news-record.com

The Rev. Larry Pope understands that some people have a phobia whenever they’re invited to a building with a steeple on top because of past perceptions of religion.

“In our congregation, we see ourselves as a hospital, where everyone who arrives is going to limp — or has been fixed or needs to be fixed in some way,” said Pope, pastor at Brown Wesleyan Church.

The congregation is working to break down some of the barriers that keep people from going to church —“By being relevant,” Pope said.

One way of doing that is in hosting popular money management expert Dave Ramsey’s free upcoming “Town Hall for Hope,” where people in host sites around the country can ask questions via satellite about the money things that keep them up at night.

“We realize it needs to be more community than congregation,” Pope said.

The event is 8 p.m. April 23, at Brown Wesleyan, 4355 High Rock Road, Gibsonville, and at several dozen other churches in the Triad. Go to townhallforhope.com and enter your ZIP code for a list of sites.

Ramsey, a conservative Christian whose advice has spread beyond religious radio, also produces the get-out-of-debt seminar “Financial Peace University,” which is used at churches across the Triad. He is also the author of the best seller “Total Money Makeover.”

'Hard Rock to Solid Rock'

Some of you might remember Lenny Stadler, who was raised in Reidsville and helped found the Southern rock band Blackfoot in the 1970s.

“But my ambition,” he wrote on his Web site, lennystadler.com, “left me spiritually empty, restless and hopeless.”
The story is documented in the book, “Hard Rock To Solid Rock.”

Blackfoot lived in Reidsville for a while, according to Greg Moore, an organizer of a 7 p.m. concert at CrossWalk Cafe, a coffeehouse ministry at the Church of God of Prophecy, 13811 N.C. 87, Eden, where Stadler will perform. Stadler is performing with his new band, Greystone Chapel. The concert is free and open to the public.

On the verge of Blackfoot’s stardom in the rock music business, Stadler found Jesus and left Blackfoot, telling his story at 160 revivals across the Southeast. Blackfoot went on to sell millions of records, while Stadler opened a former downtown Reidsville business building and called it Shekinah House. At that location he formed a band called Shekinah that played some of the earliest Christian rock music in this area, Moore said.

“They were like the ‘house band’ there and many young people, including myself, were introduced to Jesus through that ministry,” Moore said.

Stadler went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Elon College; master’s of divinity Duke University; and a doctorate in spiritual formation from Asbury Theological Seminary. He most recently was the pastor at a large Methodist Church in Union County, before returning to his music roots with the Greystone Chapel band. He is also president of John Wesley Creative Ministries.

Stadler based his career on Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Corrected dates

A chart accompanying my column last week incorrectly gave the dates for the Old Testament Walk at Providence Baptist Church. The dates are April 25-26.

Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com