The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Downtown, a congregation parked between the offices of the Kansas City Star and a strip club, might be one of the most unconventional churches in the metro.
Its walls are decorated with paintings by local artists such as Jeff Hanson. It offers gluten-free communion bread. Couples married at the church stand in front of the congregation on ‘Rock star Jesus,’ a guitar-playing floor stencil left over from the building’s days as a nightclub.
It’s quirky, modern and a little strange. And that’s exactly the idea.
About this series: We are exploring Kansas City’s many religious communities and talking to members about the way faith shapes their lives.
Pastor Scott Chrostek and church vocalist Matt Bisel were both part of the Resurrection’s nine founding members, and each came to the church after an extended vacation from organized religion.
"My wife and I had walked away from the church," said Bisel. "We hadn't gone to church for about five years because of frustration and disbelief."
Bisel and his wife left their previous congregation because they felt a close friend was being ostracized for her identity; Chrostek, a former stockbroker, became a pastor after years of being warned away from all religion by his grandmother.
Both know how it feels to believe that organized religion is incompatible with their lives and values. Both hope they can reach out to others who may feel the same way and show them another type of faith community.
"From the moment we started, God was calling us to go out and meet people where they were," said Chrostek.
Resurrection’s mission, according to its web site, is to “build a Christian community where non-religious and nominally religious people are becoming deeply committed Christians.”
Congregational care pastor Anne Williams said she believes the best way to spread the Methodist message of love and acceptance is to make Resurrection Downtown known by its good works.
About Methodism
Methodism is a Protestant Christian denomination founded by English theologian John Wesley in the 1700s and widely adopted in the United States during the Second Great Awakening. Today, it is practiced worldwide.
In addition to proselytizing core Christian beliefs in a single god and the divinity of Jesus Christ, Methodist theology places a special emphasis on encouraging its followers to improve the social welfare of their communities through charity, activism and volunteering; Wesley was a key figure in movements to abolish slavery and reform the English prison system during his lifetime, and modern Methodists are encouraged to follow his example.
The United Methodist Church, of which the Church of the Resurrection is a part, comprises thousands of churches in the United States and millions of followers worldwide.
To this end, clergy and congregation members make it their mission to meet people where they are: they volunteer in the community, they build connections with other Crossroads organizations and they make a point of accepting all comers.
“What I want people to know most about Resurrection Downtown is, ‘You’re invited,’” said Chrostek. “It doesn’t matter what you’ve been through, where you come from, what you’ve done or not done. Everyone is welcome to be present here.”
About Resurrection Downtown
- 1522 McGee St, Kansas City, Missouri
- Founded in 2009
- Number of worshippers: 1,000+
- Information about services
- Contact: (816) 979-1330 | scott.chrostek@cor.org
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