Alistair Begg’s successor has been named following the prominent expository preacher retirement last month. On Sunday, Dan Schillero preached his first sermon as the new pastor of Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio, inviting the congregation to critique his preaching to ensure he stays true to the Bible.
Begg had served as pastor of Parkside Church since 1983.
According to the church’s website, Schillero joined the staff of Parkside Church in 2013 and previously served as pastor over men’s and women’s ministries. He earned an undergraduate degree in biblical studies from Moody Bible Institute and a Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Schillero and his wife, Emily, have four children.
In his first sermon as Parkside Church’s new pastor, Schillero reflected on the church’s long history of emphasizing the Bible.
“And as it falls to me to take on this great mantle, the privilege and responsibility of standing in this pulpit,” said Schillero, “I can think of no better place to begin than with this priority and necessity of pristine and unadorned gospel preaching.”
“I think I’d be remiss not to mention the simple and plain fact here—that I don’t think is lost on any of us—that over the past 42 years, we have sat under the preaching of a man who is exceptionally and uniquely gifted as a communicator,” Schillero said. “When it comes to preaching, Alistair Begg is a man who God has put together in such a way that he is uncommonly engaging. He is compelling. He is disarming. He is powerful and persuasive.”
“And I want you to know that through the course of my life, Alistair Begg is my favorite preacher,” Schillero added. “And behind this pulpit, we have had a man who I believe is one of greatest living preachers in the world.”
RELATED: Alistair Begg Argues ‘Let It Go’ From ‘Frozen’ Is Unbiblical
“But don’t misunderstand this,” Schillero continued. “It is not Alistair’s rhetorical skill or his giftedness as a communicator that makes him a great preacher.” Schillero argued that Begg’s greatness as a preacher came from the fact that “his thing” is the Bible.
