Alex McFarland
evangelist, apologist,educator, author
As a speaker, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics, Alex McFarland has spoken in hundreds of locations throughout the US and abroad. He has preached in over 1,400 different churches throughout North America and internationally, and has been featured at conferences such as The Billy Graham School of Evangelism, Focus On The Family’s Big Dig, Josh McDowell’s True Foundations events, California’s Spirit West Coast, and many more.
He has been interviewed on Fox and Friends (the most widely-watched morning show in the US), the Alan Colmes Show, “The Strategy Room”, Billy Graham’s Decision radio broadcast, by James Dobson (Focus On The Family radio), NPR’s All Things Considered, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chuck Colson’s Breakpoint broadcast, CBS, FOX, NBC news, SRN news, the Associated Press (AP) wire service, LA Times, Boston Herald, the BBC, OK- Celebrity News Magazine, Prime Time America, CBN, CSPAN, Bible Broadcast Network, La Vie (France), Christianity Today, Charisma, On Mission, and by numerous other media outlets as well. In a 2009 story, CNN said, “Alex McFarland is an expert on world religions and cults.”
During the 1990’s (at a time when it was predicted that that the need for apologetics was waning) Alex pioneered apologetics conference formats designed to equip teens and adults to defend their faith. Attendees of all ages began to attend Alex’s “Truth For A New Generation” and “National Conference On Christian Apologetics” events, eagerly learning from scholars such as Josh McDowell, Ravi Zacharias, Lee Strobel, Chuck Colson, and others.
In 2006 Alex was named third president of Southern Evangelical Seminary and College. During his tenure of 5 years, Alex led the school through a number of important initiatives. These included fund-raising and construction of a new classroom building, development of a national marketing strategy (which contributed to a doubling of student enrollment), creation of several new degree programs, expansion of staff, and the launching of an online bookstore for the school. Prior to this, Alex had served as Focus On The Family’s “Director of Teen Apologetics.”
In his home state of NC, Alex McFarland was named one of “Forty Leaders Under The Age of Forty,” by the Jaycees. Alex is the only evangelist known to have preached in all 50 states in only 50 days, through his “Tour Of Truth.” This crusade across America included 64 evangelistic services, became the subject of Alex’s first book, and was used by God to bring many people to personal faith in Christ.
From 2000-2010, Alex has hosted two nationally syndicated radio broadcasts, Truth Talk Live, and SoundRezn. From 2011-present, Alex has hosted Explore the Word, which airs Monday-Friday live in over 200 markets. Alex provides on-air teaching, fields live questions from listeners, and has interviewed hundreds of notable guests. These have included a variety of Christian leaders (such as James Dobson, George Barna, Tony Campolo, Ravi Zacharias, Franklin Graham, Ray Comfort, David Platt, and others), political newsmakers (such as Mike Huckabee, Michelle Bauchman, Rick Santorum, Maggie Galagher, and Judge Roy Moore), skeptics (Christopher Hitchens, Michael Shermer, David Silverman), and musicians (such Brian Wilson and Jeffrey Foskett of the Beach Boys, Grammy winners Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr., and others).
As an author, Alex McFarland has written over 150 published articles and is author of 12 books, including the best-selling The Ten Most Common Objections to Christianity- and How To Answer Them (Regal Publishing). In 2011, Alex released 10 Questions Every Christian Must Know How To Answer (Broadman & Holman Academic), and 10 Answers for Skeptics— Inside the Mind of the Skeptic (Regal Publishing). In 2013, Focus On the Family/Tyndale will release Alex’s latest book, Answering the Toughest Questions Children Have About God. Alex attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and earned a Master’s degree in Christian Thought / Apologetics from Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree by Southern Evangelical Seminary in 2006. In 2009, Alex became a participant in Developing Young Leaders In Higher Education, a “by invitation only” study program at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Angie McFarland is the godly and supportive wife who has played a tremendous role in all that the Lord has called Alex to do. They have been married since 1988, and currently live in North Carolina.