Alistair Begg (born May 22, 1952) is an American pastor of Scottish birth. He is the senior pastor of Cleveland's Parkside Church[1] (located in Bainbridge Township, Geauga County, Ohio), a position he has held since 1983. He is the voice behind the Truth For Life Christian radio preaching and teaching ministry, which broadcasts his sermons daily to stations across North America through over 1,800 radio outlets. He is also the author of several books.
Pastor Alistair Begg | |
|---|---|
| Born | 22 May 1952 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Nationality |
|
| Education | The London School of Theology |
| Occupation(s) | Pastor, author, teacher of the "Truth for Life" radio program |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Spouse | Susan Begg |
| Children | 3 |
| Honors | Honorary doctorates: Westminster Theological Seminary (2009) Cedarville University Grove City College (2015) |
| Website | https://www.truthforlife.org/about/about-alistair-begg/ |
Biography
editBegg was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1952[2] and still carries a distinctive Scottish accent after years of ministry in the United States. On 2 November 1972, his mother died. Regarding the incident, Begg wrote that "more spiritual progress is made through failure and tears than success and laughter."[3] Begg graduated from the London School of Theology in 1975 and then served eight years in Scotland at Charlotte Chapel in Edinburgh and Hamilton Baptist Church in Lanarkshire.[4] Begg became senior pastor of Parkside Church, Cleveland, Ohio, in 1983. He was also educated at Trent University and Westminster Theological Seminary. He began studying for a DMin in the mid-1980s, but never completed the degree.[5] Among his influences are Martyn Lloyd-Jones, John Stott, Derek Prime, Eric Alexander, Sinclair Ferguson, Dick Lucas, Eric Liddell, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Jim Elliot, and Hudson Taylor.
Westminster Theological Seminary conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity on Begg on May 28, 2009.[6] Later, both Grove City College, on May 16, 2015,[7] and Cedarville University conferred the same degree upon him.
He and his wife, Susan, have been married since 1975. They have three married children and 8 grandchildren. Susan is American by birth and Begg himself became a U.S. citizen in 2004. He remains a proud supporter of his boyhood club, Glasgow Rangers football (soccer) club.
Theological views
editBegg believes in the inerrancy and supremacy of Scripture, and in the saving power of Christ alone. He has said that the core belief of Parkside Church is "that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has died as an atoning sacrifice for our sins, and that to know Him is to know life, both now and forever . . . Jesus Christ is the only Savior, because Jesus is the only one who is qualified to save."[8] Begg is especially known for compelling oratory and a style of teaching that makes frequent reference to Biblical passages.
In January 2024 Begg received criticism for advising a grandmother to attend her grandson's wedding to a transgender person.[9][10] Critics included Owen Strachan, provost of Grace Bible Theological Seminary,[10][11] and the American Family Association;[12] the latter removed Begg's Truth for Life broadcasts from its American Family Radio network.[13]
On 8th September 2024 he announced (from the pulpit of Parkside Church) that he would be stepping down as pastor on 14th September 2025 at the latest (by which date he will be 73 years and 3 months old). He did not link his pending resignation to the 'grandmother' controversy.
Bibliography
edit- What Angels Wish They Knew: The Basics of True Christianity, Moody Publishers (1999) ISBN 0-8024-1709-4
- Preaching for God's Glory (2000) ISBN 1-58134-123-7
- Pathway to Freedom: How God's Laws Guide Our Lives, Crossway Books (2000) ISBN 1-58134-123-7
- The Hand of God: Finding His Care in All Circumstances, Moody Publishers (2001) ISBN 0-8024-1704-3
- On Being a Pastor: Understanding Our Calling and Work, (with Derek Prime) Moody Publishers (2004) ISBN 0-8024-3120-8
- Made for His Pleasure: Ten Benchmarks of a Vital Faith, Moody Publishers (2005) ISBN 0-8024-7137-4
- Christmas Playlist: Four songs that bring you to the heart of Christmas, The Good Book Company (2016) ISBN 9781784981662
- Parenting God's Way, 10Publishing (2017) ISBN 9781911272656[14]
- Name Above All Names, (with Sinclair Ferguson) Crossway Books (2018) ISBN 1433563185
- Pray Big, The Good Book Company (2019) ISBN 1784983365
- Brave By Faith, The Good Book Company (May, 2021) ISBN 1784986666
- Truth For Life: 365 Daily Devotions, Volume 1, The Good Book Company (November, 2021) ISBN 1784985856
- Truth For Life: 365 Daily Devotions, Volume 2, The Good Book Company (October, 2022) ISBN 1784987689
References
edit- ^ "Alistair Begg". The Gospel Coalition. Archived from the original on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Honorary Doctorate, Alumnus Alistair Begg". Westminster Theological Seminary. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
- ^ Made for His Pleasure (p106)
- ^ "Westminster Theological Seminary -". dev.wts.edu. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
- ^ "Westminster Theological Seminary -". dev.wts.edu. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
- ^ "Westminster Theological Seminary -". dev.wts.edu. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
- ^ "Alumni News". alumni.gcc.edu. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
- ^ "NewsNet 5 Interview". Archived from the original on 20 June 2009. Retrieved 26 December 2008.
- ^ "'The Christian Manifesto' Interview". Truth for Life. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ a b Sey, Samuel (22 January 2024). "Alistair Begg, gay weddings, and love". Christian Post. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ Strachan, Owen (19 January 2024). "Unrighteous Wedding Invitations: A Loving Response to Alistair Begg". Grace & Truth. Substack. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ Jordahl, Steve (23 January 2024). "Radio ministry awaits explanation from Begg re: advice to a grandmother". American Family News. American Family Association. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ Jordahl, Steve; Davis, Billy (24 January 2024). "Radio ministry drops pastor over same-sex wedding comments". American Family News. American Family Association. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ "Parenting God's Way (Paperback) by Alistair Begg".