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MIDDLEBURG -- Inspiration's path can oftentimes be as winding as an entire life's journey. For an area man, inspiration was drawn from a self-appointed duty to make the world a better place. Harold "Hal" Lerch of Middleburg, a retired engineer, has recently released his 25th book, "Modern Moralities," available at amazon.com. The new book addresses television's role in influencing how we think. In Lerch's opinion, TV has changed perceptions, especially regarding religion.
"What bothers me the most is when religious people are painted as quaint lunatics," Lerch said. "TV shows establish atheism as the norm."
Lerch began spreading the word in 1962 as a 12-year-old paperboy delivering The Sentinel to subscribers on Logan Street in Lewistown. The job instilled a strong work ethic. He graduated from Lewistown High School in 1968 before graduating from Penn State's College of Engineering. He began writing in 2001 when he "felt the need to write from the Biblical Creation view." He retired in 2009 and resumed writing in 2018.
Lerch combines his engineering background with biblical studies. He sees the divide between creationist and secular science. He believes independent thinking, modern science, and archaeology support the Bible, though mainstream science and the mainstream media relegate many biblical references to myths.
"When it comes to evolution, how does a dinosaur become a bird? The escape clause used by secular science is "given enough time, there is always an explanation, but they don't know how."
Writing was the tool Lerch used to satisfy his passion for the truth, but he felt more could be done. To help convey his message, Lerch founded Word to the World Ministries, an outreach that publishes and distributes Christian resources in over 60 languages. The site is available at https://www.word2world.com.
Lerch's books have now been translated into 75 languages, and have become very popular; 1.2 million copies have been downloaded worldwide. Titles include books on Bible studies and Christian living, story books for young children and an adventure series for teenagers. His books support the view that the Bible is God's Word and gives an account of real, historical events. Lerch offers his books on Amazon and Google Books. Both paperbacks and eBooks are offered on Amazon.
Aside from his own writing, Lerch has assisted others. In July, 2019, amazon.com published "God in the Bullpen: The Randy Lerch Story" by Randy Lerch with Harold Lerch. Randy Lerch was a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies in the late 1970s. The book details his baseball-life battle with alcohol and amphetamines before God saved him.
Years removed from his paper route, Harold Lerch continues to spread his message to millions of readers.
He and his wife, Jeanne, have two children, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. They reside near Middleburg.