Move FM Global News

BRYAN, Ohio: For over a year, Pastor Chris Avell, who runs a church that stays open 24/7 to help homeless people, has been in conflict with the city of Bryan, Ohio, over the building he uses for his ministry.

On January 21, a city judge found Pastor Avell guilty of breaking zoning and fire safety rules. However, his legal battle isn’t over. His lawyers, who filed a federal lawsuit last year accusing the city of mistreating the church and its members, plan to appeal the conviction.

The church, called Dad’s Place, is still open to temporarily house people while also appealing a separate civil case that allows the city to enforce its zoning and fire codes on the building.

Bryan Fire Chief Douglas Pool said the city’s main concern is that the church doesn’t have the right permits to let people sleep there. Inspectors first found people staying overnight at the church a year ago, along with other code violations. While some issues have been resolved, the city says the church still needs an expensive permit that requires adding fire sprinklers and other upgrades.

The fire chief said, “If we don’t do anything, who’s going to get blamed?” Pool said. “We’re in a position where we need to enforce the code.”

The church’s lawyers argue that the Constitution protects religious institutions helping people in need and that federal law prevents zoning discrimination against churches. They also claim the city is unfairly targeting Dad’s Place, using surprise inspections to intimidate those seeking shelter.

The church’s attorneys pointed out that the city’s three hotels and two other shelters aren’t required to have sprinklers, but the city says those places were built before the fire code required sprinklers in residential buildings.

This week, as temperatures dropped to single digits, about 14 people stayed at the church, which is located near another shelter and a block from Bryan’s town square.

Bryan, with fewer than 9,000 residents, faces housing challenges despite low unemployment and affordable rent. A 2023 study showed a shortage of homes across all price ranges, and housing construction hasn’t kept up with demand for 20 years. Dawn Fitzcharles, a local housing expert, said this had worsened homelessness and left some employed people without stable housing.

The judge delayed Pastor Avell’s US$200 fine for 30 days to allow for an appeal. Avell expects the church to keep running its shelter while the legal fight continues.

“Our calling and our mission have not changed so far throughout this process. Nothing has changed it,” he said on January 23. “We just continue to do the work God’s called us to do and trust him with the outcome.”

The people they serve, he said, “don’t just need a place to lay their head, but where they can actually find hope and transformation.”