Pastor and author Allistair Begg announced on Sunday that he plans to retire as senior pastor of Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sept. 14, 2025. According to a statement on the church's website, Begg informed the church elders last month about his decision to retire but "will continue his pastoral and ministry work at Truth For Life."
"Why do this?" Begg, who has served as the church's senior pastor since 1983, said as he addressed the congregation on Sunday.
"Well, that particular day will be 50 years since I began with Derek Prime at Charlotte Chapel. It will be 49 years since I was ordained to the gospel ministry," he continued, "and it will be 42 years from the time that [my wife] Sue and I had the privilege of beginning ministry here at what was then the chapel in Beechwood."
As reported by Church Leaders, Begg noted that he announced his decision to retire a year in advance "to make it clear [it] is not precipitous."
"It's not driven by anything of which I am personally aware other than my ambition to pass the baton safely into the hands of my successor," he continued.
Begg also shared that his upcoming plans are to give the church "time to adjust to the prospect of and to prepare in a timely way for what this transition will mean."
The pastor said he also plans to prepare himself for a "future that doesn't involve coming to this pulpit," a thought he described as "strange." At the same time, however, Begg said that "God willing," he is not retiring from Christian ministry.
"I will have opportunities as time and interest and health [enable] me to be involved in various places and things, certainly to be more committed and more involved at Truth For Life when I don't have the responsibilities and privileges here," Begg said.
Over the years, Begg has watched many pastors conclude their time in the pulpit.
"Stayed much longer than they should…a few fellas have gone sooner than they ought, and very, very few have been able to be successful in doing what we hope to do," he said.
"I want to go when I don't want to go," Begg said.
He went on to ask the congregation to join the elders in praying for "clarity and unity" as they seek his successor.
"It is a great privilege to be involved together at this time in this church and to realize that God has plans that far extend our ability to even conceive," Begg concluded.
Begg's sermons are aired on his "Truth for Life" radio program, broadcast on over 1,900 radio outlets. Earlier this year, Begg received backlash for encouraging a grandmother to attend her grandson's wedding to a transgender person, including being dropped from American Family Radio after more than a decade of airing Truth For Life and being removed as a speaker at Pastor John MacArthur's Shepherds Conference At Grace Community Church.
Photo Credit: ©Parksidechurch
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.