Retirement Dinner

A retirement recognition dinner for Dr. Spear and Dr. Robson of the RP Seminary has been scheduled for June 30, the closing day of Synod. It will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Station Square Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pa. The seminary invites friends and relatives from near and far to attend. The cost is $30. Please contact Maryln Black at the seminary for information or reservations. Her email address is mblack@rpts.edu.

Graduate Sets Out on Ambitious World Trip

What started as a thought that he might want to be a missionary has grown into a seven-month, around-the-world trip for Titus Martin and two other young RP men.

Titus, a member of the Tusca Area (Beaver, Pa.) RPC who graduated from the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in May, will travel to Cyprus, Ireland, Northern Uganda, Japan, Australia, and another, closed country using a round-the-world plane ticket. “We’ll serve the mission while we’re there and get to see the struggles and joys of the church,” he said.

The purpose of the trip is to see “if I should and where I should go—where I best fit,” Titus said. “And to see the kingdom of God outside my experience.” Titus said he also wants to “see if I can live without the luxuries of America.” In June, Titus will leave for Cyprus. He will be joined in July by Jason O’Neill, of the Winchester, Kan., RPC. Matt Stewart, of Trinity (Beltsville, Md.) RPC, will meet them in Ireland in August. Jason and Matt graduated from Geneva College this year.

The group has tried to get together weekly to pray and prepare for the trip. Titus said he tried to learn some Arabic, French, and Japanese, and tried to get to know the cultures and missionaries of the countries they will be visiting.

The men will return to the United States on Jan. 12. “I’m hoping we can maintain energy, focus, and enthusiasm for the whole trip,” Titus said, adding that they will have to get plenty of rest and pray continually.

To receive updates on how the trip is going, e-mail Titus at titusknox@yahoo.com.

New Scholarships Available

The Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary is seeking prospective theological students who believe in a six-day, young-earth Creation for its newly created Genesis Scholarships sponsored by the Creation Science Fellowship of Pittsburgh (CSFP). One full and two partial scholarships are available for first-year students who begin in the fall quarter of 2005.

The scholarships will requires students to take the seminary’s “Bible and Science” course, as well as intern with the CSFP. To apply for the Genesis Scholarships, please call RPTS at 412-731-8690 or email gvanleuven@rpts.edu.

Seminary Fills Two New Positions

The RP Seminary has hired Bob Anderson and Grant Van Leuven to fill the newly created positions of facilities manager and director of development and communications.

In his part-time role as facilities manager, Anderson is responsible for the general indoor and outdoor repair and maintenance of the seminary. He is a retired Westinghouse engineer and lives in Penn Hills, Pa., with his wife and their three children.

Van Leuven, who is also a part-time M.Div. student at RPTS, has assumed the position of director of development and communications. His main duty will be to assist the president in leading the seminary’s bicentennial capital campaign to culminate in 2010. He will also oversee the seminary’s communications initiatives, including public and media relations. Van Leuven was a President’s Club advertising account executive for WORD-FM radio in Pittsburgh before joining the seminary staff. He has also directed communications for other organizations in the Pittsburgh area. He lives in Mars, Pa., with his wife and daughter.

RPTS to Hold Second Annual Conference on the Westminster Confession of Faith

On July 1-2, the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary (RPTS) in Pittsburgh, Pa., will host its second annual conference, The Westminster Confession into the 21st Century: An International Conference on the Work of the Westminster Assembly.

Speakers from Reformed seminaries around the U.S. will address current issues relating to the theology and influence of the Westminster Confession of Faith. The speakers are Dr. Wayne Spear, RPTS professor of systematic theology; Dr. Mark E. Ross, associate professor of theology at Erskine Theological Seminary in Due West, S.C.; Dr. David C. Jones, professor of theology and ethics at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Mo.; Dr. Richard Gamble, professor of systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Fla.; Dr. David M. VanDrunen, associate professor of systematic theology and Christian ethics at Westminster Seminary in Escondido, Calif.; and Dr. Joseph A. Pipa, Jr., professor of historical and systematic theology at Greenville Seminary in Greenville, S.C.

For more information or to register, call (412) 731-8690 or visit the website, www.westminsterconference.org.