We pray that faithfulness to the inerrancy of Scripture and to the teaching of the Reformed faith will continue to be defining traits to RTS in the future as they were under the leadership of the former presidents and chancellors of RTS – Sam Patterson, Luder Whitlock and Ric Cannada — RTS Board

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. With the announced retirement of Dr. Robert C. (Ric) Cannada, the board of RTS put in place a plan to assure a smooth succession of leadership. The hope was that it would not only honor God by smooth and deliberate planning, but that it would also be a model for others to help them avoid some of the pitfalls many organizations face with leadership transitions.

So, today we give thanks to the Lord. The succession plan is complete. RTS now begins a new chapter in its service to Christ and His church. Our prayer is that this new chapter of RTS history will read much like the former chapters in that the Lord will find us faithful. We pray that the missionary fervor from which RTS was born will continue to define and guide our mission. We pray that faithfulness to the inerrancy of Scripture and to the teaching of the Reformed faith will continue to be defining traits to RTS in the future as they were under the leadership of the former presidents and chancellors of RTS – Sam Patterson, Luder Whitlock and Ric Cannada.

Please join together with RTS faculty, staff, students and our board of trustees as we all give thanks this day for the appointment of our new chancellor and CEO Dr. Michael Milton, praying for the ever presence of Christ in his life as he leads RTS. We look forward to the continued expansion of our ministry under Dr. Milton’s leadership, to new regions in the U.S. and abroad, preparing a new generation of leaders who are prepared with both a scholarly mind for truth but also a pastoral heart for serving God.

June 1, 2012 will go mostly unnoticed to the world. But for RTS and our community, we rejoice in this day. It is a day of honoring our past yet looking hopefully and expectantly to our future, preparing men and women for positions of leadership in His church and for taking the gospel to the very ends of the earth. Amen.

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