Businessman's Threat

Urban ministry means tangling with the toughest people. Here’s one example. A local businessman wanted a gaming (gambling) license. For this, he needed a letter of consent from the Church. We politely declined. He was furious, walked into the Church, and shouted, "I'll close down the circle!” Our secretary was puzzled: "What's the man talking about? Close down the circle? He’s speaking in riddles!" The Church, however, fell within a statutory circle. It could have been an idle threat, in the heat of the moment, or it could have had serious consequences. OBSERVATION: So it was standard procedure: place the incident on record, in writing, for both parties (in this case, not involving authorities).