Singer/songwriter, author and theologian Michael Milton recently was consecrated as the fourth president/chancellor of the Reformed Theological Seminary, a 46-year-old seminary with six residential campuses in the nation, and a global outreach distance education ministry reaching the world. During the day-long inauguration, held in Matthews, N.C., Milton was honored by a panel of dignitaries representing seminaries throughout the U.S., with Dr. Albert Mohler Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky, flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world, serving as guest speaker.

"The Scripture theme that I chose for this inauguration of sacred service is from 2 Timothy 2:1-2 where St. Paul says that Timothy is to be strong in the grace of the Lord Jesus and 'the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.' I call that being entrusted with God's Truth to extend God's grace," Milton says. "It is my prayer that we will enter a new season in the life of this great seminary where we can collaborate with other Gospel institutions to fulfill the Great Commission in our generation. There has never been a more urgent need for raising up godly pastors, missionaries, educators, and other servants of the Lord who have a mind for truth and a heart for God. I pray that God will allow me to use every gift and resource he has granted to me - writing, preaching, speaking, composing, recording - so that I can support the extension of this ministry, advance the work of our faculty, and prepare future Gospel leaders from over 60 different denominations to bring help and healing to our broken world."

The multi-talented Milton, a gifted singer/songwriter, recently released his first Christmas CD,When Heaven Came Down, a 15-song collection of original compositions evoking a peaceful atmosphere in which to celebrate and contemplate the Advent and Christmas seasons.

"When Heaven Came Down is a desire to express the drama, beauty and wonder of the Incarnation, when God became Man," Milton says about the new CD. "The songs range in feel from Celtic to ballads to symphonic. Yet the scarlet thread that ties them all together is, well, I will say it again, 'wonder.' It is my prayer that the listener will come away from this album sensing that heaven has come down personally, intimately, and hopefully. This album is also a gift to those who will one day declare these truths to others, as I have composed and recorded this album with 100 percent of proceeds from the CD itself going to scholarships at Reformed Theological Seminary."

When Heaven Came Down is distributed to retailers through Reformed Theological Seminary (rts.edu/miltonmusic), Fortress Book and Music Service in the U.S. (fortressbookservice.com) and EP Books in the U.K. The music is available on Amazon and through digital download at iTunes and all major online distributors.

For more information about Milton and his inauguration, visit rts.edu. For more information on When Heaven Came Down, visit michaelmilton.org.

Photo caption, top: Michael Milton, left, recently was consecrated as chancellor of the Reformed Theological Seminary. Mr. Richard Ridgeway, Esq., Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Reformed Theological Seminary, right, bestows the honors. (Kori Hoffman photo)

Photo caption, bottom: Michael Milton recently released his first Christmas CD, When Heaven Came Down, distributed to retailers through Reformed Theological Seminary, Fortress Book and Music Serve in the U.S. and EP Books in the U.K.

About Michael Milton:
Milton, the Chancellor and CEO of Reformed Theological Seminary, is an ordained Presbyterian pastor who earned his doctorate degree in theology from The University of Wales and holds multiple degrees from such respected institutions as Knox Theological Seminary, MidAmerica Nazarene University and the Defense Language Institute. He also currently serves as Professor of Pastoral Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary and writes commentaries that appear in national newspapers and publications.

The multi-talented pastor and musician, who Christianitytoday.com has compared to Neil Young, Steven Curtis Chapman and Dan Fogelberg, received rave reviews when his Through the Open Door CD was released in 2011, with Christianitytoday.com calling the music, "...musically opulent and emotionally stirring."

Milton has released three CDs, 15 books and writes for numerous popular and scholarly periodicals. He is the host/speaker of Faith for Living TV (faithforlivingtv.com), a nationally broadcast Bible teaching program. He was appointed to the College of Military Preachers, serves as a Chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserve and is an instructor at the Armed Forces Chaplain School. But anyone who has listened to his music can attest that "stuffy" is not a word that is found in his vocabulary. Much like his friend and sometimes musical collaborator, legendary Christian singer/songwriter Michael Card ("El Shaddai"), Milton has an uncanny ability to unpack complex theological concepts into everyday language that makes them both memorable and accessible.

For more information on Michael Milton, visit michaelmilton.org.