He has a doctorate from Biola University and is an ordained minister in the PCA. He and his wife Nell have seven children, three of whom are serving as missionaries in Africa.

VIRTUAL CAMPUS ORIENTATION SEMINARS
Virtual M.A. (Religion) students are required to complete an Orientation Seminar on an RTS campus near the beginning of their degree work. However, the orientation seminar is much more than just a requirement. Orientation is an invaluable opportunity for students to visit an RTS campus, hear lectures from RTS professors, visit a top-notch theological library, meet with personal advisors from the RTS/Virtual staff, and network with other students. To register, contact Alice Hathaway, RTS/Virtual registrar at ext. 235. Upcoming dates for orientation seminars are: Monday-Wednesday, October 29-31 (Charlotte).

NEW PRESIDENT AT JAARS
President Butch Barkman will be stepping down on September 1, 2012, from JAARS, a nonprofit that provides technical support services—such as aviation, information technology, and media —to advance Bible translation and literacy programs worldwide. Their work impacts teams with SIL International, the Wycliffe Global Alliance, and many related organizations. The new president will be Woody McLendon.

ALUMNI SNIPPETS
Esaie Etienne (M.Div ’04) and his wife Natacha, MTW missionaries to Gonaives, Haiti, hosted a week long summer camp at the school in Docine in July. They built a two room house for a girl in the church with nine siblings. (Her old house is the first picture and her new house is the second picture.) They also hosted the second annual family retreat for two churches in the Docine School. They had 110 people attend. He says it was a refreshing time of worship and teaching for children, youth, women and men. Please continue to pray for their efforts in Haiti.

James T. Griffin (MAR '11), on July 20, was ordained to the transitional deaconate in the Episcopal Missionary Church (a continuing Anglican denomination that separated from the Episcopal Church a couple of decades ago) by its presiding bishop, the Most Reverend Council Nedd, II, at Hillsdale, Mich. It is "transitional" in that he will be a deacon for about a year before being ordained a priest.

John Hartung (M.Div.CE '94) has written Truth in the Flesh: Introducing Apologetics to the Local Church.

L. Reid Hensarling (D.Min. '10) has written a new book titled The Biblical Gospel that comes from his dissertation. You can purchase the book here.

Simon Konecny (MAMis '97) shared that his wife Alena Konecna wrote a new book titled Don't Shine Into My Speaker!, summarizing their current ministry caring for abandoned children and encouraging other parents to become foster parents.

Kellie Lorish (MATS '07) shared new information about Northside Church where her husband Matt Lorish (M.Div. '08, MAC '08 ) is the church planting pastor. She tells us that Northside Church of Richmond , Va., began it's first membership class this summer. They also host a gathering of middle school boys with a couple of men from the church each Thursday evening. Additionally, they are encouraged that there continues to be individuals and families that show interest in joining various aspects of the Northside Church community. She asks for prayer that they would have the eyes of the Lord to see and hear each other even when they struggle to find words, the power of the Spirit to communicate His presence when they are tempted to move toward isolation, and the hope of rescue through Christ's death and resurrection.

Curtis McGown (MAC '00) and his wife Lisa left on August 19 for Chiang Mai, one of the largest cities in Thailand. Curtis, a licensed mental health counselor and qualified supervisor, will be counseling at The Well Member Care Center, speaking at retreats and conferences, consulting and team building. He previously worked in these capacities in Florida. The Well is "a Christian member-care center that promotes the well-being and effectiveness of Christian workers and organizations serving in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Asia by caring for people’s spiritual, emotional and relational needs." Lisa will be assisting the missionaries and helping out in the children's school. They ask for prayer about househunting and finding transportation while they are there. They have two children. Learn more about The Well here. Click here to see a slide show about The Well Member Care Center in Chiang Mai.

Anthony Pizzuti (M.Div. '12) and his wife Susan are preparing for a one-year missionary assignment in the Middle East starting early next year. They have been approved by the sending missionary organization and have received an external call from a team in the Middle East. They ask for prayer for: the preparation process; for them to be able to rent their house;to find housing for their dog; to sell some property they own, that Anthony can complete the ordination process before they leave, for them to withstand the “fiery darts” of the enemy, to not waiver from God’s calling, that their support raising would be blessed by the Lord, and that they would reflect the love of Christ and that God would be glorified through their ministry.

Greg Salazar (M.Div '12) is assisting Dr. Livingstone at a Frontiers conference in Nairobi, Kenya, where Dr. L is the plenary speaker to missionary leaders working in the Middle East. Greg is increasingly seeing how God has strategically placed him in this role of assisting Dr. L and how this plan bears such incredible fruit in not only his heart, but the Kingdom. Specifically, as Greg takes logistics and the plans for research off of him, this frees Dr. L to do incredible things for the kingdom, that only he can do! They have now moved into an apartment. Keep Greg and Christie in your prayers.

G. Michael Saunders (M.Div. '83), founder and director of A New Beginning Ministries, in Eliot, Maine, has published a book on marriage enrichment, titled The Marriage Makeover: Making Your Marriage The Best It Can Be Based on God's Promise for Marriage. Click here to order the book.

RTS E-Newsletter iss.#125, August 7, 2012

8/7/2012 12:00:00 AM

Issue #125

August 7, 2012

RTS/WASHINGTON D.C.'S PRESIDENT IS A NEW CONTRIBUTOR TO THE WASHINGTON POST
The Washington Post has asked Dr. Scott Redd, new president of RTS/Washington D.C., to be a contributor to the local "On Faith" site. Here is his first piece on the current problems faced by Vincent Gray, the DC mayor. Click here to read his article.

RTS/JACKSON TO HOST MFTC CONFERENCE ON CHRISTIAN COUNSELING
The 2012 MFT Conference on Christian Counseling will be held at the RTS\Jackson campus on Thursday, September 6 and Friday, September 7. Dr. Jim Hurley and Dr. Bill Richardson, RTS/Jackson resident faculty, will be presenting, along with guest presenter Dr. Mark Laaser. For more information click here.

NEW BOOK BY CHANCELLOR MILTON
Dr. Milton has written Sacred Assembly: 15 Biblical Steps to Renew Your Church, (P&R Publishing). It is scheduled to be released on October 29, 2012.

UPCOMING CLASS BY REV. ANDREWS
"Foundations of Faith" will be taught by Assistant Professor of Practical Theology Rev. Reddit Andrews on Tuesday evenings at Redeemer Church in Jackson, Miss., August 28 - December 4 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. For credit, normal tuition fees apply. To audit, contact Kim Lee at klee@rts.edu or call 1-800-543-2703.

If you have ever wanted a chance to grow in your knowledge and understanding of who God is and what He's up to in your life and in His world, Foundations of Faith is a class designed to do just that. Foundations of Faith will provide an overview of basic biblical doctrines and show how they promote spiritual growth and maturity.

NEW COUNSELING EMPHASIS OPTION FOR THE M.DIV. OFFERED IN ORLANDO
RTS/Orlando now offers a counseling emphasis with their traditional Master of Divinity degree. “This is a program that will help prepare future pastors for the ministry of soul care,” said Dr. Scott Coupland, director of the Master of Arts in Counseling (M.A.C.) program and a faculty member (pictured right), who believes this added emphasis will give pastors practical ways to apply their biblical and theological understanding to life’s struggles.

For those students pursuing the new counseling emphasis, five counseling classes have been added to the Master of Divinity curriculum, in addition to Introduction to Counseling, that is already required for all M.Div. students. The five additional classes replace some elective hours as well as two previously required courses. The requisite counseling classes for the new emphasis are: Addictions, Sexuality and Sex Therapy, Couples Counseling, Psychology in Relation to Theology and Theory, and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy. Read more here.

MILTON INTERVIEWED ABOUT HIS BOOK HIT BY FRIENDLY FIRE
Janet Mefferd from The Janet Mefferd show discusses with Dr. Milton the reason for writing the book, who in the Bible we should reflect on, and how Jesus himself was also hit by this friendly fire. They also discuss how we should deal with the pain and the role of forgiveness. Listen to the interview here.

WORLD MISSIONS CONFERENCE AT RTS/JACKSON
The RTS/Jackson Annual World Missions Conference will be held Sept.11-12. The keynote speaker is Rev. Dr. Jack Chinchen, founder and chairman of the board of African Bible Colleges. Dr. Chinchen will give a message during lunch at Sam Patterson's Porch at RTS/Jackson on Tuesday, Sept. 11 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. His message on Wednesday will be given in the chapel from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. with lunch to follow.

Dr. Chinchen was a missionary to Africa for over 40 years. He established the first evangelical Christian colleges in Liberia in 1976, in Malawi in 1989, and in Uganda in 2005. He has a doctorate from Biola University and is an ordained minister in the PCA. He and his wife Nell have seven children, three of whom are serving as missionaries in Africa.

NEW ADJUNCT FACULTY AT RTS/ORLANDO
Sharon Hersh is now adjunct faculty at RTS/Orlando. An author and licensed counselor in Colorado, Hersh has taught two main classes for the Master of Arts in Counseling program at RTS/Orlando for seven years as a guest faculty member. Seeing the value that she brings to the RTS counseling program, Hersh was approved as adjunct professor of counseling by the RTS/Orlando campus and on July 12 by the executive committee of the RTS Board of Trustees. To learn more, click here.

ORIENTATION SEMINARS FOR RTS/VIRTUAL
Virtual M.A. (Religion) students are required to complete an orientation seminar on an RTS campus near the beginning of their degree work. However, the seminar is much more than just a requirement. Orientation is an invaluable opportunity for students to visit an RTS campus, hear lectures from RTS professors, visit a top-notch theological library, meet with personal advisors from the RTS/Virtual staff, and network with other students. The upcoming dates for seminars are Monday-Wednesday, August 27-29 (Charlotte) and Monday-Wednesday, October, 29-31 (Charlotte). To register, contact Alice Hathaway, the RTS/Virtual registrar.

VP OF ADMINISTRATION PROMOTED IN ORLANDO
Robert Emeott has been promoted to executive vice president of RTS/Orlando. Emeott, who has served RTS/Orlando and President Don Sweeting as vice president of administration since December 1, 2010, became the executive vice president starting July 16, 2012. In addition to oversight of operations and administration on the campus, he will take on the development (fundraising) efforts for the campus.

“It is already a joy working with Bob as the Orlando vice president of administration,” said President Don Sweeting. “I have great confidence in him as he steps into this newly created position of executive vice president. I know that I speak for Bob when I say that our trust is not in our own abilities or the gifts that the Lord has given to us, but it is in the strength of the Lord. I look forward to working with Bob in this new capacity to serve RTS, to bless our students and faculty, to build up the church and in all things to magnify the Lord together.” To read more, click here.

PROMOTION AT RTS/WASHINGTON, DC
Peter Lee was recently promoted to associate professor of Old Testament at RTS/Washington, D.C.

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATIONS
The fall semester is quickly approaching. Here are some of the orientations going on this month. RTS/Jackson will hold their orientation on Tuesday, Aug. 21, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. RTS/Orlando's orientation will also be on Tuesday, Aug. 21, at 8:30 a.m. Keynote speaker, Tullian Tchividjian, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church will come to speak about Jesus + Nothing = Everything, in Orlando. RTS/Washington DC will hold an orientation on August 29 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the RTS campus. At 7:30 p.m. the RTS community will gather for worship and hear from President Scott Redd in the fellowship hall of McLean Presbyterian Church. RTS/Charlotte will hold their orientation on Monday, August 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

NEW DEAN OF STUDENTS IN ORLANDO
Leigh Swanson has been named associate dean of students at RTS Orlando. Leigh earned her B.B.A. degree from University of Texas and her Master of Arts in Theological Studies from RTS. Leigh is well-prepared to assist students in this newly created position, which includes oversight of the Women in Ministry program for women students and wives of students. To learn more, click here.

MILTON'S ARTICLE FEATURED ON WRF
Dr. Milton's article on the "Inseparable Love of Christ" was featured on the World Reformed Fellowship website. To read the article, click here.

DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR AALDR WEEKEND
Interested in learning more about the PCA's ministry in African American, urban, or multi-ethnic contexts? Come to Jackson for the African American Leadership Development and Recruitment (AALDR) Weekend. The African American Leadership Initiative at RTS/Jackson is partnering with Mission to North America and Wy Plummer, the African American Ministry coordinator of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), to host the AALDR weekend in Jackson over Labor Day weekend 2012 (August 31 - September 2). The target audience for the weekend is African American seminary students who are considering ministry opportunities in the PCA, but we want to invite all African Americans who are considering ministry in the future to join us to explore opportunties within the PCA. The deadline to register is Aug. 24, 2012. For more info, click here.

ALUMNI SNIPPETS
Roddey Caughman (M.Div. '09) and his wife Becky are short-term missionary candidates with Grace Ministries International. They have a heart for the deaf community and desire to work at Safe Haven in Kabwe, Zambia. They want to facilitate the spread of the gospel to the world through believers in the deaf community. Both Roddey and Becky are proficient in signing. Pray for them as they raise funds for this work. George and Laura Bush recently visited Grace Centre Church in Kabwe, Zambia, click here to see a video of the work they did and of there brief visit to the church.

Robert Leslie Holmes (M.Div. '78), guest faculty at RTS/Atlanta, is heading to Russia for a Evangelical Reformed Church pastor's conference in St. Petersburg the last week of August. He will be delivering lectures on preaching and leadership. George "Dewey" Roberts (M.Div. '76) will be there as well. The Evangelical Reformed Church of Russia is one of the fastest growing congregations in that country and great things are happening. Educational opportunities for pastors are greatly needed.

Ron Lively (M.Div. '83 and MAMFT. '87) is the international director of SEED (Society for Education and Economic Development in Liberia), the executive director of H.I.M. (Healthy Initiative Ministries)/Medical Mobilizers, and works in marketing and development for the BUV (Basic Utility Vehicle) Ministry. Recently HIM & SEED have purchased a BUV to be shipped to Liberia and are awaiting the necessary funds to properly ship it. Also, Ron has sought to help organizations fundraise through an out-of-the-box partnership with the growing energy company, Stream Energy, available only in select states.

Scott Moffatt (MABS '09) and his family have relocated to the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla., continuing their work with Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ). Their ministry focuses on evangelism and discipleship among the 5,000 fraternity and sorority students at UF.

Ryan McVicar (M.Div. '07) and his family are planting New City Presbyterian Church in Royal Oak, Mich., located in the Detroit area. The core team has come together and have launched small groups in different communities in order to invite new contacts to engage in conversation about the gospel. To learn more about this church plant, click here.

Brian Waters (M.Div. '08) and his family are planting Providence Presbyterian Church in Christiansburg, VA. He spent the last four years as the associate pastor of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Blacksburg, Va. Brian sensed a call to plant in his hometown of Christiansburg. The first service is planned for August 12, 2012 at Pathway Christan Academy. The education hour will start at 9:15 a.m. and the service will begin at 10:30 a.m.Pray for Brian, Danielle, and his four children as they embark on spreading the gospel to the New River Valley.

J. Phillip Luther (M.Div. '07) and his wife Kay are serving in Athens, Greece. They have reached out to many this summer with the help of their interns and short term volunteers, however due to their inability to fully communicate in Greek, they've asked for prayer as they persevere in the task of language acquisition.

RTS E-Newsletter #124, July 12, 2012

7/12/2012 12:00:00 AM

Issue #124

July 12, 2012

NEW BOOK BY MILES VAN PELT
Biblical Hebrew: A Compact Guide, by Dr. Miles V. Van Pelt, offers a one-stop guide for the intermediate language students and Bible teachrs whose work is not solely focused on Hebrew and Old Testament study. Dr. Van Pelt is the Alan Belcher professor of Old Testament and biblical languages at RTS/Jackson, where he also serves as the director of the Summer Institute for Biblical Languages and the academic dean.

The description says, "Those who have taken first-year Hebrew often need to refresh their memory on language forms, grammar, and word meanings, and this guide offers the ideal format for just that. Also, students in second-year Hebrew courses and beyond can use this reference resource to assist them in the identification of words in the biblical text and the way they are used in sentences. Pastors and seminary students will find this guide to be invaluable for quickly accessing information to aid in translation and interpretation." The book will be released on August 20, 2012.

HUGH WHELCHEL PUBLISHES NEW BOOK
Former executive director of RTS/Washington, D.C., and businessman Hugh Whelchel provides a thorough, deeply-satisfying biblical answer to the the age-old question, "Does my work matter to God?" Whelchel (MAR '10) is now the executive director of the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, a biblical advocacy think tank in the Washington, D.C. area. He has just published How Then Should We Work? Rediscovering the Biblical Doctrine of Work, available here. "A biblically-based and compelling argument supporting the integration of faith and work into a noble calling to serve God in the marketplace," said Steve Reinemund, dean of business, Wake Forest University Schools of Business and retired chairman and CEO, PepsiCo.

NEW FACES IN JACKSON
Welcome Carrye Allen as admissions assistant to Brian Gault at RTS/Jackson. Carrye has ministered in several churches across several states including Park Cities Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, and Coral Ridge Presbyterian Churh. She has worked as an educational therapist and library assistant at Westminster Christian School, teacher at Jackson Prep, and admissions secretary at the University of Mississippi. Priscilla Sullivan, currently in this position, is retiring. Her last day is Friday. We will miss her!

TIM KELLER SERMON ARCHIVE NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDERS
Logos Bible Software and Redeemer have teamed up in transcribing Timothy Keller's complete sermon archive from 1989-2011 and have made them available on their platform, and through iOS and Android mobile devices. They are offering the product for preorder at a discounted price of $199.95. Click here to the landing page to learn more. Click here to read the news release.

DISCUSSION ON PROPOSED ATS STANDARDS FOR DEGREE PROGRAMS
The Fellowship of Evangelical Seminary Presidents (FESP) met as part of the ATS meetings in Minneapolis on Wednesday, June 20. Andy Peterson, president of Reformed Theological Seminary/Virtua,l and John Martin, president of Roberts Wesleyan College and Northeastern Seminary, were co-presenters on the proposed new standards for ATS accreditation of degree programs.

Martin talked about his recent work on the ATS Board of Commissioners in light of the need for new standards that include distance learning. Likewise, Peterson reviewed the hopes, processes and results of a four-year ATS task force on the revision of the program criteria for accreditation. Topics for discussion among the 50 or so FESP participants included the flexibility of the standards, impact on current distance learning degree programs, admission and residency requirements for the D. Min, and policies for the Ph.D degree programs.

Relevant resources were cited for the discussion and more study including Apple Worldwide Developer's Conference, Making a Difference, June 11, 2012. Click here to watch the video of new technology in applications titled "Making a Difference. One App at a Time."

DR. MICHAEL MILTON ATTENDS MY HOPE MEETING WITH BILLY GRAHAM
Dr. Michael Milton attended a preliminary planning meeting with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for their nationwide Outreach “MY HOPE” on November 2013.

“My Hope with Billy Graham is a massive effort to reach people across the United States and Canada with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Following a simple biblical model, My Hope with Billy Graham combines the reach and excitement of a nationwide media event with the power of personal relationships. Under the guidance of their local pastors, Christians across these two countries will open their homes to share the gospel message with friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors using different media programs featuring Billy Graham, dynamic music, and testimonies.”

My Hope was launched in 2002, and is an television outreach, involving the local church. For more information about the My Hope program click here.

GEOFF SACKETT NAMED DEAN OF STUDENTS AT RTS/WASHINGTON, D.C.
Geoff Sackett has been appointed dean of students for RTS/Washington, D.C. Sackett’s appointment is part of a larger initiative to prioritize and develop the RTS learning community following the seminary’s recent move to a campus location near Tysons Corner, Va. Read more here.

NEW BOOK BY R.C. SPROUL
Most Christians recognize the importance of Christ's death and resurrection. But how many understand the theological significance of Jesus' actions before and after the crucifixion—from even before creation? In Dr. R.C. Sproul's latest book, The Work of Christ, he gives readers a deeper understanding of God's purpose in every event of Christ's life. Click here for more info.

REDEEMER CITY TO CITY ANNOUNCES NEW PRESIDENT
Redeemer City to City (CTC), in New York, NY, recently announced that RTS alumnus Dr. John R. Hutchinson (M.Div. '79, MCE '79, D.Min. '05), former senior pastor of McLean Presbyterian Church in McLean, Va., has accepted the position of president effective September 1, 2012. “We are delighted that God has called John to join us in a powerful and unique calling: to help leaders build gospel movements in global cities,” said Timothy Keller, CTC’s chairman of the board. Read more here.

CAMPUS EVENTS
Orientation Seminars
Virtual M.A. (Religion) students are required to complete an orientation seminar on an RTS campus near the beginning of their degree work. To register, contact Alice Hathaway, virtual registrar. Upcoming dates for Orientation Seminars are: Monday-Wednesday, August 27-29 (Charlotte), Monday-Wednesday, October 29-31 (Charlotte).

RTS Charlotte and Brookstone Camp
For the 2nd year, RTS/Charlotte staff, students, spouses and graduates led a group of 80 children at Brookstone Camp the week of June 11th. Those serving included Kim Macurda, Wendy Simmons, Holley Gregory (pictured left) , Paul Major, Ann Tarwater, Tom Williamson, Brittany Murray and Brandi Belk. RTS graduates Jim Luke (M.Div. '12), Joe Lanman (M.Div. '12) and RTS student Mark Miller presented "The Gospel in Living Color" in the opening assembly. Also assisting were friends at Sovereign Grace Presbyterian Church and First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Gastonia. The kids were exuberant and appreciative. The team was exhausted yet blessed beyond their wildest imaginations. RTS/Jackson loves its partnership with this urban school that seeks to educate some of the most impoverished kids in all of Charlotte.

ALUMNI SNIPPETS
Mike Beates (D.Min. '03), professor at The Geneva School in Winter Park, Fla., has just published a new book titled Disability and the Gospel. Click here to read more and to purchase the book.

Barbara Bellefeuille (MEd '83) has been hired as vice president for academic services at Bethel College, effective July 1. Read more here.

David Kirkendall (M.Div. '08) has recently become the headmaster for Trinity Christian Academy in Lexington, Ky. It is a classical Christian school encompassing preschool through the 12th grade. The school is a ministry of Tates Creek Presbyterian Church, though it serves over 70 churches and many denominations in the greater Lexington area.

Josh Kitchen (M.Div. '12) and his wife Sarah are in a ministry to help the people of Papua New Guinea translate God’s Word into their own language. They are beginning the process of moving and getting visas for Papua New Guinea. They are registered to be in the three-month Pacific Orientation Course (POC) beginning in January. Josh continues to speak at churches and spread the word about the work they will be doing with The Seed Company. They ask for prayer that God will give him the words to say and the sensitivity and grace to say them well.

Michael Lee (M.Div. '05) and his wife Tricia are serving with Mission to the World in Monterrey, Mexico, and have been there for 11 months and "on the field" for over two years. They continue to work diligently at language acquisition. He noted concerns about the July election in Mexico and asks for prayer that there be a peaceful transfer of power regardless of who wins. Their daughter will be married in October in South Carolina. Their son Jacob has graduated from high school and their daughter Amber is working as a camp counselor. Read more about them here.

Donald Malin (M.Div. '88), lieutenant colonel and Mississippi Valley Presbytery teaching elder, has been selected as the Mississippi National Guard state chaplain. Read more here.

Cynthia Ruble (MATS '00) wrote a two-part article that appeared in the Japan Daily Press on forgotten children. Read the first part here and part two here.

Greg Schneeberger (RTS Virtual, MAR, 2007) shares his wife Caitelen's first album. He says her concert was a huge success. If you'd like to support Greg by purchasing a copy of DARK IS LIGHT, go here and listen. All proceeds go to their monthly needs as they head out to North Coast Presbyterian Church. If you'd like to know more about their support needs, go here. If you'd like to hear more of the story of the CD, visit their website.

Russell Smith (M.Div '00), senior pastor of Covenant-First Presbyterian Church in Cincinatti, Ohio, has completed his first novel, Prophet of the Sun. He says "It's a spiritual action adventure in the vein of the DaVinci Code or National Treasure--only this time the Christians are the good guys and the secret gnostic society are the villains. Read more and purchase the book here.

Demetrius Summerville (MAC '10) and his wife Amy are starting a new ministry called Blueprint Orlando in the Holden Heights area. The ministry will target 5th-8th graders in their neighborhood. They hope to acquire a vacant home and renovate it to become a ministry house. They plan to become an ACT partner with Unconditional, an upcoming movie by Harbinger Media, starring Michael Ealy and Lynn Collins. Learn about ACT partners here. The movie will be released in theatres September 21.

Derek Thomas to Teach at RTS Atlanta While Continuing the Pastorate

6/19/2012 12:00:00 AM

DEREK THOMAS TO TEACH AT RTS/ATLANTA WHILE CONTINUING THE PASTORATE

(ATLANTA, Ga.) June 18, 2012 - Dr. Derek Thomas, previously a faculty member of the Jackson campus of Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) and most recently the distinguished visiting professor for RTS, has now been appointed to become a regular faculty member at RTS/Atlanta, while continuing his role as the minister of preaching and teaching at First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, SC. Beginning July 1, 2012, Thomas will be the professor of systematic and historical theology at RTS/Atlanta.

RTS/Atlanta President John Sowell said, "Dr. Derek Thomas is exactly what a seminary student should seek in a professor. Not only is he a careful and widely published scholar, Dr. Thomas is one of today's great preachers. Moreover, he is every bit as much a "practicing pastor" as he is an academic. And, in leading Dr. Derek Thomas to join the faculty of RTS/Atlanta, our merciful God is showing His love to the church and to the many students who will learn the riches of God's grace from Dr. Thomas."

President Sowell further remarked, "Those who have heard his sermons and lectures, as well as anyone who has studied Derek's books and commentaries, grasp that Dr. Thomas is a rare gift to the church. We encourage students of God's Word to take advantage of opportunities to study systematic and historical theology with this gifted man of God."

After pastoring for 17 years in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Dr. Thomas returned to the USA in 1996 where, in addition to his service to the Jackson campus as the John E. Richards professor of systematic and practical theology, he served as the minister of teaching at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson until 2011. In addition to serving in the pastorate, Derek has served as editor of the Evangelical Presbyterian, a monthly denominational magazine. A graduate of RTS in 1978, he gained a Ph.D. from the University of Wales, Lampeter in Calvin's preaching on the book of Job. He has written or edited 15 books and has contributed to commentary series by Banner of Truth and Evangelical Press. In 2004, Derek Thomas became editorial director for The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals and the editor of its ezine, Reformation 21. He is married to Rosemary, and they have two adult children and two grandchildren.

Michael Milton, chancellor of RTS, said, "The biblical model for pastoral preparation, and the training of all of God's people for kingdom service, begins with an incarnational ministry. At RTS we desire 'pastor-scholars,' with a love for Christ's church and experience in the pulpit and parish, to shape the hearts and minds of the next generation of shepherds. My friend and colleague, Dr. Derek Thomas, is just such a man. We thank FPC Columbia for 'sharing' his gifts with RTS. May the Word go forth with biblical fidelity and pastoral warmth as many new 'laborers for His harvest' are prepared at RTS Atlanta!"

RTS E-Newsletter, iss #123, June 13, 2012

6/13/2012 12:00:00 AM

Issue #123

June 13, 2012

BREAKFAST WITH RTS AT GENERAL ASSEMBLIES
Join us on Thursday, June 21, 2012 at the PCA General Assembly for the RTS Alumni & Friends Breakfast at 7:00 a.m. at the Louisville Marriott in Louisville, Ky. Take the skywalk from the convention center to the Marriott and meet us in Ballroom Salons 7-10 (2nd floor). RSVP not required. Dr. Michael Milton will be speaking at this event.

Join us on Friday, June 22, 2012 at the EPC General Assembly for the RTS Alumni & Friends Breakfast at 7:00 a.m. The breakfast will be held just down the road at the Crown Plaza Hotel (4728 Constitution Avenue) in Baton Rouge, La., in Cypress 2 Room. RSVP not required.

ROOTED CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD AUGUST 9-11 IN ALABAMA
Rooted exists to transform student ministry by fostering grace-driven and gospel-centered leaders through rich theological and contextual engagement. Rooted: A Theology Conference for Student Ministry presents "Adopted: The Beauty of God’s Grace," at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Ala., August 9-11, 2012. Keynotes Timothy George and Ray Ortlund, along with a host of workshop leaders, will lead this conference focused on deepening the substance of student ministry in the gospel. Rooted offers a 75% discount for full-time students.

CONGRATULATIONS 2012 GRADUATES Tom Campbell, vice president of development at RTS/Atlanta shared some pictures from the RTS/Atlanta graduation in May. John Sowell, president of RTS/Atlanta is pictured left, center front.

DR. MICHAEL MILTON TAKES THE HELM AT RTS
June 1, 2012. At first glance, it is just another day in history. A number of interesting events took place on June 1st, from the 1st earthquake recorded in the U.S. at Plymouth, Mass., in 1638, to last of Britain's troops withdrawing from U.S. soil in 1796. But, until the clock strikes midnight tonight, we are not certain if anything memorable to the world will occur on June 1, 2012 or not. I suspect that June 1, 2012 will go much unnoticed by the majority of the world’s population. Just another day, the beginning of the summer months in our northern hemisphere.

However, for Reformed Theological Seminary, it is an important and a memorable day. June 1, 2012 represents the successful completion of a succession plan that began 22 months before. Continue reading the article here.

DR. ROBERT C. (RIC) CANNADA, JR. BUILDING DEDICATION
The board of Reformed Theological Seminary has named a building at the Charlotte campus in honor of Dr. Robert C. "Ric" Cannada, Jr., chancellor emeritus of RTS. The building houses the administration offices, the library and some of the classrooms. A dedication ceremony was held on May 9, 2012. Dr. Michael Milton spoke, along with Dr. Robert Cara, chief academic officer, Dr. Rod Culbertson, executive director of the Charlotte campus and Mrs. Aynn Gehron, former assistant to Dr. Ric Cannada when he was president of the campus, spoke on behalf of the Charlotte staff. This bronze cast (pictured left) has been attached to the building. Read the report to the exec committee of RTS as Dr. Michael Milton, new chancellor of RTS, honors Dr. Cannada.

THE CHANGING OF THE DEANS, RTS 2012-13
Several academic dean changes were made this year at RTS. Dr. Scott R. Swain (pictured left of Dr. Mark Futato during an appreciation service) was approved as academic dean for RTS/Orlando by the executive committee on April 5, 2012. He will be replacing Mark Futato who is going back to teaching Old Testament full-time at RTS/Orlando. Dr. Michael J. Kruger will assume the role as academic dean of RTS/Atlanta, in addition to his position as academic dean and professor of New Testament at RTS/Charlotte. Also, Dr. James N. Anderson was approved as academic dean for RTS/Virtual by the executive committee on June 7, 2012 and he will also retain his full-time duties as a professor at RTS/Charlotte.

AFRICAN AMERICAN LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND RECRUITMENT WEEKEND TO BE HELD IN AUGUST
Interested in learning more about the PCA’s ministry in African American, urban, or multiethnic contexts? Come to Jackson, Miss., for the African American Leadership Development and Recruitment Weekend at RTS over Labor Day weekend (August 31-Sept. 2). The target audience for the weekend is African American seminary students who are considering ministry opportunities in the PCA, but we want to invite all African Americans who are considering ministry in the future to join us to explore opportunities within the PCA. For more information, click here

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO THRIVE IN MINISTRY FOR THE LONG HAUL?
During the week of July 23-27, 2012 RTS/Orlando is offering a Doctor of Ministry class “Ministry Leadership for the Long Haul” taught by Dr. Bob Burns. During this week he will be addressing the crucial question, “What does it take for someone to thrive in ministry for a lifetime?” The Lilly Endowment asked that question when their research showed an alarming rate of pastors dropping out of the ministry. They invested more than 124 million dollars during 10 years seeking answers in their Sustaining Pastoral Excellence initiative. RTS/Orlando participated in this initiative. This class will explore the themes of sustainability identified in this study. Topics will include self-care, spiritual formation, emotional and cultural intelligence, marriage and family, leadership and management. To register as an auditor please email Lanny Conley or if you have any questions email Bob Orner. Click here to read more about the course and Dr. Burns in the syllabus.

DR. MARK FUTATO SHARES OLD TESTAMENT STUDY TIPS AT CONFERENCE
Dr. Futato attended the Pastorum Live Conference in Chicago in June and shared tips on the structure of Scripture and how taking Hebrew can help you get closer to the Word. Click here to read the article.

SUMMER INSTITUTE OF BIBLICAL LANGUAGES AT RTS JACKSON
The Summer Institute of Biblical Languages, which got off to a great start in Summer 2011, will expand its offerings in Summer 2012. In the Summer 2012 term, SIBL will run for eight weeks from June 25 to August 17. Special students, visiting students, and auditors are welcome. As always, RTS Alumni may audit our classes at no charge. If you are interested in taking these courses for credit, please contact the Admissions office about the application process. Read more here.

DR. SCOTT REDD BECOMES PRESIDENT AT RTS/WASHINGTON DC
On June 1, Dr. Scott Redd (pictured right, centered with his family) took the helm at RTS/Washington DC. A luncheon was held at RTS/Orlando to celebrate his achievement. Dr. Don Sweeting (also pictured right), president of RTS/Orlando, presented Dr. Redd with a signed picture from the staff and a gift. Redd is a graduate of The College of William and Mary (B.A.) and earned his Masters of Divinity (M.Div.) at Reformed Theological Seminary-Orlando, and earned his Doctorate of Philosophy degree (Ph.D.) in the Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures program at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He and his wife Jenn have four daughters.

SIGN UP FOR SUMMER CLASSES AT RTS
Here are a few key courses that may interest you this summer. See a full listing of courses here.

RTS/Atlanta:
July 9-13: Systematic Theology: Christology, Soteriology, and Eschatology
with Dr. Derek Thomas.
July 23-26: Poets: A Study of the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament
with Dr. Mark Futato.

RTS/Orlando:
June 18-22: Radical Grace with Dr. Steve Brown
August 6-10: History of Philosophy and Christian Thought with Dr. James Anderson.

RTS/Charlotte:
June 4-8: The Life and Thought of Martin Luther with Carl Trueman.
June 25 - 29: Pauline Epistles with Dr. William B. Barcley.
June 11-15: Past Ministry: Local Church/College Camp with Rod Mays.
June 18-22: Planting and Growing a Campus Ministry with Les Newsom.

RTS/ATLANTA HIRES LIBRARIAN
Mr. Rick Gillert (pictured right) comes to Atlanta from Shorter College in Rome, Ga., where he has been an assistant librarian in the area of religion among others. He looks forward to pursuing his passion for assisting students with their information needs through the development of an outstanding library on the Atlanta campus of RTS. In addition, he is a working artist and enjoys that pursuit along with spending time with his rescue dog.

FAITH FOR LIVING CHANNEL NOW ON YOUTUBE
Check out the new Faith For Living with Dr. Michael Milton channel on YouTube. Click here. Also check out Dr. Milton's latest blog here.

DR. MILTON VISITS STUDENTS AT RTS/WASHINGTON AND RTS/ATLANTA
Dr. Michael Milton (pictured left in center) visited RTS/Washington DC in May for a
breakfast with students and staff on the Saturday before Memorial Day. He also recently
visited RTS/Atlanta pictured right) in May after speaking at the National Preaching
Conference. He spoke with several students and listened to their testimonies and spoke
to one of the classes there.

RTS/ORLANDO SAYS GOODBYE TO ADMISSIONS DIRECTOR
Thomas Nelson (pictured right with his wife Nancy), former admissions director for RTS/Orlando, just graduated with an M.Div. in May 2012. RTS was blessed to have him as admissions director and also as assistant to the director prior to that position. Nelson did extensive travel recruiting students for the campus for several years. He was recently honored at a luncheon. He will now pursue his calling as a pastor. Kevin Collins will take over in this role at RTS/Orlando. Read more about Kevin here.

NEW BOOK BY GUEST FACULTY AT RTS/WASHINGTON DC
Paul Jeon, guest faculty for RTS/DC has recently written a commentary on Titus titled To Exhort and Reprove: Audience Response to the Chiastic Structures of Paul's Letter to Titus (May 2012). He has also written True Faith: Reflections on Paul’s Letter to Titus (April 2012) . In addition, he will have an expository-devotional on Philippians coming out soon.

RTS CHANCELLOR AND ORLANDO PRESIDENT SPEAK AT LAUSANNE CONFERENCE IN BOSTON
Dr. Michael Milton, chancellor of RTS, and Dr. Don Sweeting, president of the Orlando campus of RTS, spoke at the Lausanne Conference on Global Theological Education May 29-June 1 in Boston. The conference was held at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. Read more about the conference and see a picture of the attendees here. Read Dr. Sweeting's message given at the event here. Dr. Milton blogged about the event here.

ALUMNI SNIPPETS
Rob Callison (current D.Min. student) has been asked by the seminar committee to present a seminar at the PCA General Assembly on Wednesday, June 20. He will speak on "Discipleship for the Warrior's Heart: Living out Revelation 12:11." Trauma can potentially undo character. This seminar will discuss effective pastoral ministry to the enforcers of government sanctioned violence. Look at how grace-based discipleship fosters an environment of transformation in the warrior’s heart that moves the warrior from a construct of merit and judgment to a vital construct of divine grace. The seminar will be led by a PCA teaching elder who is a Navy Chaplain with over 30 years of military experience and a member of the PCA who is a retired Marine Corps Major with 27 years of military service to include recent combat duty in Afghanistan.

Doug Domin (M.Div. '85), pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Concord in NH, recently learned they had to be out in 30 days of the place they have been renting for 2 years. It was a great move as it was a 24/7 availability and they have had a lot of very good growth. Two of their churches raised enough money to buy a building but the deal fell through, so they continued to search for a place. Within a week, after their weekly prayer meeting, Domin reports a new building seemed to be dropped in their laps, and their offer on the new building in the concord general area was accepted.

Esaie & Natacha Etienne (M.Div. '04) are MTW missionaries to Haiti. Since 2006, they have been involved in a water and school construction project. Two churches (Village Seven PCA, Colorado Springs and Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church in Omaha, Nebraska) helped buy backpacks for the students as well as uniforms with the name of the school engraved on them for students and teachers. There are 71 children sponsored and 154 more that need to be sponsored. Please pray for a new project with MTW and Eagle Ranch children homes that will make a difference in the lives of children and orphanages in Haiti. Pray for a small neighborhood clinic in Docine awaiting MTW approval. Pray for wisdom and for new supporters to the ministry.

Chad Grindstaff (M.Div. '05) serves as church planter of Living Hope, a new church in the area around Bridgewater Falls in Fairfield Township, a suburb in northwest Cincinnati. Please keep his wife Erin in your prayers as she seeks a job in the area as a nurse. Also they ask for prayer for financial support and meeting space. Follow their blog here.

Alan Hawkins (MATS '03), currently rector of Church of the Redeemer, a PEARUSA congregation in Greensboro, N.C., will now serve as vicar for the Anglican 1000 movement, according to Anglicanchurch.net. Anglican 1000 is one of the core ministry areas of the Anglican Church in North America. The headquarters will relocate to the provincial office just outside Pittsburgh, Pa.

Larry Lee Jeffries (former student), 70, passed into glory on May 15. Jeffries graduated from Anderson College and received his seminary training from Anderson School of Theology, Liberty University, Reformed Theological Seminary, and Fuller Theological Seminary. He held degrees in Bible, sociology, church planting, and counseling. Jeffries was preceded in death by a sister, Jerri Jeffries. He leaves his wife of 48 years, Joy Lynn Gillaspy Jeffries; mother-in-law, three daughters, two sons-in-law, five grandchildren; four brothers, four sisters, and many nieces and nephews. Read more here.

Tim Issacson (MA '09), after a number of years of ministry as a senior pastor is now the director of Immigrant Hope Atlanta. This ministry is designed for equipping churches to reach out to immigrants and refugees by meeting one of their most desperate needs: navigating the complexities of the US immigration system. They accomplish this by training church members as immigration law paralegals who then can offer low-cost ways to assist in re-uniting families, becoming a citizen, or other issues related to immigration. Learn more here or on Tim's blog here.

Ralph Kelley (MA '04) ) has been called to serve as the executive minister at the Historic First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Miss. He previously served as the director of church relations for Great Commission Publications followed by a number of years as the executive pastor of the Saint Andrews Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC. He will be making the transition to Jackson in July, to be followed by his wife Wendy and two sons Scott and Jonathan in the month of August.

Dennis Morgan (MATS '07) and his wife Cynde, after a decade of annual short-term missions trips to Vienna, Austria, are now preparing to relocate there. They will be joining a World Harvest Mission team at New City Wien, a Reformed church plant in Vienna. In addition to training Austrian church leaders, Dennis will be doing outreach through Pro-Family Counseling and consulting with an organization ministering to women in forced prostitution and trafficking. Cynde will be doing outreach at International Christian School of Vienna.

Trent McEntyre (M.Div. '09) served as a missionary to college students for 19 years–helping to plant gospel movements first in Croatia, later at the University of Georgia, even Sarajevo, Bosnia, and more recently as the director of Campus Crusade for Christ (cru) at Georgia Tech. Now he and his wife, Emily, and their 3 daughters have a new mission – to plant a Christ-centered, mission minded, community church in a largely unreached neighborhood of Atlanta. They are partnering with one of Perimeter Church’s plants called CityChurch Eastside. This project will initially be called the “Parkside plant.”

Micah Ngussa (MATS '09) and his wife Happiness are currently serving in Tanzania at the Tanzania Children's Rescue Centre (TCRC), a ministry he started in 1999. He says that God has provided some money for them to start construction on a girls' dorm, and to purchase a school bus and to start a secondary school. He reports the kids are doing well. They also recently conducted a crusade in Kenya and he says many people came to know Christ. He asks for prayer for food as there is a great famine in the area and food is very expensive. They are also asking for prayer for their car to be fixed or for God to provide another one.

Chris Probst (MABS '02) has written Demonizing the Jews, available here. The Kindle version is also available here.

Greg Salazar (M.Div '12) and his wife Christie will be moving to England to work with Frontiers. Frontiers places pioneer missionary church planters in residence among all Muslim peoples who have no churches, nor local Christians to plant fellowships among Muslims. The founder Dr. Greg Livingstone is working on a groundbreaking book, A History of Mission to Muslims Since the Birth of Islam. Dr. Livingstone has invited Greg Salazar to assist him completing the book as a co-author. Also, Greg will assist through research and editing other projects to publish or post on the website.