With his broad background in ministry and academia, and his service on our Board of Trustees for many years, Dr. Aquila has a deep understanding of Christian higher education as taught from a distinctively Reformed liberal arts perspective. I am sure that his boundless energy, spirit of optimism, and vision for God’s Kingdom will be a valuable addition to our campus life and our broader Providence community.”

Our 202-year-old denominational seminary, RPTS, is looking toward faculty changes due to faculty retirement. This year we will vote on the proposed appointment of Reverend Barry York (Sycamore RPC, Kokomo, IN) as Professor of Practical Theology. Within the next five years, the synod will also be asked to nominate and approve a new President as well as a new Professor of Biblical Counseling

Recently, we tweaked our pastoral internship program for this year to focus more on pastoral theology than trying to cover the whole gamut of a seminary education (church history, systematics, biblical theology, exegesis, etc.). To that end, we choose to highlight twelve categories of thought and practice that seem especially important to pastoral ministry.

Dr. Ross is an author with a particular interest in church revitalization. He has authored two books Preaching for Revitalization and The Light of the Psalms: Deepening Your Faith with Every Psalm. And since 2002 when it began, Ross has authored the Bible studies for the PCA’s 50 Days of Prayer booklet.

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

In finishing its work on Tuesday (June 19) the Overtures Committee passed the following recommendations to be presented to the General Assembly:

Brad Atkins moved that the seminaries consider lessening their budgets slightly to increase the International Mission Board funding formula. I’d vote for it, but it ain’t gonna happen.

Real rest is found in trust. So (God) is willing to have the conversation with you again and again, and he has made sure that his Word assures you of his rule again and again.

Authentic biblical faith has always been transforming faith that took place within God’s appointed means for the change, his set apart people, the visible church. The people that get that are Muslim background Christians. They both realize the utter necessity of the visible church and the necessity to leave false religions such as Islam in order for gospel transformation to actually take place

Emmanuel McCall, longtime director of black church relations for the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board, dates real progress toward racial reconciliation in the SBC to 1957, when the HMB—since reorganized into the North American Mission Board—hired Victor Glass as liaison with the National Baptist Convention.