Written by: Judy M. Plummer

"Running from the Lord, I ran right into Him," said Dr. Leonard E. Stadler, the senior pastor of Weddington United Methodist Church. From outward appearances, one would never suspect this learned and respected clergyman would ever run away from the Lord. On one side of Stadler's resume are these impressive credentials: a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Elon College; Master of Divinity Degree from Duke Divinity School; and Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Formation from Asbury Theological Seminary. He's an ordained elder with 23 years of service in the Western N.C. Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC). For 14 years, he was the senior pastor of Weddington, one of the largest congregations in the conference. And last May, Stadler was invited to deliver the opening prayer for the U. S. Congress in Washington, D.C.

The flip side of the same resume: Born in a small, southern town, Lenny Stadler is long-haired, hard-rocking, bass guitarist with a nationally known southern rock group called Blackfoot. How does Lenny, the rocker, involved in the dark culture of a rebellious lifestyle, become Dr. Stadler, the spirited pastor and evangelist, eager to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Only God's amazing, saving grace could orchestrate such a transformation.

"Hard Rock to Solid Rock," by Darrell Huckaby is the spiritual biography of Lenny Stadler. Huckaby's captures the destructive desperation in Stadler's life prior to his Christian conversion. His ambition to ride the wave of southern rock music to fame and fortune left him spiritually empty, restless and hopeless. However, God had other plans for him, met him just where he was, and turned his life around.

"I don't think I'm special in any way, shape, or form," said Stadler, noting that he began sharing his testimony publicly in the late 70s at more than 160 revivals across the Southeast. "I think the greatest testimony is when a person says, ‘I'm living for Jesus Christ.' I praise God that there are many who have a wonderful testimony that didn't go down that road I went down, but the Lord kept using my story, especially when I would go out and preach revivals. And so all through the years, I've given my testimony and God has continued to use it."

Even though the book was formally written by Darrell Huckaby, Stadler had hands-on involvement. While he knew it had to give an honest account of running away from God, his intent was to inspire and show the faithfulness of a loving God to a new generation.

"We wrote it so it would be a simple, easy read for teenagers. In fact, this week I received an e-mail from a teenager I don't even know. He's in the l0th grade at Myers Park High School. His class was given an assignment to pick a biography and do a book report. He chose my book. He asked if I would be interested in coming to his class and speaking for five minutes. So, kids are reading it, and that excites me. Because that was really the target audience – teenagers, and parents who are struggling with their teenagers."

Stadler firmly believes the promise of Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." And he wants to encourage young people and their parents to believe it, too.

"When I was in rock and roll, I had no future," said Stadler. "And after I had been given basically a death sentence, life was over for me. And it did end, and a new life was given to me."

Stadler also is aware of the importance of intercessory prayer in guiding a prodigal back home. "Every morning at 4 a.m., my grandfather would slide out of his bed, and stay on his knees. My grandmother would tell me she would hear him crying, calling out on the name of the Lord, for my salvation. And he would pray for 30 to 40 minutes. That's what God honored."

While Stadler loved and respected his grandfather, his biography is honest in relating how he also ran from the man who prayed for him. "I avoided him like the plague," he said. "He would preach to me and I didn't want to hear it – because I knew it was true." Stadler's grandfather witnessed his grandson's salvation and became his spiritual mentor, emphasizing Bible study.

While he's not proud of his past, Stadler does not shy away from sharing it. In 1989, the first sermon Stadler delivered at Weddington UMC was his testimony. "I didn't want to hide it," he said. "This is who I am and this is where I came from. To God be the glory."

Each chapter in "Hard Rock to Solid Rock" is prefaced with Scripture, chosen by Stadler. While the book is honest and detailed, it is not explicit or offensive. Rather, it achieves the true intent of both the author and Stadler – "to testify to the life-changing power and saving grace of Jesus Christ."