Alistair Begg graduated from the London School of Theology. He worked as a pastor for eight years in Scotland, both at Charlotte Chapel in Edinburgh and Hamilton Baptist Church, near Glasgow. In 1983, he became senior pastor at Parkside Church in suburban Cleveland, Ohio, and worked there until retiring in 2025.
Radio ministry Begg's content is the mainstay of, and he leads ‘’Truth for Life’’, a preaching and teaching ministry broadcasting his sermons daily to more than 1,800 radio stations in North America. He has published several devotional books based on his radio talks.
Influences Among Begg's stated influences—first, as stated by
Peter A. Lillback, president of
Westminster Theological Seminary, were
Eric J. Alexander,
Sinclair B. Ferguson,
Martyn Lloyd-Jones,
Richard C. Lucas,
Alex Motyer, and
Derek J. Prime.
Controversy In January 2024, Begg received criticism for advising a grandmother to attend her grandson's wedding to a
transgender person. Critics included
Owen Strachan, provost of Grace Bible Theological Seminary in
Conway, Arkansas, and Steve Jordahl of the
American Family Association, the latter of which removed Begg's
Truth for Life broadcasts from its
American Family Radio network. ==Awards and recognition==