Michael A. Milton

Michael Anthony Milton (born 1958) is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America, a theologian, pastor, broadcaster, author, professor, U.S. Army Reserves chaplain, and musician. Milton succeeded D. James Kennedy as the Teaching Pastor on the nationally televised sermon broadcast, Truth that Transforms.^[1] Milton's record includes service as Senior Minister of First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga, Tennessee and his election as President and then Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer of Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS). He currently serves as Founder and President of Faith For Living, Inc. an outreach ministry advancing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.^[2][3] Milton, a former intern under D. James Kennedy, became President and Senior Fellow of the D. James Kennedy Institute for Christianity and Culture. Milton's writings and sermons on issues of religious liberty and Christianity and culture have been published in the United States and the United Kingdom^[4][5]

Theological career

Michael Milton succeeded D. James Kennedy as the Teaching Pastor for Truth that Transforms with the first national broadcast of that continuing program on Sunday, September 29, 2013 on the NRB Network, channel 378, DirectTV.^[6] Milton became a board member of Truth in Action Ministries and presently serves as a spokesman, pastor, and theologian for the ministry.^[7]

Milton was elected to become chancellor and chief executive officer of Reformed Theological Seminary on September 2, 2010 and officially assumed those duties on June 1, 2012.^[8] The investiture and inauguration service was held on September 14, 2012.^[9] With Milton's election, the Office of the Chancellor moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where Milton resides.^[10] Prior to becoming chancellor, Milton was President of RTS-Charlotte, elected in 2007, interim president of RTS Orlando, and the James M. Baird, Jr. Chair of Pastoral Theology since 2009. He retained the Chair of Pastoral Theology with his election as Chancellor.^[11]

On March 13, 2013, it was announced that the Executive Committee of the Seminary granted a retirement from the position in order to seek recovery from a chronic illness that had become increasingly debilitating. The move was described as compassionate in order for Milton to fully recover and be able to return to ministry. Milton wrote a theological reflection on the illness called, "Difficult but Necessary: Relinquishing Leadership in Winter to Renew Ministry in a New Season."^[12] Milton remains an adjunct member of the faculty.^[13]

Milton was founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church and of Westminster Academy of Overland Park, Kansas;^[14] Interim President, Knox Theological Seminary;^[15] founding pastor, Kirk O' the Isles, Savannah, Georgia;^[16] Senior Pastor, First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga, Tennessee;^[17][18] and president of RTS-Charlotte.

Milton is a faculty member and speaker with the Intercollegiate Studies Institute,^[19] and is a contributor to the Center for Vision and Values at Grove City College.^[20] He is a contributing editor to and contributing writer for Preaching Journal.^[21]

Milton writes commentaries on Christian faith in the public square. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association asked Milton to serve on a lead team to write the theological affirmation for Billy Graham's final crusade, "My Hope".^[22] Milton was invited by President Ronald Reagan's son, Michael Reagan, to speak at the Reagan Center in Santa Barbara, California. He spoke on September 26, 2013 at the Reagan Center, before the guests of the Young Americas Foundation, on the topic of "What the Legacy of Ronald Reagan Can Teach Us Today about Religious Liberty."^[23][24]

Milton serves as a chaplain in the United States Army Reserves.^[25] Milton was appointed by the Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army in 2010 to the College of Military Preachers.^[26][27] Michael A. Milton serves as a faculty member of the U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School at Fort Jackson, SC and is the Senior Editor of the Chaplain Corps Journal.^[28]

Milton is a graduate of the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA; received a B.A. from MidAmerica Nazarene University, and Master of Divinity from Knox Theological Seminary. He earned the Doctor of Philosophy in Theology^[29] from the University of Wales, Lampeter. Milton is an alumnus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Master of Public Administration program of the School of Government.^[30] He is a graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Eisenhower Hall^[31] in Leavenworth, Kansas.^[3]

Books

Milton is the author of the following books:

• Journey of a Lifetime. Fortress Book Service. 2014. ISBN 978-0985289744. 
• Sounding the Depths: When the Savour Prays for His People. EP Books. 2013. ISBN 978-0852349717. 

• Silent No More: A Biblical Call for the Church to Speak to State and Culture. EP Books in the U.K. 2013. ISBN 978-0985289713. 

• Finding a Vision for Your Church: Assembly Required. P&R Publishing. 2012. ISBN 978-1596384385. 

• What God Starts, God Completes: Help and Hope for Hurting People, Third Edition with updates and a new Introduction. Christian Focus Publications. 2012. ISBN 978-1845508234. 

• What is the Doctrine of Adoption?. P&R Publishing. 2012. ISBN 978-1-59638-391-3. 

• Hit by Friendly Fire: What to Do When Fellow Believers Hurt You. EP Books. 2011. ISBN 0-85234-776-6. 

• Songs in the Night: How God Transforms our Pain into Praise. P&R Publishing. 2011. ISBN 978-1-59638-221-3. 

• Small Things, Big Things: Inspiring Stories of God's Everyday Grace. P&R Publishing. 2009. ISBN 1-59638-145-0. 

• What is the Doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints. P&R Publishing. 2009. ISBN 1-59638-094-2. 

• Hit by Friendly Fire: What to do when you are hurt by other believers. Wipf and Stock Publishers. 2008. ISBN 1-55635-928-4. 

• What God Starts, God Completes: Help and Hope for Hurting People. Christian Focus Publications. 2007. ISBN 1-84550-276-0. 

• Cooperation without Compromise: Faithful Gospel Witness in a Pluralistic Setting. Wipf and Stock Publishers. 2007. ISBN 1-55635-390-1. 

• Oh the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus: Expository Messages from John 17. Wipf and Stock Publishers. 20017. ISBN 978-1-59752-218-2.  Check date values in: |date= (help)

• Following Ben: Expository Preaching for Frail Followers of Pulpit Giants. Wipf and Stock Publishers. 2006. ISBN 1-59752-958-3. 

• Giving as an Act of Worship. Wipf and Stock Publishers. 2006. ISBN 1-59752-712-2. 

• Leaving a Career to Follow a Call: A Vocational Guide to the Ordained Ministry. Wipf and Stock Publishers. 1999. ISBN 1-57910-347-2. 

• Authentic Christianity and the Life of Freedom. Wipf and Stock Publishers. 2005. ISBN 1-59752-212-0. 

• The Demands of Discipleship: Expository Messages from Daniel. Wipf and Stock Publishers. 2005. ISBN 1-59752-217-1. 

Music

Milton is a singer/songwriter, performer, and recording artist who has released four Christian music albums: He Shall Restore (2005, ASIN: B0013BJ7QS), Follow Your Call (2009, ASIN: B001J6VP58), Through the open door (2011, ASIN: B004CHP1LK).^[32] A Christmas album, (2012, ASIN: B009YJQ72S) was released on October 23, 2012.^[33]

Milton, under Bethesda Records, released a single entitled, "A Promise is Stronger than Blood". A press release announced that the single was released to support sanctity of life adoption ministries.^[34]

Preacher

In addition to pastoral work, Milton is an evangelistic preacher.^[35] He is the Founder and President of Faith for Living, an evangelistic outreach ministry. Milton is also the Teaching Pastor of Truth that Transforms.^[36] Milton has been the keynote preacher for the National Preaching Conference on three occasions,^[37] and the International Congress on Preaching in Cambridge, England^[38] He teaches or has taught homiletics, church planting, or other pastoral theology courses at the masters and doctoral levels at Reformed Theological Seminary,^[39] Knox Theological Seminary,^[40] and Erskine Theological Seminary.^[41]

References

External links

• Official website