Friendship and Ministry :: Ryan Pelton and New City Church (KC)

The Stack BBQ is tasty. How do I know? I met Ryan Pelton there for lunch last week.

Ryan is the pastor of New City Church in Kansas City, Missouri. We discussed life, ministry, good books, a little bit of theology, writing, and family.

At some point in the future I hope to visit New City on a Sunday morning.

Following our visit, Ryan posted a new entry to his blog suggesting there are things Christians mistakenly believe, and asked for responses.  He also asked for things Christians should believe, but do not. You can check out the post here, "Dumb Things Christians Believe."

Scrolling through the comments I found a couple of suggestions compelling, and a couple of others worthy of a smile. I'm anticipating what Ryan has to say about how to properly "judge" as a Christian without being judgmental or condemnatory, and wondering if Ryan will take up the Reformed position on sanctification and argue against the possibility of Christian perfection--a touchstone Wesleyan doctrine--and though this is not necessarily my position, John Wesley's Plain Account of Christian Perfection just might be the most important document on sanctification (the process or enactment of the Christian believer becoming a holy person) I have ever read.

I'm glad to meet other Christian leaders in Kansas City. I'm hoping that Ryan is but one of a number of Kansas City area pastors and church leaders who love the city and love Jesus Christ whom I will come to know and befriend.