No, the market is in no way responsible. The manager is however a city employee.

The preacher was curtly told to move to the sidewalk & he didn't. He began to argue that he had a right to be there (& he does).

My role in this is only that I am one of a couple people publicly identified with the market & I have often been interviewed & quoted on "market issues"many times over the years. (I also serve on some other boards so I am well known to local reporters as someone who can give a "good quote", so I am called by various media types to comment on local issues fairly often)

My concerns are; 1) the manager is antagonistic to the gospel & I have a burden for him. 2) we are using the market location for our outreach & have had a lot of unsaved/unchurched people coming. I do not want this controversy to negativly affect our efforts. 3) I am wondering how to reach out to the "preacher".

For many years the market has had a group of (mostly reformed) believers associated with it as vendors & board members. These individuals have acted as unofficial chaplans. The visit the sick in hospital & share the gospel with vendors & customers. This has been a very productive outreach. Our Sundaynight effort is attempting to build on this in a formal way. I worry that a brash young street preacher & a grumpy old agnostic could be used to undermine this ministry.

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Kevin Rogers
Sovereign Community Church, PCA
Moncton NB