Alistair Begg (born May 22, 1952) is the senior pastor of

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U ...

's Parkside Church (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.

Biography

Begg was born in

Glasgow, Scotland Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

in 1952 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." 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. Begg became senior pastor of Parkside Church, Cleveland, Ohio, in 1983. Begg is a council member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. He was also educated at Trent University and

Westminster Theological Seminary Westminster Theological Seminary is a Protestant theological seminary in the Reformed theological tradition in Glenside, Pennsylvania. It was founded by members of the faculty of Princeton Theological Seminary in 1929 after Princeton chose to ...

. Among his influences are Martyn Lloyd-Jones, John Stott, Derek Prime, Eric Alexander,

Sinclair Ferguson Sinclair Buchanan Ferguson (born 21 February 1948) is a Scottish theologian known in Reformed Christian circles for his teaching, writing, and editorial work. He has been Chancellor's Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological ...

, Dick Lucas, Eric Liddell,

Charles Haddon Spurgeon Charles Haddon Spurgeon (19 June 1834 – 31 January 1892) was an English Particular Baptist preacher. Spurgeon remains highly influential among Christians of various denominations, among whom he is known as the "Prince of Preachers". He ...

, Jim Elliot, and Hudson Taylor. 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, the Glasgow Rangers.

Theological views

Begg 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." Begg is especially known for compelling oratory and a style of teaching that makes frequent reference to Biblical passages.

Bibliography

*''What Angels Wish They Knew: The Basics of True Christianity'', Moody Publishers (1999) *''Preaching for God's Glory'' (2000) *''Pathway to Freedom: How God's Laws Guide Our Lives'', Crossway Books (2000) *''The Hand of God: Finding His Care in All Circumstances'', Moody Publishers (2001) *''On Being a Pastor: Understanding Our Calling and Work'', (with Derek Prime) Moody Publishers (2004) *''Made for His Pleasure: Ten Benchmarks of a Vital Faith'', Moody Publishers (2005) *''Christmas Playlist: Four songs that bring you to the heart of Christmas'', The Good Book Company (2016) *''Name Above All Names'', (with

) Crossway Books (2018) *''Pray Big'', The Good Book Company (2019) *''Brave By Faith'', The Good Book Company (May, 2021) *''Truth For Life: 365 Daily Devotions, Volume 1'', The Good Book Company (November, 2021) *''Truth For Life: 365 Daily Devotions, Volume 2'', The Good Book Company (October, 2022)

References

External links

Truth For Life Ministry websiteParkside Church
{{DEFAULTSORT:Begg, Alistair 1952 births Living people Clergy from Glasgow American sermon writers American Calvinist and Reformed ministers 20th-century Scottish Baptist ministers Christian writers Westminster Theological Seminary alumni Alumni of Nottingham Trent University Alumni of the London School of Theology People from Bainbridge, Geauga County, Ohio