A screenshot of a now-archived version of the Shepherd's Conference website shows Pastor Alistair Begg listed as a speaker for the March conference. Begg's name is no longer listed on the website.
Posted on 02/04/2024 8:56:15 PM PST by SeekAndFind
A screenshot of a now-archived version of the Shepherd's Conference website shows Pastor Alistair Begg listed as a speaker for the March conference. Begg's name is no longer listed on the website.
Pastor, author and Christian radio personality Alistair Begg continues to face fallout from comments he made in a podcast last year about advice for Christians and same-sex weddings.
Begg’s bio has been removed from the website of the Shepherd’s Conference, a ministry of Grace Community Church led by Pastor John MacArthur, following controversy over Begg’s advice for a grandmother about attending her LGBT-identified grandson’s wedding.
An archived version of the site from November shows Begg listed as one of the speakers after MacArthur and Desiring God founder John Piper.
The theme of this year’s Shepherd's Conference scheduled for March 6-8 is “Truth Triumphs.”
It wasn’t clear who made the decision for Begg not to participate. The Christian Post reached out to Grace Community Church for comment but did not receive a response.
Begg is also a guest lecturer for the Doctor of Ministry program at The Master's Seminary, which is run in partnership with Grace Community Church and where MacArthur serves as chancellor. It’s unknown whether Begg’s role at the seminary was also impacted by the decision to drop him from the Shepherd’s Conference.
The move is the latest in the backlash against the 71-year-old Begg, the senior pastor at Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio, who's also the voice behind the radio ministry "Truth For Life," carried by nearly 1,800 radio stations nationwide.
In recently resurfaced comments Begg made in a podcast for "Truth For Life" in September, in which he discussed his new book, The Christian Manifesto, and touched on a specific question he said a grandmother asked him about her grandson, whom she said was "about to be married to a transgender person," and whether she should attend the wedding.
Despite the podcast being nearly three months old, Begg’s advice resurfaced on social media, leading to a controversy that ultimately led to American Family Radio (AFR), the radio ministry of the American Family Association, making the decision to "no longer air" "Truth For Life" after more than a decade.
After initially declining to comment, Begg addressed the issue in front of his congregation during his Sunday sermon at Parkside Church last week.
In the message, taken from Luke 15, titled “Compassion vs. Condemnation,” Begg warned about our “inclination toward Pharisaism” that is “alive and well within all our hearts.”
“In that conversation with that grandmother, I was concerned about the well-being of their relationship more than anything else,” he explained. “Hence my counsel. Don't misunderstand that in any way at all.
“If I was on the receiving end of another question about another situation from another person at another time, I may answer absolutely differently, but in that case, I answered in that way, and I would not answer in any other way no matter what anybody says on the internet.”
In his message, Begg also acknowledged the controversy threatened his ministry’s popularity and said if that’s the case, he would much rather “go down on the side of compassion.”
“If I’ve gotta go down on the side of one or the other, I’ll go down on this side. I’ll go down on the side of compassion, with people actually accusing me of just weakness, rather than go down on the side of condemnation, which closes any doors of opportunity for future engagement with those who know exactly what we believe about the Bible and about Jesus,” said Begg.
Good.
(”about to be married to a transgender person,”)
No such person exists other than in their mind.
Some of us will not participate in this delusion being sold to the masses.
Well said and absolutely true.
It is not “compassion” to endorse by your attendance and participation this mockery of marriage. That is not what “compassion” means.
Ping
Thank you and God bless you
Satan is deliberately using this to marginalize God’s Word.
A lot of people are being squeezed with this thing.
Made one woman mad because I wouldn’t accept the agenda regarding her nephew.
Now that being said, it’s in many places in our society already.
Which is why .... Tagline.
Jesus ministered to all people in compassion and never once validated or enabled or approved their sin. His words included *Go and sin no more*.
I just ran across this while perusing some old thread links that I posted.
I thought that this particular line from an article was particularly noteworthy:
“the LGBT flag, which has become a powerful symbol of the war on reality,”
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/4157552/posts
While I don’t agree with MacArthur on everything theologically, I do give him a LOT of credit for standing up for what’s right when it counts, like this and the Covid lockdowns.
FWIW, I don’t think there’s anyone on the planet I agree with 100% theologically. I don’t think anyone fits in that category.
However, I also recognize what Paul refers to as *disputable matters* and have learned to let it go when it’s not a matter of salvation. It’s God’s job to straighten out errant beliefs, not mine. I can warn and advise but the work is His.
It seems these days that everyone’s ears are itching to hear things that just aren’t true.
Matthew 10:34
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword
I didn’t quite see the guy’s “advice” but I’m guessing he told her to go. (obviously) - I was skimming and probably missed it.
In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
“Crucify Him, Crucify Him”
Well said!
Yeah, I thought that author really nailed it.
MacArthur had no choice but to disinvite Begg. Begg would be a distraction and his controversy would hijack the conference - it would be the focus of attention.
“Satan is deliberately using this to marginalize God’s Word.”
This has been going on via incrementalism at least since the ‘60s (when I started paying attention). Christianity has been the frog in the kettle as inroads have been made toward modernism. Women preachers. Contemporary “Christian” music. Churches allowing divorcees in key roles. (Down the road from us is a Baptist church whose minister is divorced and remarried, even though his first wife is still living. That’s been taboo since forever in Baptist churches.)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.