Finale to the Begg Debacle

By Elizabeth Prata

Sadly, yesterday, Alistair Begg was no longer listed as a speaker at the 2024 Shepherds Conference at Grace Community Church.

This is a major conference founded and led by John MacArthur specifically to edify and minister to Pastors. After Begg’s January 19 remarks which he counseled a grandmother that it was OK for her to attend the transgender wedding of her grandson, controversy erupted.

Initially, behind the scenes brethren urged Begg to reconsider this counsel. Then, American Family Radio contacted Begg’s ministry and had an extended conversation with his representatives, where pleas to repent were not heard. So AFR dropped Begg from their broadcasting roster.

Later, Begg said some even his own pastoral team disagreed with Begg’s advice.

Controversy continued. So this past Sunday, Begg preached a clarifying statement. In it, the defense of his counsel was worse than the counsel because it included anger, calling his critics Pharisees, and a misuse of the scripture he was preaching which was twisted to justify his defense of his position.

Then what people had been watching for: ShepCon. Apparently a conversation was had between ShepCon leader MacArthur and Begg. Begg withdrew from speaking, with MacArthur associate Phil Johnson telling a news organization “it was necessary for him to withdraw.”

The original advice should have been for the grandmother to refrain from participating as a celebrant and witness to a perversion of marriage. Sometimes one’s absence speaks louder than all the words up to that point.

And now Begg is undergoing the same treatment: our beliefs have consequences. At some point, we must part from a person when their beliefs (or acts) diverge from the Bible’s standards. In this, Begg’s truculent refusal to even listen to advice, never mind the actual original advice he gave the grandmother, indicates a necessary parting.

What would have been the effect, do we think, if the ShepCon organizers had said “Pastor Begg, we disagree with your advice, seeing it is unbiblical, and your misuse of the passage in Luke 15 was wrong exegesis, but come along to the Conference anyway, we don’t want to be seen as judgmental.” He would have felt justified, wouldn’t he?

Earlier in life I learned that what people SAY and what people DO, must match up.

Sometimes actions speak louder than words. Lines in the sand exist for a reason.