RTS/ATLANTA INSTALLS NEW SIGNAGE
New signage has been installed at RTS/Atlanta. Many have waited patiently for this since the purchase of the new campus. The RTS shield on the corner of the buidling and the RTS logo above the front main entrance are complete. The RTS lighted logo on the rear of the building, that will be visible from one of the most travelled stretches of interstate (I-75) in the country, is now being installed.
DR. FORTSON TO TEACH TEENS AND ADULTS AT VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
First Presbyterian Church in Kannapolis, NC, will conduct Vacation Bible School Monday through Thursday, July 18-21, from 5:45 to 8:15 p.m. and will include classes for children age 3 through fifth grade and adults.This year’s theme is “Sail through God’s Word.” Each evening will begin with supper at 5:45; children’s classes will begin at 6:15, and adult class at 6:30p.m. Teens and adults will be led by Dr. Don Fortson, associate professor of church history at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte who will lead a class on “From Christ to Constantine: the History of the Early Church.”
RTS STAFF IN COLORADOSUNDAYWOMEN.COM DEVELOPED BY WIFE AND MOTHER OF RTS GRADUATES 
Megan Hill, (wife of Robert Hill (M. Div. '04) and sister of Brent Evans (M.Div. '07)) along with her mother Patsy Evans have launched a blog together at www.sundaywomen.com. Here they discuss ministry life where they hope to spark conversation to challenge and encourage other women in their place of ministry. Megan says, We know from experience that ministry life is unique: we are offering fellwoship with others on the same path.: Here is a recent article titled "You Can't Fill Another Woman's Shoes" - her mom's take on following someone else in ministry. Megan wrote "Theology (is) for Girls" encourageing women to be active theologians.
This week, some of the RTS staff were at Campus Crusade's Bi-Annual Staff Conference at Fort Collins, Colo. Tom Nelson, Kim Trouten, Stephane Jeanrenaud and Lyn Perez worked the booth.
FORGIVING ENEMIES AND FRIENDS
Read Dr. Milton's article in the July/Aug 11 issue of Preaching Magazine "How to Forgive Your Enemies and Friends" He begins "I recently read a story about a well-known lover of dogs. He was very active in giving speeches to raise money for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. If you could imagine a man who truly loved dogs, this was your man. One day, his love was put to the test..." Read the entire sermon here.
THE ENCOUNTERS OF JESUS
Dr. Simon Kistemaker’s Conversations of Jesus was published in Portuguese (2010). It is titled Os Encontros de Jesus.
PROFESSOR OF CHURCH HISTORY COMPLETES BOOK ON OPC
In June, a book John Muether co-edited with Danny E. Olinger was released. It is titled Confident of Better Things: Essays Commemorating Seventy-Five Years of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Muether is also the historian of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. The book is available on the OPC Web site.
MTW MISSIONARY CHILD GOES HOME TO JESUS
RTS recently sent out a prayer request for Georgia Elizabeth "Simi" Goodwin, infant daughter of MTW Missionaries to England, Sam and Elizabeth Goodwin. In December 2010 she was diagnosed with leukemia. In June she underwent a bone marrow transplant at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Results from a blood test revealed that her diseased bone marrow with its several abnormalities was resistant to the pre-transplant chemo. Consequently, her transplanted bone marrow had no place to establish itself and thus engraftment did not happen. Additionally, her leukemia began to advance rapidly. She was released from doctors' care and returned home to her family in Columbia, SC. Georgia went home to Jesus on July 13.
If you wish to send cards, notes, etc., please send them to 439 Coldstream Drive, Columbia, SC 29212. Memorials may be made to Mission to the World, Retired Missionary Fund Acct# 98601, P.O. Box 116284, Atlanta, GA 30368-6284 or Happy Wheels Columbia, 133 Dupre Mill Court, Lexington, SC 29072. Sign Georgia's guestbook here. Survivors include sisters Katie and Sophie.
PCA PASTORS HELPING HAITI
Rev. Alan Lutz, senior pastor of Cherokee Presbyterian Church in Canton, Ga. and president and CEO of Reformation Hope and Rev. Martin Hawley, senior pastor of Hope Presbyterian Church in Marietta, Ga., and treasurer of Reformation Hope run a school for children in La Plaine, Haiti. They shared a story of two women who approached them in 2009 about having their children attend their school. The ladies ended up moving in order to be closer to the school so their children could attend.The ladies thanked Alan when he was there recently for helping their children get into the school. These pastors have two immediate needs: The first is funds to replace the transmission in their 15-passenger ministry van which broke down. They can have it fixed in the Dominican Republic for about $2,500. The van is important to their ministry work as a means to convey short-term ministry teams from place to place while they serve our mission in Haiti. The second need is funds to repair a chlorinator for their well and water tank system which has broken. If you would like to invest in either of these immediate need projects, please visit their website here or contact Rev. Martin Hawley at: rev.hawley@gmail.com.
MESSAGE TO CHAPLAINS
On July 18, Dr. Michael Milton preached at the convocation of the Chaplain Career School at the US Army Chaplain Center and School at Fort Jackson, SC. CH (COL) David Smartt, commandant of the school, looks on. The title of his message was "It's a Growing Time Resting in God Before Running in Ministry." Click here to read the message.
CAMPUS EVENTS
Summer Term is in session. Sign up for Fall Term now.
RTS/ATLANTA
Aug. 2-5 - History & Theology of the Puritans - Roots. Genealogy. Beginnings. As Americans, we are fascinated with our past. Memories of the Old Country fill our minds, and the further removed each generation becomes, the greater is the desire to know about our past. Who were our ancestors? What were their lives like? It's especially fulfilling to visit the places our families came from--the old village, the church building, the cemetery with familiar surnames. These things provide us with important clues to our identities. In the same way, as American Christians it is good for us to know about our roots. For many of us, our heritage comes through England. Henry VIII, Bloody Mary, William Perkins, John Owen, Oliver Cromwell, William Laud--these and many others are the names that give meaning to our identity, even across centuries and a wide ocean. This study of Puritanism will investigate these beginnings, and will help to explain a lot about who and what we are. History & Theology of the Puritans with Dr. James Renihan will meet 8:30a.m. to 4:00p.m. each day.
RTS/CHARLOTTE
Sept. 20 - Dr. Mark Ross is the speaker for the fall lectures on Sept. 20. He is associate dean and associate professor of systematic theology at the Columbia campus of Erskine Theological Seminary and director of the Institute for Reformed Worship.
RTS/HOUSTON
Oct. 9-11 - Christ Evangelical Presbyterian Church (Houston) and RTS/Houston are sponsoring a Marriage Enrichment Weekend led by Dr. Jim Coffield.
RTS/JACKSON
Aug. 24: First Day of Fall Classes
Aug. 25: Convocation
Sept. 6-8: Rev. David Robertson, senior pastor of St Peter's Free Church (previously the pulpit of Robert Murray McCheyne), Dundee, Scotland, is the speaker for the World Missions Conference.
RTS/ORLANDO
Aug. 20 : 2011 Summer Elective has a Special Feature - A Theology of Work is a two-credit course elective that will be taught by our RTS Orlando alumnus, Orlando Rivera (1992/M.Div.). The special feature of this course is that it ends with a 9 am - 5 pm seminar on Saturday, August 20. As a service to the Orlando community, this seminar will also be open to the general public at no cost. Click here for more information.
Aug. 22: Fall Kick-Off for new and returning students, staff and faculty at 9:30 a.m.
Aug. 22: Dr. Jim Coffield will speak on "What You'll Know When You Leave Here" at 10:30 a.m. in the chapel (open to the community).
Aug. 23: Concert of Prayer at 9:00 a.m. in the chapel for all students, faculty, staff and open to friends to commit the semester to the Lord.
Aug. 24: Convocation at 11:00 a.m. in the chapel. President Don Sweeting will speak. Community Lunch will follow (please RSVP to hdefrancisco@rts.edu).
Aug. 31: President's Forum Community Lunch at 12:00 in the fellowship hall. Dr. Don Sweeting will hold a Q&A with Dr. Richard Pratt, founder and president of Third Millennium Ministries. The topic is "Third Mill: Theological Education for the Global Church."
Sept. 29: Preview Day for Prospective Students
RTS/DC
Aug. 25: Convocation will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall of McLean Presbyterian Church. Dr. Chad Van Dixhoorn will speak. Reception will follow.
Aug. 25: Orientation is at 5:00 p.m.
RTS/VIRTUAL
Upcoming dates for Orientation Seminars are:
August 29-31
October 24-26
ALUMNI SNIPPETS
Do you have an alumni snippet to share? Have you published a new book? Send it to the editor, here.
Win Groseclose (M.Div. '06) accepted a call to serve as senior pastor of St. John's United Evangelical Protestant Church in Rochester, PA. St. John's (affectionately known as "Burry's Church" in honor of the man from whom they acquired the property in 1835) is an independent church in the German Reformed tradition.
Kenneth L. Camp (M.Div.D. '81), former associate minister at First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga, Tenn., went home to the Lord on July 5th. The funeral was held on July 8. His son shares, "Mom and Dad enjoyed 59 anniversaries in the Lord and in faithful devotion and commitment to each other." Camp retired from First Presbyterian a few years ago and was honored for over 8000 documented visits in his last 10 years of ministry, mostly to seniors.
Jason Cornwell (MDiv '06) has been asked to come on staff with Together For Adoption as their East Coast & campus ministry director. Jason is a member of Downtown Presbyterian Church and is currently raising support for his new role with Together For Adoption.
Paxson Jeancake (MAR '04) is the director of worship & arts at Valley Springs Presbyterian Church in Roseville, CA. In 2009 he published a chapter entitled "Rethinking, Reforming: Frame's Contributions to Contemporary Worship" in the P&R festschrift for John Frame Speaking the Truth in Love. In 2010, he and his wife Allison recorded their third worship project Wide Awake. This fall he will begin teaching a course at William Jessup University that will include his first book The Art of Worship as required reading. This is in addition to writing his second book Right Hand of the Father: Rediscovering the Ascended Life of Christ. This work will examine the oft-neglected doctrine of the ascension of Christ that Paxson has been reflecting on in words and music for the last few years. Listen to excerpts from their albums here.
Brian (last name withheld) (M.Div. '10) and his wife Amanda or "Mandy" (MAR '09) have returned from South Asia. Their enthusiasm for the Word and serving God's people led them both to RTS where they first met. After marrying and then graduating from seminary, the couple began to explore ministry opportunities and God's calling for them. They heard about the work of Mission to the World (MTW) in South Asia and after visiting the team for hands-on experience, Brian and Mandy saw this mission field aligning with God's leading and their gifts. The vision of proclaiming the gospel of Christ to the unreached peoples there quickly captured their hearts. Within the context of church planting, Brian will be facilitating the theological education, training, and mentoring of national pastors and church leaders. Mandy will have opportunities to teach and mentor women in the church.